CarrieNEWS

Carrie Underwood Headline News

Thu, 31 Aug 2006 18:13:40 GMT

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Top of the morning to ya

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 12:28:08 GMT

Review: Underwood charms, sparkles at Fair

By Victoria Welch
Free Press Staff Writer

ESSEX -- Carrie Underwood is a puzzlement.

The 22-year-old singer has only one album of material to her name, but she headlines a national tour. She can play guitar, but tends to keep the instrument packed away backstage. Her merchandise items include a $20 stuffed animal wearing a Carrie Underwood T-shirt. She's a hybrid country star -- a poppy, tune-croonin', blue-jeans gal who channels Faith Hill, but covers Guns 'N Roses. Mainstream enough for the youngters, country enough for the older crowd.

Most of all, she's an American Idol that shies away from referencing the show -- and is actually pretty gosh darn good.

Underwood swung by the Champlain Valley Fair on Sunday night, joined by brand new tourmate Andy Griggs. Equipped with a seven-piece band and rock-star stage show, Underwood's plucky charm worked its magic on the enthusiastic crowd. Banter about fair food and fried candy bars peppered the space between songs about Jesus and two-timing; Underwood informed the crowd that they had managed to catch her at her goofiest as she laughed and tried to keep warm in the slight August chill.

"It's cold and the best way to beat the cold is to dance," she said. "The only problem is that I'm not very good at it. But I'll do it anyway." More...

REVIEW: Detroit

Chesney, friends pull off stadium show

The Flint Journal First Edition

By Doug Pullen

DETROIT - "We love playing here," Kenny Chesney said near the end of his revved-up Ford Field show Saturday night. I don't think he was just saying that.

The two-time Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year has been selling out arena dates in Detroit for the last few years, but he'd never attempted anything here as big as a stadium show before. Like everything else tried by the 38-year-old Tennesseean, it paid off with a sellout crowd of nearly 45,000 and a six-act, 61/2-hour spectacle. The event deftly showcased country's heir apparent to Garth Brooks and an emerging new guard, including Gretchen Wilson, the night's most pleasant surprise, and last year's "American Idol" winner, Carrie Underwood, the genre's most scrutinized new face.

The awesome scale of the show - at the level to which rock fans are accustomed - was not lost on the artists.

Opener Jake Owen said it was his first time performing in a stadium, and Underwood had a little difficulty working the 60-foot wide span. "We've got a big stage here; kinda gets me out of breath here trying to run across it," said the rail-thin singer.

"This has got to be the biggest building I've played in my life," marveled Dierks Bentley, who added later, "This isn't a concert. This is an event."

That summed it up. With tickets selling for $65 and $81, Chesney and his handlers seemed intent on giving a lot of bang for the buck.

Owen set the tone with a short but spirited performance that got a big cheer for the Saginaw reference in his debut hit, "Yee Haw." Blaine Larsen followed, his tradition-drenched country going over better than the jersey of new Detroit Lions quarterback Jon Kitna he donned late in his set.

Underwood had the richest voice of the night...

More...

Up In Spins

LW: Aug 14 - Aug 20

TW: Aug 21 - Aug 27

Updated: Mon Aug 28 1:01 PM PST

Rank		Mediabase Sortable Stats� - Click any Blue Header			Spins			Aud. /mill
lw	TW		Artist	Title	TW	lw	Move	Aud. /mill
1	1		WRECKERS	Leave The Pieces	4872	4791	81	41.889
3	2		STEVE HOLY	Brand New Girlfriend	4520	4348	172	37.960
2	3		RODNEY ATKINS	If You're Going Thro...	4353	4523	-170	38.769
5	4		GEORGE STRAIT	Give It Away	4287	3783	504	36.622
4	5		LITTLE BIG TOWN	Bring It On Home	4267	4233	34	34.890
6	6		FAITH HILL	Sunshine & Summertim...	3810	3421	389	32.306
7	7		BROOKS & DUNN	Building Bridges	3766	3446	320	31.446
8	8		JOSH TURNER	Would You Go With Me	3599	3395	204	30.040
10	9		PAT GREEN	Feels Just Like It S...	2686	2573	113	23.106
12	10		DIERKS BENTLEY	Every Mile A Memory	2866	2681	185	23.096

14	11		HEARTLAND	I Loved Her First	2563	2104	459	22.682
11	12		BILLY CURRINGTON	Why, Why, Why	2779	2776	3	22.270
22	13		KEITH URBAN	Once In A Lifetime	2198	1486	712	20.932
17	14		DANIELLE PECK	Findin' A Good Man	2317	2266	51	16.912
16	15		BIG & RICH	8th Of November	2079	2092	-13	16.665
19	16		ALAN JACKSON	Like Red On A Rose	2172	1966	206	16.597
21	17		SUGARLAND	Want To	2047	1623	424	16.941
18	18		TRACE ADKINS	Swing	2114	2215	-101	15.665
27	19		KENNY CHESNEY	You Save Me	1940	1353	587	16.658
20	20		LONESTAR	Mountains	1867	1768	99	14.124

23	21		BLAINE LARSEN	I Don't Know What Sh...	1742	1691	51	13.215
24	22		MONTGOMERY GENTRY	Some People Change	1602	1522	80	12.020
26	23		JACK INGRAM	Love You	1493	1422	71	11.791
29	24		CARRIE UNDERWOOD	Before He Cheats	1560	958	602	13.053
28	25		RASCAL FLATTS	Life Is A Highway	1536	1411	125	14.214

Source: Mediabase

Survey Says: Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb' Is Greatest Guitar Riff

Pink Floyd track "Comfortably Numb" has topped a poll of the world's greatest guitar riffs. The song beat off competition from Guns N' Roses hit "Sweet Child O' Mine" and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird," in second and third place respectively.

The chart was conducted by U.K. digital music channel Planet Rock in honor of a return to guitar-based rock - with sales of the instrument in the country rocketing to a staggering $189 million.

The top five guitar riffs are as follows:

1. Pink Floyd, Comfortably Numb
2. Guns N' Roses, Sweet Child O' Mine
3. Lynyrd Skynyrd, Freebird
4. Van Halen, Eruption
5. Guns N' Roses, November Rain

Source: Starpulse

This Weekend in Carrieworld

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 19:22:58 GMT

Here are pics and some commentary from our Carrie-palooza 3-
concert road trip from earlier this month.

Excerpt from my review of Carrie-palooza road trip: Day Two...

Our first mission was to find the KJUG radio booth near Jimmy's Watering Hole.
They were giving away tickets and meet and greet passes. A KJUG temp
tattoo on the cheek made for 2 entries for the contest and I couldn't resist. I
also wanted to make it a point to say hi to DJ Pepper Daniels because he gave
me such wonderful info to share with everyone about the contest. Everyone
was very nice.

Then, lo and behold, some of Carrie's band walks by. We were able to say
hello, take some cool pics with everyone and I got to meet Ed for the first
time. He is one cool dude!

Ashley Clark, Mark Childers, cu1fan, Rich (me), Ed Eason, Amy (Queen of Carrie merchandise).

I told Ed how I love all of Carrie's music, but how Sweet Child O' Mine always is
a crowd pleaser and really just blows people's minds. He agreed and said he
likes the reviews they get. Who knows, maybe he'll read this review. Well, that
would be fun if he did. "Hi, Ed!" lol.

Ashley, Mark C., Me, Ed, Amy, and Sharkbait.

Cherie Bebout (Carrie's backup singer) and some guy named Rich (inexplicably doing an impression of Quasimodo).

We went to get our goodies from the car and rushed back to make sure we
didn't miss the ticket giveaway. Winning was not in the cards today, but it
sure was fun to play along. Time seemed to have slipped away as it was now
getting closer to showtime. We made our way into the grandstand area and
the place was huge! We passed out some glow sticks and I went up to the
front of the venue to hand out the "Carrie, We Love You" hand fans we had
assembled the night before. Opening the night's musical event was Phil Vassar.

Let me tell you, this guy is goooood! So much personality and he just connects
with the audience. I was very impressed. Since I'm writing this almost 4 weeks
after the fact, I won't even attempt to remember what songs he performed,
but it was very enjoyable.

He brought some girls on stage and they finished the set with him at the piano. I'm sure
sharkie would've liked to be up there, too. She met Phil a few months ago, so she was
well aware of his skills. And then�the moment we had all waited so patiently for�

Well, not just yet. Hold your horses! There was a break while everyone set up for Carrie.
I meandered around looking for trouble. Um, I mean saying hello to people. About 30
minutes later and (yes, now you can cheer!) Miss Carrie Marie Underwood entered the
picture with those familiar drum beats of We're Young And Beautiful.

I've gotta tell you, the excitement was overflowing as Carrie seemed to be even more of an
entertainer to go along with her now world-famous vocals. Carrie brought the house down with
Sweet Child O' Mine. We held up some signs we had made, about a dozen or so.

Praise for Carrie, for the band, for, well, just about everyone. Jesus, Take The Wheel is a huge
crowd pleaser as we all waved our glow sticks for Carrie and the band.

One thing that stands out in my mind is how appreciative Carrie was of her fans, as she thanked
everyone repeatedly for putting her where she is. You could tell how much these sentiments
were heartfelt from Carrie. After the encore of I Ain't In Checotah Anymore, we were
left wanting more. But, no problem! There were two more Carrie concerts coming up!

A security guard confirmed that Carrie would be signing at the merchandise booth. So, we made
our way to the line and there must've been only about 50 people in front of us. It seemed like
we were closer to the front than when we were in San Diego. But, who really knows. I was in a
semi-euphoric state (yes, y'all know how excited I get when it seems like we're gonna meet Carrie).
And then, the moment we've all been waiting for, yes, THAT MOMENT! I walked up to what I'll call
the "on-deck circle" and asked Keith if he wanted to take the now-infamous bag of goodies for Carrie.
He said I should just give it to her myself. No problem! So, up I strolled (or something
approximating a stroll) and handed the bag in Carrie's direction. I say "in Carrie's direction"
because, as is typical with my overtaxed brain cells, when I'm in Carrie's presence, everything
above the neck seems to shut down. Well, fortunately not everything.

Carrie with that guy named Rich who keeps getting in these pictures.

I told Carrie that CarrieNEWS had held a contest and quite a few members wrote some essays
about how her music gives everyone so much happiness. I also mentioned that the book of
essays may be something her and her mom may enjoy reading together. Again, I don't
recall her exact response because, as I mentioned, all of my brain cells are focused on
outbound verbiage and nothing is left for retaining any input. There was heart and lung activity
(at least I'm assuming), but I can't tell you what she said. She seemed to be pleased,
let's put it that way.

