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Aug. 1--Carrie Underwood has made the biggest splash in the music industry by any "American Idol" contestant not named Kelly Clarkson.
In fact, compare Clarkson's resume 15 months after winning "Idol" to Underwood's now, and Carrie easily has the advantage.
Looks like Simon Cowell was right when, after one "Idol" performance, he told Underwood that she had the potential to sell more records than any previous "Idol" winner.
As Underwood prepares to roll into Fresno for a sold-out show at the Saroyan Theatre on Thursday, let's retrace the steps that have made her one of the brightest young stars in music today.
March 10, 1983: Carrie Marie Underwood is born in Muskogee, Okla.
May 25, 2005: Underwood becomes the fourth "American Idol" winner, beating out Bo Bice. Throughout the competition, Underwood never is voted into "Idol's" bottom-three chopping block.
June 14: She releases her first single, "Inside Your Heaven," which soells 170,000 copies in the first week and debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. It is the first country song to hit No. 1 on the pop chart since 2000.
July 26: Underwood, along with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, is named the "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" in an online poll by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Oct. 18: "Jesus, Take the Wheel" -- the song that eventually would become Underwood's calling card -- is released. It debuts at No. 39 on the country charts, making it the first debut single to reach the top 40. The song has a six-week run at No. 1.
Nov. 15: "Some Hearts," Underwood's debut album, hits stores and makes history. She sells more than 300,000 copies in her first week, the most for any debut CD from a country artist. "Some Hearts" goes on to sell more than 3 million copies, giving Underwood the best-selling debut CD of any "Idol" contestant.
April 5, 2006: For the first time as a solo artist, Underwood goes on tour, keeping her on the road until October. On some of the dates, Underwood is paired with superstar Kenny Chesney.
May 6: Underwood gradu-ates magna cum laude from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma, making good on a promise to finish her degree in journalism.
May 23: She steals the show at the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, where she wins best new female vocalist and single of the year, for "Jesus, Take the Wheel."
The reporter can be reached at mosegueda@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6479. Read his blog at www.fresnobeehive.com.
The reporter can be reached at mosegueda@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6479. Read his blog at www.fresnobeehive.com.
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Copyright (c) 2006, The Fresno Bee, Calif.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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