Carrie Marie Underwood
Posted by bensto in ARTIST AND MUSIC on 05 22nd, 2008
Carrie Marie Underwood was born on March 10, 1983, in Checotah, Oklahoma. The daughter of a paper mill worker and an elementary school teacher, she grew up on a cattle farm with her two older sisters, Shanna and Stephanie. Carrie began singing in her church choir when she was only 3 years old. When she was 13, she made her first studio recording, and performed in festivals in a number of states while trying to get a singing career off the ground. In spite of her passion for music, Carrie maintained a well-balanced life growing up. A big sports fan, she played softball for eight years. She was an honor student at Checotah High School, and a member of the National Honor Society. One summer, she served as a page for Oklahoma State Representative Bobby Frame. In 2001, Carrie graduated from Checotah as salutatorian.
After high school, Carrie went on to Northeastern State University, where she majored in mass communications. She joined Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority and competed in beauty pageants throughout college, winning the title of Miss NSU runner-up in 2004. Not long afterward, Carrie decided to travel to St. Louis to audition for the 2005 American Idol competition. From the beginning, Carrie’s country-infused style was popular with both the judges and the audience, and she was one of only three finalists in the show’s history (alongside Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken) to never finish in the “bottom three.”
After Carrie’s performance of Heart’s “Alone” in March 2005, notoriously acerbic judge Simon Cowell had nothing but praise for her: “You’re not just the girl to beat, you’re the person to beat. I will make a prediction: Not only will you win this competition, but you will sell more records than any other previous Idol winner!” Sure enough, on May 25th, Carrie was named the new “American Idol,” beating out Southern rocker Bo Bice.
As part of her American Idol win, Carrie signed a recording contract with Arista Records. In June 2005, she released a single, “Inside Your Heaven,” which debuted at the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. She was the first country artist to ever debut at No. 1 on that chart, although “Inside Your Heaven,” a rather schmaltzy Idol anthem, isn’t a strictly country song.
More promising was the B-side, a cover of Martina McBride’s “Independence Day.” Life for Carrie Underwood didn’t have the chance to settle down after her American Idol win. All the publicity and work on an upcoming album (planned for a November 2005 release) didn’t even leave her much opportunity to celebrate. She became a spokesperson for Hershey’s chocolate and Skechers shoes, adopting a hectic schedule that sent her rushing back and forth between New York, Los Angeles and Nashville — and just about everywhere in between.
Not only did Carrie Underwood win Favorite Female Artist in country at the 2007 American Music Awards, but her album Some Hearts also won for Favorite Album in country.
read comments (0)Katharine McPhee
Posted by bensto in ARTIST AND MUSIC on 03 14th, 2008
The complete name Katharine Hope McPhee is an American actress, pop singer and model who was the second winner on the fifth season of American Idol reality show in 2006.
Los Angeles, California is her birth place, March 25,1984. McPhee moved to Sherman Oaks neighborhood with her parents and sister at was age 12 years old. McPhee has been singing since the age of two. Her mother, Patricia Burch McPhee is a vocal coach and accomplished cabaret singer, recognized a talent for music in her daughter and decided to train her. Her father, Daniel McPhee, is a television producer and her older sister, Adriana Burch McPhee is an aspiring producer as well. McPhee has Irish, German and scotish lineage.
Katharine McPhee graduated in 2002 from Notre Dame High School. At Notre Dame High School,she was a swimmer and a thespian. McPhee performed in school plays with her elder sister Adriana; both sisters were Homecoming Princess nominees in their senior year. After that, McPhee attended for three semesters at Boston Conservatory, majoring in musical theater. McPhee left the college due to her manager’s suggestion that she try out for television pilots in Los Angeles. According a People news article, it was reported that she was rejected in “only 195 out of 200 auditions.”She was eventually cast as “Paramount Girl” in the 2006 musical film about the life of Hank Garland, Crazy. Other early acting activities included lead actress in local professional productions of Annie Get Your Gun and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. She was nominated in 2005 for the Theatre L.A. Ovation Award for her lead role in Annie Get Your Gun. McPhee was also piece of a failed mall-based MTV soap opera entitled You Are Here, playing the older sister of a more popular younger sister. In the soap opera, she was jealous of her popular younger sister. Mcphee married Nick Cokas on February 2.
McPhee try out for American Idol after she was persuaded by Nick Cokas and her parents. She auditioned in San Francisco, and sang “God Bless the Child”, originally performed by Billie Holiday. Paula Abdul said that McPhee was “absolutely beautiful”, Randy Jackson hailed her audition as potentially the best so far that season, and Simon Cowell complimented her for being “current” and her audition being “absolutely fantastic”. Whitney Houston and Brian McKnight is her favorite artists.
During the week preceding the top three show, she was a runner-up in the Kennel Club Finals. McPhee visited her former high school for her hometown celebration. Antonio Villaraigosa visited Notre Dame High School and proclaimed McPhee’s visit as “Katharine McPhee Day.”
McPhee’s run on American Idol led to the popular use of the term “McPheever”, coined by Ralph Garman of Los Angeles radio station KROQ’s morning show Kevin and Bean. She also referred to her fans as the “Kat Pack” and “McPhans”.
McPhee was congratulated by Congressman Brad Sherman of Sherman Oaks, the 27th district of California, who raised a flag in her honor at the United States Capitol on the day of the finale show.
During the Idol Finale, McPhee duetted with Meat Loaf. They performed It’s All Coming Back To Me Now, which Loaf had previously recorded with Rocker Chick’ Marion Raven, whose voice has been compared to Katharine’s.
During the competition, McPhee roomed with fellow contestant Kellie Pickler, and when Pickler was eliminated, she roomed with Paris Bennett.