Carrie and Sharkbait.

After I scampered away, in the most dignified of ways, I began to regain my presence of mind
enough to be able to discreetly celebrate another wonderful Carrie encounter. I was so happy
to be able to finally give Carrie the essay book that so many of you contributed to. There
were also pictures of our contest winners. Thank you so much to everyone who contributed
your essays to this project. I'm sure Carrie and her family will love them! Could I feel any more
spoiled with 2 more nights of Carrie awaiting? What will happen next? Well, we'll have to wait
and see. To be continued�.

Read my full review at CarrieFORUMS.

Pics from Thursday's Carrie concert in Cleveland...

Photos: Rockmysox124

Click: Backstage pics from WQMX

Pics from July's Carrie concert in Great Falls, Montana...

(l -r) Matt Desch (Bear Promotions Manager), Carrie Underwood,
Holly Desch and their son Ethan.

Photos: 106.3 The Bear

Thank you to Matt Desch and family and everyone at
KDBR Kalispell, Montana, for the great pictures.

Listen Live

For those who'd like to learn more about country music and the radio market in Southern California, tune in to KCAA AM 1050 at 11am PT today. Former assistant PD Tonya Campos is the guest at 11 and in the 12 o'clock hour, join host Vince Daniels discussion with former KZLA on-air personalities Whitney Allen and Shawn Parr. Listen Live.

TGIF

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 09:53:20 GMT

New batch of Kenny Chesney tickets released

A batch of lower-level seats has been released for Kenny Chesney�s concert at Ford Field on Saturday.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster�s Web site (www.ticketmaster.com) or phone charge line: 248-645-6666.

Seats are $68.50 and $81 for the 4:30 p.m. concert, which also features country performers Gretchen Wilson, Dierks Bentley, Carrie Underwood, Blaine Larsen and Jake Owen.

Source: Detroit Free Press

From 3C...

Voted #1 for country worldwide for four years running at the
New York International Radio Festival

NEW MUSIC ON 3C!

Carrie Underwood, "Before He Cheats"- A completely different
direction for Carrie, no more ballads for this girl! Her voice has
grit and a blues style edge that makes her sound like she really
means the destructive things she is talking about. After hearing
this song, the furthest thing from your mind would be cheating on
her! That's why it's this week's 3C Hitbound Sound!

AUDIO: Listen to continuous cool country on the live stream from The U.K.

Tonight is the 40th week of Listening Parties here at CarrieNEWS and you're
invited! I thought it would be nice to celebrate, but with a twist. Tonight's party leads
off with the live stream from 3C of The U.K. More details at CarrieFORUMS.Tell a friend!
It all starts at 6pm PT/9pm ET. You won't want to miss this special Carrie-lovin' event!

Carrie Pics n Stuff Like That

Thu, 24 Aug 2006 09:04:56 GMT

AUDIO: WGAR's Chuck Collier interviewed Carrie last Friday, Aug. 18th - Listen here

It's Carrie Underwood vs. Carrie Underwood on Friday's edition of CMT
Power Picks. Voting is in progress right now and all night. Of course Carrie will win,
whether you vote for Jesus, Take The Wheel or Don't Forget To
Remember Me. But, don't forget to remember that CMT.com tracks
our activity on that site and it is part of the formula used to
decide how many Carrie videos will air on CMT. So vote as much as you can!

Life after `Idol'

Performing whirl has young singer Carrie Underwood learning as she goes

FLINT

THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION

Thursday, August 24, 2006

By Doug Pullen

It may seem odd for "American Idol" alumna Carrie Underwood to think of herself as a student.

She graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern State University in her native Oklahoma last June. The 2005 "Idol" champ's debut album, "Some Hearts," has sold more than 3 million copies since it came out last fall.

Underwood has toured with some of country's biggest names, done myriad interviews, made numerous TV appearances and is fast becoming the go-to girl to sing the national anthem at major sporting events, including last year's NBA Finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills, an NFL playoff game and this summer's Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

So what's to learn?

How about how to go from "Idol" to star?

"It's a total learning process. I was thrown into everything so quickly. I'm picking it up as I go along," says the 23-year-old singer from the small town of Checotah, Okla. She made one of her first post-"Idol" concert appearances last December at a Hurricane Katrina benefit with her idol, Martina McBride, and LeAnn Rimes at The Palace.

It's gone pretty well for the pert performer with the crystal-clear voice whom notoriously tough "Idol" judge Simon Cowell praised as having the "it factor." Since winning the vastly popular TV talent show 15 months ago, Underwood has seen her singles "Inside Your Heaven," "Jesus, Take the Wheel," "Some Hearts" and "Don't Forget About Me" variously scale the country and pop charts, with new release "Before He Cheats" on its way up.

Her debut album sold 315,000 copies in its first week, making it the best-selling country debut since 1991. It has gone on to sell nearly 3.5 million copies. Underwood has won Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music and Dove Awards, signed endorsements to pitch everything from Hershey's chocolate products to Skechers footwear, and is one of the newest celebrities to sport a "Got Milk?" mustache for the International Dairy Foods Association.

Heck, she even was 2005's Oklahoman of the Year.

And to think she graduated from high school only five years ago.

Carrie Marie Underwood admits her vision of what this would be like is different from the reality she's experiencing.

"You honestly think things will be all glamorous and you sleep until 3 every day and get up and sing, but it's a lot more crazy than I would have thought, but in a totally good way," she said from a tour stop in Lewisburg, W.Va. "You have all these ideas of what will happen, what stardom will be like, but it turns out better in some cases." More...

Source: Flint Journal

Send your friends a limited edition Decades Rock Live eCard.
It features Carrie and it's free!

Here's the link for the eCard

ENCORE VIDEO:
Watch the video of Carrie and Heart in concert in Atlantic City on 3/10/06...

"She just came out of her skin, she was just really
great and confident and took it big."

- Ann Wilson of Heart talking about Carrie

Free video hosting, video codes at www.vidiLife.com

ENCORE VIDEO: Carrie talks about performing "Alone" on DRL

For those in the L.A. area, tune in to this morning's broadcast of the KTLA Morning Show on channel 5.
Ex-KZLA Morning Show personality, Peter Tilden will be the guest in the 9am block. For those who missed the interview, Kevin at CountryBoards.com has posted the transcript here.

More pics of Carrie's 8/11 performance on Good Morning America...

If you missed the concert broadcast the first time around, be sure to check out these
links for streaming video of Carrie on GMA...

Watch Carrie rock New York's Bryant Park.

VIDEO: Don't Forget To Remember Me

VIDEO: Before He Cheats

VIDEO: We're Young And Beautiful

Konami Signs Simon Cowell And Randy Jackson For 'Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol'

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., caught up with American Idol's famous judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson to get their comments about the upcoming video game Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Gamers will not only come face-to-face with Cowell and Jackson as they rate performances and provide feedback, but Konami's groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) inside the game will also enable them to critique specific parts of any performance, a first in the award-winning video game's history.

"Over the years American Idol has produced some amazingly talented singers, but let's be honest most of the people who turn up for the auditions are useless," said Simon Cowell. "For anyone who wants to know what it's like to audition in front of me, now you're about to find out. This game is a great representation of American Idol."

"The number one show on television and the top karaoke video game around � wow, this is going to be big time!" said Randy Jackson. "It's amazing what Konami has accomplished in making this game look and feel like the TV show." More...

KZLA: In Memoriam

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 21:44:39 GMT

The last banner at Country 93.9 KZLA.com, before the format flip

On August 1st, Katie, Jen, Sharkie, and I were fortunate to be able to visit the studios of KZLA, in Burbank, and meet Vicki Pepper (for the first time), Shawn Parr, and Whitney Allen. Here are some cool pics of our visit which was a wonderful way to start off our 3-concert Carrie-palooza road trip.

KZLA Bumpersticker

Excerpts from my Carrie-palooza review, day 1...

After making our way past NBC Burbank, where we had seen Carrie on The Tonight Show, 9 months earlier, we arrived at the KZLA studios. We said hello to the receptionist and after a short wait, we were greeted by the effervescent and very pretty, Vicki Pepper. She's the Programming Assistant and is someone I've been in contact with for several months, but had not yet met. What a delight! After our introductions, she escorted us into the non-public areas and we saw a lot of cool studios where a couple of producers were working on mixing stuff, and then out pops Shawn Parr! He's the mid-day personality and also hosts the 8 o'clock block and is host of the Top 20 Countdown on Sunday mornings. We all took pictures, but I'll leave the pictures of Sharkie and Katie to tell the story better than my little camera can.

Katie, Shawn, Jen, Me, Vicki

We bid farewell to Shawn and got to take a peek into the office of Peter Tilden, the host of the morning show, which Ashley Paige co-hosts with him.

Peter and Ashley

We got to take a peek into the back-up studio which we heard was used recently. There's always a little something like a snafu when you least expect it, huh? We passed by many, many records and awards on the walls. Very impressive! We happened to get there just when Whitney Allen was starting her show and, tada, this was the place. The main studio and Whitney was standing and doing her announcing. I was surprised that many DJs stand while broadcasting. Hmmm. Something about energy and projecting the voice. Very interesting! For those of you who don't know who Whitney is, she's just the evening drive DJ for "America's Most Listened To Country Station." Plus she hosts a couple of syndicated shows: The Big Time Saturday Night and America's Hot List. Plus, she's just a darn nice person.

Vicki, Jen, Me, Whitney, Katie

Whitney came out from the studio to say hello and we got to take some pictures with her. We spoke with Vicki some more while Whitney went back in the studio and then Whitney came out to show us her tattoo.

Whit and Sharkie

Whit had to get back to work so Vicki took us in search of more tour goodies. I asked Vicki about syndication and we spoke ever-so-briefly about companies such as Westwood One.

One of many awards lining the halls of KZLA, this one from SHeDaisy

Everyone was so nice and Vicki even gave us all KZLA caps and cup cozies. We said our goodbyes and I know I'm not the only one who felt very fortunate to be able to see the inner workings of our favorite radio station. It looks like a really fun place to work. We decided to act like tourists in our own backyard as we all mugged for the camera in front of the KZLA logo in front of the building. What a wonderful day to start off our Carrie-palooza road trip!

As we now know, a mere 16 days later, Emmis Communications would flip the format from country music (KZLA's format for 26 years) to "Rhythmic AC" and would go by the name of "Movin' 93.9." This would turn out to be our first and last visit to our friends at Country 93.9 KZLA. So, it is somewhat bittersweet for me to present this here. But, it was a wonderful year for me. If I had not tuned in to American Idol for the first time last year, I would have never met Carrie. If I had never met Carrie, I would, most likely, never have become a huge fan of country music. So, to have been able to meet such wonderful people at KZLA is really something for which I'm truly blessed. They were and are the nicest people. Vicki and Kevin (the station's webmaster) appear to be the only employees who have been retained for the new operation.

Many of us listeners in Los Angeles are deeply saddened for this loss to our airwaves and are working hard via a petition and letter-writing campaign to help shed light on the urgent need for country radio in our major cities, in this case Los Angeles. Artists, fans, record labels, and radio all benefit from this wonderful art form: country music. Sure, there are some reasonable alternatives if one is only looking for the music itself. But, what KZLA and it's on-air personalities brought to all of us is a local community and a family through which we shared our love of country music. This is something we want to recapture and country radio is a wonderful addition to our lives. I understand the ACM and the CMA are working diligently through their board members to find a solution to this void, so this is also something that is a positive note.

To Peter Tilden, Ashley Paige, Shawn Parr, Whitney Allen, Brian Douglas, Blair Garner, Buzz Brainard, Paul Freeman, Larry Santiago, Justin Michaels, Vicki Pepper, Tonya Campos, RJ Curtis, and anyone at Country KZLA who I may have left out, a huge thank you so much for giving all of us so much listening pleasure. We miss you!

Whitney Allen can still be heard on numerous stations on her awesome show The Big Time Saturday Night and America's Hot List. Blair Garner is also going strong with his After Midnite show, now in it's 13th year. I understand Peter Tilden is looking into syndicating his show called "Hollyville." We're still looking forward to many years of listening to these fantastic on-air personalities. This isn't the end, it's just the beginning! Feel free to sign our petition here and visit Country Boards.com and Country Fanlink.org to stay up-to-date on our blossoming projects to help bring back Country in the City. To our friends at KZLA, we'll be right here ready to celebrate the return of country radio in L.A! More pics at CarrieFORUMS.

Heeere's Amy...aaand Gordie...

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 21:51:46 GMT

This is the first of many stories on people who are connected to Carrieworld in some way.

Heeere's Amy...

Some of us have been very fortunate to make the acquaintance of Amy, the lovely
merchandiser, who will be at most of the Carrie concerts this year. Here are a couple of
pics to help introduce Amy to everyone who hasn't met her yet.

That's Amy above on the right. This picture was taken at the Ironstone Vineyards concert.

Carrie's band and others at the Mid State Fair concert. Ashley Clark, Mark Childers, Me,
Ed Eason, Amy, Sharkie.

So, this is Amy! If you see her selling all those t-shirts and other fun Carrie stuff, buy tons
of stuff! There's the black Carrie shirt, the white Carrie shirt, the pink hat, the celphone
strap, the plush doggie, the keychain, the Carrie pic, and the concert photobook, which I
think is a work of art! Amy is usually pretty busy with her Carrie goodie sales, but be sure
and give her a big hello from CarrieNEWS!

- Rich

WGAR Cleveland

Beginning Monday August 21st, countdown to the front row with Mantel and Michelle!

Listen at 7:10a for the time you�ll hear the Carrie Underwood Double Play of the Day and you could be at the show courtesy of Arista Nashville and part of a private sound check party where you�ll meet Carrie on Thursday!

Mon 8/21-3p
Tue 8/22-11a
Wed 8/23-4p
Thur 8/24-8a

Profile of Gordie Sampson

Hits/Cuts/Chart Action: "Jesus, Take The Wheel," Carrie Underwood; "My Name," George Canyon; "Paris," Faith Hill; "The Hard Way," Keith Urban; "This Life," LeAnn Rimes

The following is an excerpt of an interview from Music Row Magazine

Gordie recalls his first trip to Nashville: "I want to say I was 26, something like that. I hooked up with some Canadians in town�Ralph Murphy and Tinti Moffatt were two important ones. I slept on their floors and they introduced me to people and guided me through the choices that you make when you're eager and starving. I'm forever indebted to them for that. The more time I spent in Nashville the easier it got, the more doors became unlocked. It just really feels like home there now."

His first Universal Canada album was released at about the time of that first Nashville visit. "I had singles in Canada that were doing really well and was getting video play on MuchMoreMusic up here, our version of MTV2. Sort of a triple-A video station."

But two albums' worth of respected material, despite generous Canadian airplay, hardly prepared Gordie for what would happen when "Jesus, Take The Wheel" became hitched to the meteoric rise of a certain American Idol winner. "I got way more press out of writing a song for Carrie Underwood than I ever did for anything I did as an artist," he's quick to admit. "The cool thing is that I'll do a show as an artist and draw some people as a result of riding on Carrie's wave. It's very strange 'cause people will ask me to sing the song and I can't sing it! There's a bit of sorting out involved in maintaining the two paths."

From his earliest Nashville days Gordie has enjoyed the benefits of co-writing. "I confess to being a born co-writer. I really enjoy the process. One of the coolest things I learned in Nashville was being able to surrender your trust to the other person. When you're trying to hack out a line you learn a lot by saying to yourself, 'OK, even though I don't agree with him I'm gonna trust my co-writer on this.' That's happened for me a couple of times on songs that got cut, where I look back and go, 'Oh my God, If I'd have gone with my own feeling it wouldn't have been as good!'

Read more about Gordie Sampson at Musicrow.com

Just released today...

BELIEVE Songs of Faith From Today's Top Country & Christian Artists

Click here to buy.

More pics from last weekend's Carrie concert in Louisville...

Photos: Carrie Underwood Fanspace

CHART DATE: 08/21/2006
LAST UPDATE: 08/22/2006 14:06:32
NOW IN: FINAL

LW	TW	artist / album	label	power index	% change
--	1	CHRISTINA AGUILERA	RCA/RMG	355,598	--
		BACK TO BASICS
--	2	LYFE JENNINGS	SONY URBAN/COLUMBIA/CRG	136,520	--
		THE PHOENIX
--	3	TRACE ADKINS	CAPITOL NASHVILLE	106,957	--
		DANGEROUS MAN
--	4	CHERISH	SHO'NUFF/CAPITOL	91,051	--
		UNAPPRECIATED
--	5	CHEETAH GIRLS 2	WALT DISNEY RECORDS	80,044	--
		SOUNDTRACK
3	6	NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC V22	SONY MUSIC GROUP	79,016	-23%
		VARIOUS
--	7	OBIE TRICE	SHADY/INTERSCOPE	76,679	--
		SECOND ROUND'S ON ME
1	8	RICK ROSS	DEF JAM/IDJMG	75,881	-61%
		PORT OF MIAMI
5	9	STEP UP	LAFACE/ZLG	70,470	+12%
		SOUNDTRACK
9	10	NICKELBACK	ROADRUNNER/IDJMG	52,469	+15%
		ALL THE RIGHT REASONS
7	11	GNARLS BARKLEY	DOWNTOWN/ATLANTIC ATL G	50,282	-8%
		ST. ELSEWHERE
2	12	BREAKING BENJAMIN	HOLLYWOOD	50,208	-62%
		PHOBIA
11	13	RASCAL FLATTS	LYRIC STREET	39,513	-5%
		ME AND MY GANG
4	14	CASSIE	BAD BOY/ATLANTIC/ATL G	38,618	-62%
		CASSIE
15	15	PUSSYCAT DOLLS	A&M/INTERSCOPE	38,569	0%
		PCD
12	16	HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL	WALT DISNEY RECORDS	38,155	-4%
		SOUNDTRACK
26	17	JOSH TURNER	MCA NASHVILLE	37,430	+30%
		YOUR MAN
6	18	KIDZ BOP KIDS 10	RAZOR & TIE	36,722	-34%
		VARIOUS
22	19	HINDER	UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC	35,452	+14%
		EXTREME BEHAVIOR
17	20	YUNG JOC	BAD BOY/ATLANTIC/ATL G	34,945	-7%
		NEW JOC CITY
20	21	RIHANNA	DEF JAM/IDJMG	34,332	0%
		A GIRL LIKE ME
13	22	LETOYA	CAPITOL	32,015	-19%
		LETOYA
21	23	PANIC! AT THE DISCO	FUELD BY RAMEN/WMG	31,091	-6%
		A FEVER YOU CAN'T SWEAT OUT
18	24	TOM PETTY	AMERICAN/WARNER BROS.	30,727	-15%
		HIGHWAY COMPANION
10	25	DMX	SONY URBAN/COLUMBIA/CRG	30,626	-30%
		YEAR OF THE DOG...AGAIN
24	26	PHARRELL	STAR TRAK/INTERSCOPE	28,903	-5%
		IN MY MIND
25	27	RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS	WARNER BROS.	28,841	-4%
		STADIUM ARCADIUM
16	28	STONE SOUR	ROADRUNNER/IDJ	28,124	-26%
		COME WHAT(EVER) MAY
23	29	NELLY FURTADO	GEFFEN	27,287	-12%
		LOOSE
27	30	THE FRAY	EPIC	26,836	0%
		HOW TO SAVE A LIFE
34	31	CORINNE BAILEY RAE	CAPITOL	26,599	+18%
		CORINNE BAILEY RAE
28	32	NE-YO	DEF JAM/IDJMG	25,813	-2%
		IN MY OWN WORDS
31	33	CARRIE UNDERWOOD	ARISTA/RMG	24,684	-1%
		SOME HEARTS
30	34	DIXIE CHICKS	OPEN WIDE/MONUMENT/COL	23,028	-8%
		TAKING THE LONG WAY
33	35	TIM MCGRAW	CURB	22,438	-3%
		GREATEST HITS VOL.2
36	36	RODNEY ATKINS	CURB	21,168	-3%
		IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH HELL
29	37	INDIA.ARIE	UNIVERSAL MOTOWN	21,099	-18%
		TESTIMONY: VOL.1, LIFE & REL...
37	38	AFI	INTERSCOPE	21,049	-2%
		DECEMBERUNDERGROUND
32	39	FIVE FOR FIGHTING	AWARE/COLUMBIA/CRG	20,073	-19%
		TWO LIGHTS
39	40	WRECKERS	MAVERICK/WARNER BROS.	20,027	+5%
		STAND STILL, LOOK PRETTY
38	41	BLUE OCTOBER	UNIVERSAL MOTOWN	19,893	+4%
		FOILED
19	42	STEVE HOLY	CURB	18,856	-47%
		BRAND NEW GIRLFRIEND
--	43	SNAKES ON A PLANE	NEW LINE	18,442	--
		SOUNDTRACK
8	44	SLAYER	WARNER BROS.	17,702	-66%
		CHRIST ILLUSION
--	45	K.T. TUNSTALL	VIRGIN	17,451	--
		EYE TO THE TELESCOPE
46	46	TOBY KEITH	SHOW DOG NASH/UNIVERSAL	16,256	-6%
		WHITE TRASH WITH MONEY
48	47	BUSTA RHYMES	AFTERMATH/INTERSCOPE	16,183	+3%
		THE BIG BANG
--	48	JAMES BLUNT	CUSTARD/ATLANTIC/ATL G	16,135	--
		BACK TO BEDLAM
42	49	BUCKCHERRY	ELEVEN SEVEN MUSIC	15,899	-12%
		15
--	50	SNOW PATROL	A&M/INTERSCOPE	15,728	--
		EYES OPEN

Source: Hits Daily Double

Concert Pics plus an Amazing Review From Illinois!

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 17:20:09 GMT

Carrie Underwood

Before He Cheats

Arista

When "Jesus Take The Wheel" was making it's momentous run up the charts,
my pastor mentioned Carrie Underwood in one of his sermons, saying that he
loved the song. However in his view, the good lord would rather that we take
the wheel, in fact he said God gives us the keys and we take charge. I'm
pleased that Carrie got the memo. In fact, she not only has the keys, she rips
them into her cheating boyfriend's 'suped-up four-wheel drive' with a
vengeance. And so is the story of, "Before He Cheats," the new single from
our new superstar. Underwood displays a whole new side here, with enough
soul, swagger and spit-fire to make Aretha proud. The pretty school marm
from the church choir just changed into her leather skirt and boots and like a
true chameleon, she looks great in both. In my opinion this is the best single
so far this year, okay maybe the last two years. Impacting everywhere now.

Source: AllAccess

Pics from Saturday's concert in Louisville

Carrie Underwood, who won the 2005 American Idol title, said she
never thought in her wildest dreams that she would open a show for
Brad Paisley, below, as she did at Freedom Hall on Saturday.
(By Geoff Oliver Bugbee, Special to The C-J)

Source: The Courier-Journal

The Centennial CD project entitled "Oklahoma Rising" is a two disc CD saluting the artists and
music of Oklahoma. Carrie and "Inside Your Heaven" will be featured on Volume 2 of the set.
The CD will be available for purchase online at www.oklahomacentennial.com and at 7-11
Stores in the metro area (106 stores). The retail price is $19.99. Net proceeds will benefit
Habitat for Humanity in Oklahoma. Click here for a list of those artists who will be featured
on the CD. Stay tuned for the exact date of when this wonderful set will be available.

Carrie's opening act at Musikfest: Tandem

CCMA Nashville recording artists, Tandem, were Carrie's opening act at Musikfest on August 12th. Tandem tells CarrieNEWS about the experience...

"We had a great time at Musikfest with Carrie.
She was very kind to our people. We took pics,
swopped tshirts, etc. She sounded great.
We hope that we get the opportunity to open up for
her again down the road."

Tom/Tandem

More pics can be found at TandemSings.com

Photo reprinted with permission.

REVIEW: Illinois State Fair

Underwood's sound vibrant
'American Idol' winner's own songs, covers best heard in live performances

By NICK ROGERS
A&E EDITOR

Published Monday, August 21, 2006

The best way to hear Carrie Underwood is the same way that inspired millions of quick-fingered "American Idol" voters to give her the title - as far away from the sterility of a studio as possible.

Underwood's robust voice could cut through titanium, so it still slices through the overproduced clutter on her album, "Some Hearts." But when music sounds embalmed, so can the mood.

Not so Sunday at the Illinois State Fair Grandstand, where the 23-year-old Oklahoma sweetheart brought to her own songs what the crowd of 9,687 already knew from watching her sing chestnuts on TV. She's an unfailingly vibrant performer whose towering talent makes any song work live.

Underwood belted the dickens out of well-performed, full-band ballads - "Starts with Goodbye," "Lessons Learned," "I Just Can't Live A Lie" - but sounded like she was having more fun with the uptempo songs. She gave a seductive sales pitch worth biting on for the familiar call to cut loose on show-opening "We're Young and Beautiful." And although the revenge-seeker of "Before He Cheats" clearly is a character, the lie sold a little stronger on stage.

"American Idol" gurus never would let it happen, but Underwood would be best off in mostly acoustic shows. A stripped-down middle portion scorched the corn off of "Don't Forget To Remember Me" and "AI" signature song, "Inside Your Heaven." Plus, Guns 'n' Roses music rarely could be described as pretty, but she made it happen on a cover of "Patience."

Better yet was a fully rocking, nasty nailing of "Sweet Child O' Mine" - right down to Underwood's vocal "cha" right before guitars kicked in or mimicking Axl Rose's sucking in of air. It easily was one of the song's best-ever cover versions, followed by a dainty "thank you" at its finish.

If Underwood is a bit green at anything, it's stage chatter. Copious amounts of gratitude given out to the audience after each song were 100-percent sincere. But she said "thank you" as many times as Ruben Studdard says "sorry" in his song "Sorry 2004." Nice gesture, but a few times is fine.

Underwood sent her departing cowgirl fans into a dancing frenzy with "Some Hearts" before returning with an encore, "I Ain't in Checotah Anymore." What seemed at the start another mopey song about big-city blues was instead a rollicking romp that put Underwood on par with one of her own idols, Martina McBride, and put every other female country arena-filler on notice to watch out.

Last time Phil Vassar opened at the Grandstand, he shook his butt. On Sunday, with a running start, he slid it Dukes-style across his Yamaha piano. As caffeinated as the Jolt Cola on his T-shirt, Vassar's performances of recent hits like "Last Day of My Life" and "The Next Thirty Years" and staples like "American Child" drew more crowd hoots as his set went on. Kudos, too, for a "Saturday Night Live" Buckwheat reference with a "Wookin' Pa Nub" thrown into "I'll Take That As a Yes."

Source: Springfield State Journal Register

CHART DATE: 08/21/2006
LAST UPDATE: 08/21/2006 18:03:16
NOW IN: 40.37%

LW	TW	artist / album	label	power index
--	1	CHRISTINA AGUILERA	RCA/RMG	110,412
		BACK TO BASICS
--	2	TRACE ADKINS	CAPITOL NASHVILLE	72,207
		DANGEROUS MAN
3	3	NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC V22	SONY MUSIC GROUP	51,367
		VARIOUS
--	4	CHEETAH GIRLS 2	WALT DISNEY RECORDS	42,386
		SOUNDTRACK
--	5	CHERISH	SHO'NUFF/CAPITOL	34,258
		UNAPPRECIATED
--	6	LYFE JENNINGS	SONY URBAN/COLUMBIA/CRG	30,759
		THE PHOENIX
26	7	JOSH TURNER	MCA NASHVILLE	27,225
		YOUR MAN
9	8	NICKELBACK	ROADRUNNER/IDJMG	23,713
		ALL THE RIGHT REASONS
11	9	RASCAL FLATTS	LYRIC STREET	21,710
		ME AND MY GANG
6	10	KIDZ BOP KIDS 10	RAZOR & TIE	21,443
		VARIOUS
15	11	PUSSYCAT DOLLS	A&M/INTERSCOPE	17,596
		PCD
12	12	HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL	WALT DISNEY RECORDS	17,545
		SOUNDTRACK
5	13	STEP UP	LAFACE/ZLG	15,979
		SOUNDTRACK
19	14	STEVE HOLY	CURB	15,812
		BRAND NEW GIRLFRIEND
31	15	CARRIE UNDERWOOD	ARISTA/RMG	15,443
		SOME HEARTS
20	16	RIHANNA	DEF JAM/IDJMG	14,927
		A GIRL LIKE ME
4	17	CASSIE	BAD BOY/ATLANTIC/ATL G	14,741
		CASSIE
7	18	GNARLS BARKLEY	DOWNTOWN/ATLANTIC ATL G	14,269
		ST. ELSEWHERE
33	19	TIM MCGRAW	CURB	13,882
		GREATEST HITS VOL.2
36	20	RODNEY ATKINS	CURB	13,420
		IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH HELL
1	21	RICK ROSS	DEF JAM/IDJMG	11,877
		PORT OF MIAMI
13	22	LETOYA	CAPITOL	11,787
		LETOYA
2	23	BREAKING BENJAMIN	HOLLYWOOD	11,550
		PHOBIA
18	24	TOM PETTY	AMERICAN/WARNER BROS.	11,239
		HIGHWAY COMPANION
22	25	HINDER	UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC	11,204
		EXTREME BEHAVIOR

Source: Hits Daily Double

The Louisville Slugger story continues...

Sun, 20 Aug 2006 20:49:58 GMT

WAMZ On-Air Personality Gator Glass was very nice to provide CarrieNEWS these
great pictures of last night's concert at the Kentucky State Fair. He had a
personalized Louisville Slugger bat made up to give to Carrie Saturday night, with
her name, the song title, and the station's logo on it. That is way too cool!

Here's Carrie with Gator's wife Beth, their 2 1/2 year old son Caleb, and Gator with
the LS bat. According to Gator, Carrie really liked her bat. She said she didn't want
to smash anything on stage with the bat because her band wouldn't like it.

Gator says Carrie put on a great performance.

I was listening to WAMZ quite a bit last night. But, unfortunately, I missed our
shoutout. But, it's all good. A big thank you to Gator Glass for helping all of us get
more of a sense as to what went on yesterday at this special show right there in the
heart of Louisville Slugger country. It looks like everyone had a wonderful time.

Photos: Gator Glass
Evening On-Air Personality 97.5 WAMZ

VIDEO: Carrie talks about her favorite actors, actresses, and her favorite music

Tune in tonight to see if Carrie wins her two nominations!

Choice Music - Female Artist

Choice - Breakout Female

2006 Teen Choice Awards airs LIVE August 20th 8PM ET/PT on Fox.

Recommended KZLA alternatives for syndicated programs:

The Big Time Saturday Night w/ Whitney Allen: Saturday 4pm - WGAR Listen Live

After Midnite with Blair Garner (Larry Morgan Sa-Su): Daily 12 midnight - KUSS Listen Live

Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40: Sunday 6pm - KXY Listen Live

Country radio Taku 105 in Juneau, Alaska, is giving away tickets to
Carrie in concert at the Puyallup Fair on September 18th. Included in the prize
package are roundtrip tickets for 2 on Alaska Airlines and $105 in spending money!
Click here for details.

This Weekend in Carrieworld

Sun, 20 Aug 2006 00:34:05 GMT

Welcome to Louisville Slugger Day at CarrieNEWS!

In honor of Carrie's performance at the Kentucky State Fair this evening, CarrieNEWS is naming this day Louisville Slugger Day!

As most of you know, the lyrics of Carrie's new single "Before He Cheats" includes references to Louisville Slugger. A representative of Louisville Slugger tells CarrieNEWS that the company has teamed up with WAMZ-FM to produce and present a bat for Carrie. How cool is that?!

More pics of Carrie from her performance on CBS' The Early Show...

Neighbors raise money to help fire victims

Kjerstin Ramsing/News4 Reporter

LOON LAKE -- A mulit-faceted fundraiser was held on Saturday for the victims of the August 9th Valley Mill Fire. The fire destroyed 10 homes near the town of Valley, Washington.

Neighbors in the Loon Lake community held car washes, yard sales and a spaghetti feed and silent auction to raise money for the uninsured families that lost their homes.

The spaghetti feed at Loon Lake Saloon and Grill drew support from local supporters and national celebrities alike. County Music stars Faith Hill and Carrie Underwood each donated autographed guitars to be auctioned off.

Patricia Sponsel of Loon Lake told News4 that "big names aside, it is a small close knit community that usually helps out the most in times of need".

The Valley Mill fire scorched 300 acres.

Source: KXLY.com News

From a Q and A with Anthony Federov....

Do you still keep in touch with past Idols? If so, who?
*Andrea*

"I keep in touch pretty much with everybody. I talk to Carrie most of the time. We talk quite a bit."

I know you're both huge animal lovers. Did that bring you together?
*Mrs. Jones*

"Actually, no. Carrie and I first bonded because our personalities connected. Carrie � she's a great girl and we started hanging out. The less people that were on the show, the more we just bonded and hung out."

More Q and A at Mrs Jones on Idol

We miss you, KZLA!

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 18:12:13 GMT

Yesterday, our beloved KZLA (formerly America's Most Listened To Country Station) had its format changed to Rythmic AC by their corporate parent. Apparently, this was as much a shocker to the on-air personalities as it was to us, the devoted listeners. Fortunately, there are a couple of bright spots for those of us who, by virtue of following Carrie's career, now love country music. Most of the syndicated shows are still available, so here are the links to those sites. Click on the logos for station finders to stream on the net. To everyone at KZLA: We love you and we miss you. Thank you for giving us, your faithful listeners and even us country music newbies, so much listening pleasure. We're looking forward to crossing paths again one day soon. Check KZLA.com to keep up to date on streaming and HD options.

Let's also get out there with our country pride by attending the Country Bash concert to show that Southern California loves country!

Also, please sign our petition to Bring Back Country To Your City.

An Open Letter To The KZLA Staff From The Academy Of Country Music

It is a sad day for the Country Music industry when Emmis Broadcasting decides to change formats on what is arguably the most listened to Country Music radio station, KZLA.

As neighbors in Southern California, we know first hand all the hard work KZLA has put in to helping make country music the most successful radio format in America. To our friends at KZLA, most of whom we have worked directly with over the years but especially R.J. Curtis, who has served on the Academy board of directors and currently serves on the radio task force committee; Shawn Parr, the voice of the Academy of Country Music Awards on CBS and emcee of our post-awards All-Star Jam reception; and Peter Tilden, who was the host of many of our behind-the-scenes web interviews, we thank you for all your efforts in the past and look forward to your continuing success in the future. We know how successful Country Music continues to be in Southern California with KFRG in Riverside, KHAY in Oxnard/Ventura and KSON and KUSS in San Diego counties, and pledge to continue to support and bring awareness of country radio and our artists to the Los Angeles market in the wake of this loss.

Source: All About Country

Listen n Request party #39 is tonight and it's a big night to request Before He Cheats. Details can be found at Team CMU here.

By Ken Barnes, USA Today...

> Some Hearts, Carrie Underwood: This Diane Warren song, previously recorded by Marshall Crenshaw, is probably the least country-sounding thing on the American Idol winner's debut. But, despite Underwood's two huge singles, it's the song with the hooks I can't get enough of. Album: Some Hearts.

Introducing: Oklahoma Sun - The Video

Thu, 17 Aug 2006 09:21:04 GMT

"Oklahoma Sun" is a lovely song which was written by Cory Thomas to honor the
wonderful inspiration of Carrie Underwood. Cory's perseverance and dedication to
raise funds to record the song resulted in the song you hear today. My friend Katie
Pettit is one of my favorite montage masters. Some of you may know her fantastic
heartfelt Carrie tribute montage called "My Wish." I knew Katie would be the perfect
person to work her magic and to make "Oklahoma Sun" into the beautiful tribute
montage you see playing today on Carrievision (if no longer on CarrieVision, you can play it right here in this post by clicking the arrow on the screen). So, without further ado, CarrieNEWS
is proud to present a brand new Carrie montage, this unique collaborative effort
highlights the best that Carrieworld offers: "Oklahoma Sun." Enjoy!

- Rich

Talk about it here!

Some cool pics from Wednesday's Erie County Fair

Photos: Carrie Underwood Fanspace

REVIEW: Erie County Fair

Underwood lives up to her Idol status with performance at fair
By Benjamin Siegel
News Contributing Reviewer
8/17/2006

The showdown that took place last May during the "American Idol" finale was a good one, if you'll remember. A classic rock and roller, the longhaired Mr. Bo Bice, and a classic country girl - that would be the winner, Miss Carrie Underwood - pitted two traditional American standards up against each other.

From the looks of Underwood's triumphant year-old career, and a packed show at America's Fair in Hamburg last night, she's picking from Columns A and B with ease. Not that country is far off from rock, and not that her pop demographic doesn't allow for a little dibble-dabble in each other's pots.

Entertaining a crowd of devout "Idol" voters and their eager-to-be-pleased little ones, Underwood made good on her win as America's fifth Idol. If voters were quick to reward the Oklahoman's genuine vocal chops, she was just as willing to give back to those who put her in her place.

Taking generously from her debut album, last November's "Some Hearts," Underwood kicked things off with the killer "That's Where It Is," a rocking tune with enough kick and sass in its step to show her growth from her viewer-voting days.

Dolly Parton's "Jolene" followed, echoing the legend's vulnerability with grace. She even journeyed into some Guns 'N' Roses, and mostly succeeded.

"I love country, but I love all kinds of music," she said as she introduced an acoustic "Patience." "Sweet Child O' Mine" was nearly fail-safe - if it weren't for that scarf-layered mic stand she ran around with. It was a little too much of a prop.

Though this sing-a-long gave her one of two standing ovations for the night, it was her own music that showcased her best work.

Her third single, "Before He Cheats," was a smooth country rocker and a crowd favorite. "Starts With Goodbye" and "Lessons Learned" soared with the drama of the best country-pop ballads.

Her balladry is noteworthy, if not a little one-trick-pony-ish. Don't get me wrong; it's a pretty nice pony. But it's nothing if not repetitious. But then again, this genre rarely varies from the formula of simple strong structure, woeful lyrics and soaring vocals.

Still, this young performer shows glimmers of a bright future. Maybe it's a sign of the times for the country ballad, traditionally drowning in depression and despair. But there was an abundance of optimism in this girl's message, especially in her hit single, "Jesus, Take the Wheel." Dolly and Loretta never made us feel so renewed.

It's wonderful to see humility and authenticity pour off a stage and directly into the souls of such young fans. I'm not sure if Carrie noticed, but I was surely captivated by one very little girl being escorted to the front row by a fairgrounds usher. She took her white children's camera out, hoisted it to her darling little face, and with the help of the usher, took a snapshot of her idol before running back to her parents. It was in this sweet moment that my usual dismay in Simon Cowell was all but forgiven. He had the right idea all along.

Source: The Buffalo News

I got my Carrie calendar! I got my Carrie calendar!

I've gotta tell you, this calendar is even more beautiful in person. Just like the
concert photo book, it's a work of art! I love it!

Only 12.99 at Calendars.com! Get your Carrie calendar for 2007 today!

Don't forget to catch Carrie on Wednesday's The Early Show!

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 09:38:20 GMT

VIDEO: Carrie performs "Before He Cheats" on "The Early Show."

VIDEO: Carrie performs "Jesus, Take The Wheel" on "The Early Show."

VIDEO: Carrie's interview on "The Early Show."

Talk about it here!

More pics from the CarrieNEWS department of tiny pictures. Our philosophy is that
a tiny pic of Carrie is better than no pic of Carrie. So, here are quite a few pics from
last Friday's taping of CBS' The Early Show.

Don't forget to remember to catch Carrie's concert on Wednesday's The Early Show on CBS!
The show starts at 7am! Check local CBS affiliate here. Talk about it here!

More great pics of Carrie on The Early Show are right below on this page!

Carrie Underwood's 'Amazing' Year-Plus

NEW YORK, Aug. 16, 2006

(CBS) A little over a year ago, Carrie Underwood battled it out with rocker Bo Bice for the title "American Idol."

Since her victory, the Oklahoma native has become a true country music star.

Her debut CD, "Some Hearts," has already gone triple platinum and produced two No. 1 singles.

On The Early Show plaza Wednesday, Underwood agreed with Tracy Smith's depiction of the 14 months since "Idol" as "amazing."

"I am a very blessed person," Underwood told Smith, "and everything's been busy and crazy, but it's all been really great, so, whenever it does get kinda hectic, I just remember how fortunate I am."

Underwood has 70 tour dates this summer, and is performing with some of the very country stars she used to watch.

"It's amazing," Underwood marveled. "It's really nerve-wracking because of that. I get to go to award shows and things like that and sing in front of all the people I grew up listening to, and it does get a little nerve-wracking sometimes, but it's really awesome, and I'm just lucky."

Underwood recently graduated college, even though she's gone so far, so fast in the music business.

"I was three and a half years into it," Underwood explained. "I only had a few hours left, and I didn't want to come that far and not finish, so I finished."

She also confirmed that she once had aspirations to become a TV news anchorperson.

"I definitely wanted to do something in news," she said, "whether it was in front of the camera or behind the camera. I loved editing and camera work and stuff like that, too, so, whatever I could get my foot in the door with, that's what I was willing to take."

99 Hour Sale for Country Jamboree

We're hooking you up with another special opportunity this week ~ save some dough on tickets to the Clark County Country Jamboree! Click here for details & use the password THEWOLF when purchasing online to save $9.95 on single-day tickets. This special offer will begin on Thursday (8.18) at 10 am until Monday (8.21) at 1 pm.

Then tune in to CMT Power Picks at 3pm ET/12noon PT to vote for Carrie!

'Carrie'ing on

Country star focuses on life after 'American Idol'

by Bill Lynch

for the Gazette

"American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood is relaxing in her hotel room, trying to get ready for her show in a few hours at the Country Thunder music festival in Twin City, Wis. She's following Miranda Lambert and playing just before LeAnn Rimes.

It's an intimidating lineup. Lambert is one of country music's rising stars and Rimes is practically an institution. But Underwood isn't the least bit nervous. This is what she's always wanted.

"That's probably the best part � getting to do what I love and getting paid for it," she says, speaking in advance of her Monday concert at the West Virginia State Fair.

Even for an American Idol, Underwood has had amazing success. After winning the show last spring, she released an album that went triple platinum and a string of hit singles � including "Jesus, Take the Wheel" � that helped her win two CMA Awards, three Billboard Music Awards, two CMT Video Awards and a Dove Award.

Her positive messages have earned her more than fans and music awards. The governor of her home state of Oklahoma declared a day in her honor. Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn called her a role model and commended her for being "an intelligent, kind, considerate, young woman."

She takes the designation in stride.

"It wasn't planned," she says. "I just didn't do anything I was uncomfortable with. So, if I get the quote/unquote 'good girl' image with that, oh well ..."

Being true to herself has reaped amazing rewards. In a little over a year since her "Idol" win, Underwood seems to be well on the way to confirming judge Simon Cowell's prediction that she would go on to sell more records than any previous "Idol" winner.

"It's all good stuff," she says. "I think I'm handling it fine. Things just keep getting better and better."

She loves the crowds, loves to perform and can't help but enjoy the things that come with being a country pop star. Fame and fortune, however, take some getting used to.

"It's a different lifestyle," she says and laughs.

Despite her massive television and radio exposure, she says that she has a tendency to sometimes forget how famous she's actually become.

"I can't so much go out anymore. I'll go to the mall or something and people will come up to me. It's an adjustment."

Being a bona fide musician is also something she's still learning. After she won "American Idol," she was signed to a record contract. She knew nothing about the process of making an album.

"We had a flood of songs coming in," Underwood explains. "I told everyone around me that I was going to want a lot of help. Opinions were welcome and people listened to me."

She expects the process will be similar when she goes back into the studio, probably next year, to start work on her follow-up album. In some ways, the process of preparing for the next album has never stopped.

"I get CDs in every week and go through them."

The touring, the appearances and the subtle extra work of screening potential songs for later use takes a lot of her time. She admits that she doesn't get the chance to listen to much beyond the demo CDs. But does she find time to keep up with America's favorite talent show?

"I watched as much as I could," she says of this past season. "My parents keep me up to date on it."

Underwood remembers her own "American Idol" experience with gratitude. She remembers the pressure as being intense, but the rewards were phenomenal. It's the silliest of questions to ask if she'd do it again. Touring and performing all over the country has given her the chance to see some of the people who rooted for her and voted for her week after week.

"Without it, I'd still be back in Oklahoma ... somewhere. I have no idea what I'd be doing."

She says that she doesn't miss the show, though, that it's been better on the road than in front of cameras and the entire world. "Sure, technically, we were being seen by millions and millions, but I didn't see them."

In this case, less is more for Underwood.

"We're doing shows now in front of a few thousand. I'd rather sing in front of those thousands that I can see, than the many more that I can't."

Source: Charleston (WV) Gazette

Here are some really nice pics from Carrie's West Virginia State Fair concert on Monday...

Photos: Ohio_Carebear

Thank you!

Charts n Graphs

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 23:28:57 GMT

CHART DATE: 08/14/2006
LAST UPDATE: 08/15/2006 14:33:49
NOW IN: FINAL

LW	TW	artist / album	label	power index	% change
--	1	RICK ROSS	DEF JAM/IDJMG	193,175	--
		PORT OF MIAMI
--	2	BREAKING BENJAMIN	HOLLYWOOD	131,728	--
		PHOBIA
2	3	NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC V22	SONY MUSIC GROUP	102,696	-18%
		VARIOUS
--	4	CASSIE	BAD BOY/ATLANTIC/ATL G	100,318	--
		CASSIE
--	5	STEP UP	LAFACE/ZLG	62,816	--
		SOUNDTRACK
3	6	KIDZ BOP KIDS 10	RAZOR & TIE	55,339	-51%
		VARIOUS
8	7	GNARLS BARKLEY	DOWNTOWN/ATLANTIC ATL G	54,757	+5%
		ST. ELSEWHERE
--	8	SLAYER	WARNER BROS.	52,427	--
		CHRIST ILLUSION
10	9	NICKELBACK	ROADRUNNER/IDJMG	45,676	+5%
		ALL THE RIGHT REASONS
1	10	DMX	SONY URBAN/COLUMBIA/CRG	43,760	-66%
		YEAR OF THE DOG...AGAIN
11	11	RASCAL FLATTS	LYRIC STREET	41,736	-3%
		ME AND MY GANG
14	12	HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL	WALT DISNEY RECORDS	39,877	-4%
		SOUNDTRACK
5	13	LETOYA	CAPITOL	39,700	-34%
		LETOYA
--	14	HELLOWGOODBYE	SANCTUARY/DRIVE-THRU	39,528	--
		ZOMBIES!ALIENS!VAMPIRES!DINA...
12	15	PUSSYCAT DOLLS	A&M/INTERSCOPE	38,721	-7%
		PCD
4	16	STONE SOUR	ROADRUNNER/IDJ	37,852	-56%
		COME WHAT(EVER) MAY
16	17	YUNG JOC	BAD BOY/ATLANTIC/ATL G	37,540	-2%
		NEW JOC CITY
7	18	TOM PETTY	AMERICAN/WARNER BROS.	36,173	-33%
		HIGHWAY COMPANION
--	19	STEVE HOLY	CURB	35,787	--
		BRAND NEW GIRLFRIEND
13	20	RIHANNA	DEF JAM/IDJMG	34,426	-17%
		A GIRL LIKE ME
18	21	PANIC! AT THE DISCO	FUELD BY RAMEN/WMG	32,954	0%
		A FEVER YOU CAN'T SWEAT OUT
20	22	HINDER	UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC	31,235	+11%
		EXTREME BEHAVIOR
15	23	NELLY FURTADO	GEFFEN	30,884	-20%
		LOOSE
9	24	PHARRELL	STAR TRAK/INTERSCOPE	30,431	-40%
		IN MY MIND
19	25	RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS	WARNER BROS.	30,100	+1%
		STADIUM ARCADIUM
27	26	JOSH TURNER	MCA NASHVILLE	28,871	+16%
		YOUR MAN
21	27	THE FRAY	EPIC	26,934	0%
		HOW TO SAVE A LIFE
24	28	NE-YO	DEF JAM/IDJMG	26,317	+3%
		IN MY OWN WORDS
22	29	INDIA.ARIE	UNIVERSAL MOTOWN	25,738	-4%
		TESTIMONY: VOL.1, LIFE & REL...
17	30	DIXIE CHICKS	OPEN WIDE/MONUMENT/COL	25,073	-25%
		TAKING THE LONG WAY
25	31	CARRIE UNDERWOOD	ARISTA/RMG	24,876	-2%
		SOME HEARTS
6	32	FIVE FOR FIGHTING	AWARE/COLUMBIA/CRG	24,640	-55%
		TWO LIGHTS
23	33	TIM MCGRAW	CURB	23,067	-10%
		GREATEST HITS VOL.2
26	34	CORINNE BAILEY RAE	CAPITOL	22,548	-10%
		CORINNE BAILEY RAE
--	35	UNEARTH	METAL BLADE	22,386	--
		III:IN THE EYES OF FIRE
30	36	RODNEY ATKINS	CURB	21,722	-4%
		IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH HELL
28	37	AFI	INTERSCOPE	21,453	-13%
		DECEMBERUNDERGROUND
36	38	BLUE OCTOBER	UNIVERSAL MOTOWN	19,160	+2%
		FOILED
33	39	WRECKERS	MAVERICK/WARNER BROS.	19,080	-2%
		STAND STILL, LOOK PRETTY
--	40	ALY & A.J.	HOLLYWOOD	18,476	--
		INTO THE RUSH
--	41	THE DOORS	ELEKTRA ENTERTAINMENT	18,464	--
		BEST OF THE DOORS
44	42	BUCKCHERRY	ELEVEN SEVEN MUSIC	17,972	+10%
		15
29	43	JOHNNY CASH	LOST HIGHWAY/IDJ	17,729	-24%
		AMERICAN V: A HUNDRED HIGHWAYS
34	44	SHAKIRA	EPIC	17,669	-9%
		ORAL FIXATION VOLUME 2
40	45	30 SECONDS TO MARS	VIRGIN	17,489	-1%
		A BEAUTIFUL LIE
35	46	TOBY KEITH	SHOW DOG NASH/UNIVERSAL	17,327	-9%
		WHITE TRASH WITH MONEY
37	47	CARS	WALT DISNEY RECORDS	17,315	-7%
		SOUNDTRACK
41	48	BUSTA RHYMES	AFTERMATH/INTERSCOPE	15,765	-10%
		THE BIG BANG
42	49	JOHNNY CASH	ISLAND/IDJMG	15,686	-9%
		I WALK THE LINE: THE LEGEND...
39	50	TOOL	VOLCANO/ZOMBA	15,650	-13%
		10,000 DAYS

Source: Hits Daily Double

40th Annual CMA Awards

Win a Grand Prize trip to the 40th annual CMA Awards Show in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday November 6, 2006.
Details at Sacramento's 101.9 The Wolf.

Inside Brad Paisley's (and Carrie's) World

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 01:40:50 GMT

Inside Brad Paisley's World

August 14, 2006--The new issue of Country Weekly takes readers inside the world of Brad Paisley.
Brad talks to the magazine about how he balances fame and his family life, including his marriage
with actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley.

"We've really had a lot of time together this summer��probably more than Kim wants!" he laughs.
"We're doing a lot of building and seeing a lot of our dreams come to fruition, and there's nothing
better than that." Brad also talks about the next leg of his "Time Well Wasted" tour with
Carrie Underwood as the opening act. Brad has nothing but praise for Carrie. "We've
met a few times," he says, "and each time I've been impressed by her humility and
how well she's handling an immense amount of public recognition."

Source: GACTV

Carrie performing at Saturday's Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA

Photos: Carrie Underwood Fanspace

Your Sunday Best

Sun, 13 Aug 2006 21:29:14 GMT

Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats Promo CD Single

Request Carrie's brand spankin' new, hot, hot, hot single "Before He Cheats" from
your local radio stations or from a station that streams live on the net!

Greg Hanson opened for Carrie at the Sioux Empire Fair last Wednesday. Here's a pic of:
"Olivia with Mom, Dad & Carrie Underwood after Dad opened for Carrie U."

Photo reprinted with permission.

Checkout Greg's official site at: www.GregHanson.com

REVIEW: Musikfest

Underwood beats bugs, wows crowd

Sunday, August 13, 206

By Nora Jurasits

The Express-Times

BETHLEHEM | Beating Bo Bice was just the beginning for 2005 American Idol winner Carrie Underwood. The petite country singer wowed a sold-out RiverPlace, proving that she truly deserved the coveted American Idol title.

With a light-colored tank top and flowing skirt and a strong, sweet voice, Underwood appeared angelic under the brightly colored lights. Her cowboy boots added some country-western flair to her casual outfit. Fans also showed up for the concert decked out in their country gear with many fans wearing cowboy hats.

For those who left their hats at home, vendors were there to provide brightly colored ones.

Tandem opened for Underwood, covering popular country songs to get the crowd raring to go for the main act.

Underwood started out the show with "We're Young and Beautiful," then slowed things down with "That's Where It Is." She transitioned easily between riling the crowd up with high-energy songs and calming them back down with ballads that are labeled country but seem to defy genre barriers.

Underwood not only serenaded the 6,500-person crowd with songs from her first full-length CD, "Some Hearts," she also included a few covers of some older songs, further showcasing her versatility. She used Dolly Parton's "Jolene" to transition into her bluesy revenge anthem, "Before He Cheats."

Underwood also played acoustic for part of the performance, starting it out with her latest single, "Don't Forget to Remember Me," a song about leaving home but remaining close to loved ones. She dedicated the song to recent high school and college graduates after noting she received her college diploma from Northeastern State University in the mail earlier in the day. She dedicated the song to mothers and daughters in the audience, adding, "Since I can't sing it to my mom, I'll sing to all of you."

After singing the bittersweet, "Lessons Learned," Underwood told the crowd that she was learning a lesson at that very moment.

"I'm learning how to sing with bugs dive-bombing me in the forehead," she said.

In addition to covering Parton's "Jolene," Underwood covered an unexpected song, Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine."

Underwood is touring the United States to support "Some Hearts" and will join Brad Paisley's Time Well Wasted 2006 tour in late September.

Source: The Express-Times

Here are some cool pics from Friday's GMA summer concert at Bryant Park.

Soundcheck...

GMA Concert...

Photos: Carrie Underwood Fanspace

And some really great pics from The Early Show taping...

Photos: Carrie Underwood Fanspace

REVIEW: Musikfest

From The Morning Call

August 13, 2006

Idol winner Carrie Underwood packs plenty of surprises at Musikfest

By Keith Groller Of The Morning Call

In an interview before her concert Saturday night at Musikfest's RiverPlace, Carrie Underwood promised a few surprises.

Turns out, she wasn't kidding.

Who would have thought that the country-girl sweetheart would wow the sellout crowd of over 6,500 with near-perfect versions of Guns N' Roses' "Patience" and "Sweet Child O' Mine?"

Underwood, the 23-year-old winner of "American Idol 4," said she would perform some cover songs to go with songs such from her own chart-topping, debut album, "Some Hearts."

But the audience, ranging from grandmothers to grade-schoolers, probably expected classics from the playlists of Martina McBride or Reba McEntire.

Imagine their surprise when they heard Axl Rose.

Underwood looked like a Nashville princess with a white tank-top and pink skirt complemented by cowboy boots. Several songs, however, were more much Pat Benatar than Pat Boone.

The entire 16-song, 70-minute performance was louder and edgier than songs like her platinum-selling country hit "Jesus Take The Wheel."

No one seemed to mind.

That's because not only did Underwood attempt to bust loose from the sappy-sweet country mold, but she did it remarkably well, showcasing the vocal power and gusto of the first "American Idol" winner, Kelly Clarkson.

She delivered the country goods as well, flawlessly hitting "Don't Forget To Remember Me" during an acoustic section, in which she played guitar, and mixed in a shortened version of Dolly Parton's "Jolene."

However, Underwood, who seems to rank highly as both a role-model for young females and as a sex symbol for young males, is far from a polished performer.

Some may find her uneasiness on stage to be part of her charm, but more pizzazz would be nice. Her idea of between-song entertainment was to sip water, chuckle about the bugs hitting her face and to thank everyone -- over and over again -- for coming out.

Those looking for jokes, comments about "how wonderful it is to be Pennsylvania" or other schtick were out of luck. There's an innocence and sincerity about Underwood that has yet to be tarnished by big-time success. As the Oklahoma native said, "Just a year and a half ago, I was just a typical college student." Her diploma may have arrived in the mail on Saturday, but she's still got that school-girl naivete.

Tandem, a Pennsylvania-based country band that primarily did covers of Big & Rich, Montgomery Gentry, Hank Williams, Jr., among others, slowly warmed up the crowd with a 13-song, 55-minute set that deserved a better response than it received.

Weekend Update

Sat, 12 Aug 2006 20:12:31 GMT

Adorable Carrie

My friends, Katie and Jen, took this photo when they met Carrie at CMA Fanfest in
June. When we were all at the Saroyan Theatre in Fresno last Thursday, they gave
me this pic. After I spoke with Carrie and Keith about Before He Cheats, I asked
Carrie if she would do something humorous and write "Keith," "Ann," and "Me" on
this picture. Carrie was such a sweetie and even offered to sign the pic, too. I love
this picture because it's so adorable! An amazing concert and an unbelievable
autograph signing session makes this a night I won't soon forget!
It was Awesome with a capital "A!"

Here are some outstanding pics of Wednesday's Carrie concert at
Sioux Empire Fair...

Photos: Love-Carrie.com

REVIEW:

CARRIE UNDERWOOD
Some Hearts
Henrie Geyser
Fri, 11 Aug 2006

Carrie Underwood is a delightful newcomer to the world of music and if this, her debut album, is anything to go by, she's destined to become a chart-topper.

She has a bright, clear voice, amazingly mature and well-rounded for her 21 years. Her depth, range and projection are all quite astounding, considering that she doesn't come from a musical family and has had no voice training at all.

She also has a natural ability to bring mood into her tunes, moving with ease from youthful exuberance to stirring blues undertones.

Over and above her singing talent she is also a very pretty blonde which is not doing her image any harm. In fact, she very much looks the part of the good and clean and fresh country life that she projects so well in song.

Such American country music is so popular all over the world it won't be too surprising to see Ms Underwood's name up in neon lights across the globe in the not too distant future.

It's already started. Her debut single, 'Inside Your Heart', sold 170 000 copies within weeks of release and she made Billboard chart history as the first country music artist ever to debut at Number One on the Hot 100 chart.

Her second single released towards the end of last year, 'Jesus Take The Wheel', is one of 14 tracks on this debut album. Don't be put off by the title � it's not one of those bible-punching lesson-of-the-day songs, but actually quite appealing, as are nearly all the other songs on offer here.

If you are into country music you will enjoy Carrie Underwood � that's a promise.

If nothing else, this album is living proof that some sustainable goodness can flow from ghastly American programmes such as 'Idols'. If she had not been discovered and recorded, the world of good old country would have been much the poorer.

Source: entertainment.iafrica.com

Catch Carrie's "Before He Cheats" featured on The Big Time Saturday Night with Whitney Allen.
BHC is this week's Next Big Thing. You can catch the action
from 7pm-Midnight tonight on a radio station near you. Check listings here.
Also check out Whitney's new BTSN MySpace page here.
And check out the CarrieNEWS.com MySpace page here.

The weekend kicks off with some great pics of Carrie at yesterday's
The Early Show concert taping in New York City.

Photos: Valerie

I'll be loading more of these awesome pics into the gallery asap.

Don't forget to remember to catch Carrie's performance on
CBS' The Early Show this coming Wednesday at 7am!
Check local CBS affiliate here.

Carrie on Good Morning America

Fri, 11 Aug 2006 15:47:40 GMT

Carrie in Concert

Watch Carrie rock New York's Bryant Park.

VIDEO: Don't Forget To Remember Me

VIDEO: Before He Cheats

VIDEO: We're Young And Beautiful

Keep buying those Some Hearts CDs to keep Carrie in the top 5 country album sales!
Buy online here and help support CarrieNEWS, too!

Tonight's Listen n Request party is #38. The theme is (you guessed it) Before He Cheats. Meet in the chat room at 9pm ET/6pm PT. See you there.

Got Carrie Underwood?

August 11, 2006--Carrie Underwood joins the impressive list of celebrities who have been invited to participate in the Milk Mustache campaign with the debut of her ad in today's USA Today--"Country by Carrie, Body By Milk."

The ad says, "Wanna hit a high note? Studies suggest that teens who drink milk tend to be leaner and the protein helps build muscle. Staying active, eating right and drinking three glasses a day of lowfat or fat-free milk helps you look like a star."

Over the past decade, the Milk Mustache campaign has helped curb the country's calcium deficit and educate Americans on the many reasons to drink milk--from reducing the risk of osteoporosis to helping maintain a healthy weight. This month the campaign will be launching a new program, Body By Milk, to educate teens about the benefits of drinking milk from how it can help them keep a healthy weight and how milk helps build more muscle.

The previous list of celebrities who have participated in the Milk Mustache campaigns include Mischa Barton, Freddy Adu, Elizabeth Hurley, Sheryl Crow, Ben Roethlisberger, Joss Stone, Kelly Clarkson, Batman, Donovan McNabb, Dave Mirra, Andy Roddick, Hilary Duff, Bernie Mac, Superman, Gisele Bundchen, Britney Spears, Kim Cattrall, Jessica Alba, Angelina Jolie, Lindsay Lohan and many more.

Source: GACTV

Checkout these awesome Carrie pics from this morning's Good
Morning America summer concert at Bryant Park...

Carrie had yet another concert in New York City today: On The Plaza for a
taping of next Wednesday's broadcast of CBS' The Early Show. Yup, you
guessed it, more great pics of Carrie and company...

More pics comin' your way soon!

One Year Ago Today

Thu, 10 Aug 2006 12:53:05 GMT

8/10/05--Oklahoma native and "American Idol" Carrie
Underwood (far right) join Gov. Brad Henry and First
Lady Kim Henry in unveiling a replica of one of four
state highway signs honoring the country music star.
The Henrys presented the sign to Underwood during a
Wednesday news conference at the State Capitol.

Photo at left reprinted with permission from Office of
Governor Brad Henry

It's hard to believe, but it was one year ago today that Carrie attended the
ceremony at the Oklahoma State Capital in which Governor Henry honored her as
Oklahoma's No. 1 ambassador. Later that evening, Carrie performed with American
Idols Live! in what was her first post-Idol concert in Oklahoma. Here's the story
which was originally posted at CarrieNEWS on August 10, 2005.

Story: KOCO - ABC5 Oklahoma City

Musikfest - Bethlehem - August 12, 2006

Musikfest is giving away 2 VIP tickets to see Carrie Underwood in concert.
Click here for a chance to win. On the Musikfest page, click on the "Click
here to win" icon at the bottom of that page. Good luck!

5,000 fans at fair for Underwood country hits

MELANIE BRANDERT
mbrander@argusleader.com

The newest star to shine from "American Idol" performed to a packed grandstand Wednesday night at the Sioux Empire Fair.

Carrie Underwood, last year's winner of the popular Fox musical talent show, provided fans with a repertoire of original and cover songs, fast-paced and slow.

The rising country music star's down-to-earth personality attracted some to the concert.

"Being on 'American Idol' and being from Oklahoma, she's an everyday person," said Andy Young, 29, a Marine Reservist of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., who attended with his sister, Amy Barr, and her sleeping 5-month-old son of Sioux Falls. "She probably would have never done it if she hadn't gotten that chance."

Underwood lured 5,060 fans to the grandstand, Fair Manager Matt Adamski said.

Wilmot native Greg Hanson and his band, The Backroads, opened before Underwood hit the stage.

Wearing jeans and a dark-colored T-shirt with purple flowers, Underwood explained why her long blonde hair was in pigtails.

"Frankly, it's humid out," she said. "A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. ... Now is when I wish I had somebody to do my hair and makeup."

Ryan Jons of Huron maneuvered to get a photo of the petite singer. He was celebrating his 21st birthday with friends.

Teens and middle-schoolers were excited to see one of their favorite performers live.

Becky Kirkland and Danielle Klarenbeek of Alvord, Iowa, singled out "Jesus Take the Wheel" as their favorite.

Conner DeBoer, 11, of Brandon; her sister, Devin, 15; and Aryn Hollaren, 12, of Garretson wore straw cowboy hats. Devin carried the singer's signed photo.

"I like 'Inside Your Heaven' because that's the song she sang when she won," Conner said.

Source: Sioux Falls Argus Leader

Pics from Oregon Jamboree

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 23:26:54 GMT

Awesome pics from Sunday's Carrie concert at Oregon Jamboree

Photos: Carrie Underwood Fanspace

Oklahoma Hall Of Fame Honors Keith Anderson

Keith Anderson photo courtesy of Arista Nashville

August 9, 2006--Arista Nashville artist Keith Anderson will be honored with the Rising Star Award at this year's Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Thursday October 12, in Muskogee. Governor Frank Keating created the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame Board in 1999. This year's inductees include Leon Russell in the pop/rock category and Mel McDaniel in the country category.

"I'm so proud of the great music that continues to come out of Oklahoma," says Keith, "from Roy Clark and Toby Keith to Ronnie Dunn and Carrie Underwood. To be in their company is a great honor."

The Miami, OK, native and Oklahoma State University graduate continues to tour in support of his debut album, Three Chord Country and American Rock and Roll, a project that has spawned the Top 10 hit, "Pickin' Wildflowers" and his current No. 6 chart-topper and hit video, "Every Time I Hear Your Name."

I'm always pleasantly surprised (well, not really surprised) whenever I see yet another example of how Carrie's kind personality inspires more and more fans to greatness. Here's my buddy cu1fan's rendition of Carrie's CD insert drawn on a piece of lined tablet paper with a retractable pencil. Believe it or not, he says this is the first time he's drawn something in years!

CHART DATE: 08/07/2006
LAST UPDATE: 08/08/2006 14:41:52
NOW IN: FINAL

LW	TW	artist / album	label	power index	% change
--	1	DMX	SONY URBAN/COLUMBIA/CRG	129,881	--
		YEAR OF THE DOG...AGAIN
3	2	NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC V22	SONY MUSIC GROUP	125,751	-14%
		VARIOUS
--	3	KIDZ BOP KIDS 10	RAZOR & TIE	112,612	--
		VARIOUS
--	4	STONE SOUR	ROADRUNNER/IDJ	85,140	--
		COME WHAT(EVER) MAY
1	5	LETOYA	CAPITOL	60,139	-65%
		LETOYA
--	6	FIVE FOR FIGHTING	AWARE/COLUMBIA/CRG	54,167	--
		TWO LIGHTS
4	7	TOM PETTY	AMERICAN/WARNER BROS.	53,599	-45%
		HIGHWAY COMPANION
5	8	GNARLS BARKLEY	DOWNTOWN/ATLANTIC ATL G	52,332	-7%
		ST. ELSEWHERE
2	9	PHARRELL	STAR TRAK/INTERSCOPE	50,783	-67%
		IN MY MIND
12	10	NICKELBACK	ROADRUNNER/IDJMG	43,504	+7%
		ALL THE RIGHT REASONS
6	11	RASCAL FLATTS	LYRIC STREET	43,116	-7%
		ME AND MY GANG
9	12	PUSSYCAT DOLLS	A&M/INTERSCOPE	41,711	-6%
		PCD
8	13	RIHANNA	DEF JAM/IDJMG	41,698	-7%
		A GIRL LIKE ME
7	14	HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL	WALT DISNEY RECORDS	41,442	-9%
		SOUNDTRACK
10	15	NELLY FURTADO	GEFFEN	38,627	-11%
		LOOSE
11	16	YUNG JOC	BAD BOY/ATLANTIC/ATL G	38,415	-8%
		NEW JOC CITY
13	17	DIXIE CHICKS	OPEN WIDE/MONUMENT/COL	33,357	-6%
		TAKING THE LONG WAY
15	18	PANIC! AT THE DISCO	FUELD BY RAMEN/WMG	32,818	-3%
		A FEVER YOU CAN'T SWEAT OUT
16	19	RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS	WARNER BROS.	29,870	-11%
		STADIUM ARCADIUM
22	20	HINDER	UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC	28,197	+9%
		EXTREME BEHAVIOR
19	21	THE FRAY	EPIC	26,929	-3%
		HOW TO SAVE A LIFE
18	22	INDIA.ARIE	UNIVERSAL MOTOWN	26,677	-4%
		TESTIMONY: VOL.1, LIFE & REL...
29	23	TIM MCGRAW	CURB	25,719	+11%
		GREATEST HITS VOL.2
26	24	NE-YO	DEF JAM/IDJMG	25,630	+1%
		IN MY OWN WORDS
24	25	CARRIE UNDERWOOD	ARISTA/RMG	25,331	-1%
		SOME HEARTS
20	26	CORINNE BAILEY RAE	CAPITOL	25,098	-9%
		CORINNE BAILEY RAE
28	27	JOSH TURNER	MCA NASHVILLE	24,977	+2%
		YOUR MAN
25	28	AFI	INTERSCOPE	24,664	-3%
		DECEMBERUNDERGROUND
21	29	JOHNNY CASH	LOST HIGHWAY/IDJ	23,233	-12%
		AMERICAN V: A HUNDRED HIGHWAYS
23	30	RODNEY ATKINS	CURB	22,565	-13%
		IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH HELL
17	31	LOS LONELY BOYS	EPIC	21,206	-24%
		SACRED
39	32	K.T. TUNSTALL	VIRGIN	20,440	+10%
		EYE TO THE TELESCOPE
34	33	WRECKERS	MAVERICK/WARNER BROS.	19,504	-7%
		STAND STILL, LOOK PRETTY
35	34	SHAKIRA	EPIC	19,331	-5%
		ORAL FIXATION VOLUME 2
--	35	TOBY KEITH	SHOW DOG NASH/UNIVERSAL	18,942	--
		WHITE TRASH WITH MONEY
38	36	BLUE OCTOBER	UNIVERSAL MOTOWN	18,798	-1%
		FOILED
33	37	CARS	WALT DISNEY RECORDS	18,623	-17%
		SOUNDTRACK
--	38	G.LOVE	UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC	18,107	--
		LEMONADE
37	39	TOOL	VOLCANO/ZOMBA	17,886	-10%
		10,000 DAYS
44	40	30 SECONDS TO MARS	VIRGIN	17,714	+7%
		A BEAUTIFUL LIE
27	41	BUSTA RHYMES	AFTERMATH/INTERSCOPE	17,477	-29%
		THE BIG BANG
40	42	JOHNNY CASH	ISLAND/IDJMG	17,163	-7%
		I WALK THE LINE: THE LEGEND...
42	43	NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC! 21	UTV	16,405	-8%
		VARIOUS
43	44	BUCKCHERRY	ELEVEN SEVEN MUSIC	16,370	-5%
		15
--	45	ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS	INTERSCOPE	16,344	--
		MOVE ALONG
47	46	T.I.	GRAND HUSTLE/ATLANTIC	15,790	-2%
		KING
32	47	PIMP C	ASYLUM/RAP-A-LOT	15,643	-32%
		PIMPALATION
14	48	JURASSIC 5	INTERSCOPE	15,461	-55%
		FEEDBACK
48	49	THREE DAYS GRACE	JIVE/ZLG	15,132	-2%
		ONE-X
36	50	DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL	VAGRANT	14,663	-27%
		DUSK AND SUMMER

Source: Hits Daily Double

Underwood Named NARM ''Country Breakout Artist Of The Year''

Triple-Platinum Country sensation Carrie Underwood garners yet another accolade with this week's announcement that she has been named "Country Breakout Artist of the Year" by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM).

The award was one of several honors bestowed by the not-for-profit music trade association on behalf of its retail and wholesale members in recognition of artists who have contributed significantly to the health of the industry through sales and creativity.

Carrie's debut 19 Recordings/Arista Nashville album, "Some Hearts," was RIAA certified in April for sales of 3,000,000 units, becoming the fastest Triple-Platinum female Country debut in history.

Source: All About Country

Carrie Underwood to Sing on Good Morning America

Carrie Underwood will perform on ABC's Good Morning America in New York City on Friday (Aug. 11) as part of the show's summer concert series in Bryant Park. While in Manhattan, she will also tape a performance for The Early Show to air Aug. 16 on CBS. In addition, Underwood is featured in this week's issue of TV Guide. Currently on tour, her next concert is scheduled for Wednesday (Aug. 9) in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Source: CMT.com