Who would have ever thought that this average young woman would be living her dreams! Carrie Underwood, a farm girl from Checotah, Oklahoma, has become one of the greatest female country music stars of all time. Carrie was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma on March 10, 1983. Her parents were Steve and Carole Underwood, and two sisters, Shanna and Stephanie. They were a very close-knit family. Both parents wanted to make every effort to give their daughters a loving home to grow up in. All three girls grew up with strong moral values and attended a Baptist church regularly. Carole, Carrie’s mother, was a huge influence to her. “ She is wonderful,” Carrie said. “ She has done everything she could to make sure I had everything I needed.” (Jeffrey 12).
When she was just three years old, Carrie began to sing at the Baptist church. Shanna and Stephanie introduced her to 1980’s rock. “ One of my earliest memories was singing Motley Crue’s “Smokin` in the Boys Room” when I was five,” Carrie said (Jeffrey 13). As the years went by, Carrie began listening to country music, which was a tremendous part of Oklahoma culture. Reba McEntire, Martina McBride, and Randy Travis were a few of Carrie’s favorite country artists. Country music started to creep into her heart, and quickly became a musical passion (Jeffrey 14).
Close to seventh grade, Carrie started entering in talent shows and competitions at nearby county fairs. She didn’t win first place very often, but Carrie was okay with that. Not only was Carrie a gifted singer, but she also played the piano and guitar (Jeffrey 14). At just thirteen years old, Carrie was given the opportunity to make a demo for a record company. After traveling all the way to Nashville, Tennessee, the record comp...
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...orgia. Their wedding featured the reading of the couple’s favorite bible verses and classical music. Carrie surprised her husband by having one of their most favorite artists Brandon Heath, sing the song, “Love Never Fails”, for the first dance together as a married couple (“Carrie Underwood’).
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Carrie Underwood is now one of the greatest country music stars in history. She was given the opportunity to audition for American Idol, and because of that she is now living her dreams of singing professionally. This goes to show that no matter what your dreams are, never be afraid to go after them. Carrie is such an inspiration to me and I’m sure lots of other young girls. She is courageous, talented, an unbelievably amazing woman that sets a good example for others. Carrie’s life story projects that anything is possible if you just believe!
Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29th, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi to a unmarried teenage mother. Her mom and dad are Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey, her father is a coal miner, turned into a barber, turned into a city councilman who had been in the armed forces when oprah was born. After Oprah was born, her mother traveled north and oprah spent her first 6 years living in rural poverty with her maternal grandmother. Oprah was so poor that
Times have changed, and along with the times so has country music. American country music lovers have went from Loretta Lynn and Waylon Jennings, just two of the many classic oldies, to Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan, two very appealing country music artists. However, it is not only the tune of the music that has changed, it is the image, the appeal, and overall the type of icons the media is portraying these modern music stars as. Icons such as Lynn and Jennings had identifiable features within their music as well as their appearance that spoke sweet southern belle and rugged twang. Whereas Underwood’s and Bryan’s appeal now is much more sexualized than it was during the oldies. These changes affect the way modern day singers are marketed compared to former country music stars, instead of focusing on talent it is now looks.
Taylor Swift’s debut album contained such songs as Our Song, Teardrops on my Guitar, and Picture to Burn. Swift’s approach is perhaps more country than the Dixie Chicks in a few regards. The banjo is featured throughout the record and more traditional country percussion, as well as more country-style lyrics. However, she stands out with a crystal-clear voice and excellent use of metaphor throughout her songwriting. In terms of musicality, Swift may not be the most gifted, aside from her voice. But in her songs, her personality shines through in a way that pulls light through into your ears, noted especially in her song Love
Dolly Parton changed her community because she showed that no matter what you have to do to achieve your goal it's all possible. She has described her family as being "dirt poor...Parton was born in Sevier County, Tennessee, the fourth of twelve children...” stated bio.com. Her childhood was difficult, but she was able to overcome it by not only surviving, but also gaining a net worth of $500 million. Parton began performing as a child, singing on local radio and television programs in the Eastern Tennessee area. By ten, she was appearing on The Cas Walker Show on both WIVK Radio and WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee. At thirteen, she was recording (the single "Puppy Love") on a small Louisiana label, Goldband Records, and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry where she first met Johnny Cash,
Widely considered country music’s first superstar, Hiram/Hank Williams was born September 17, 1923, in mount olive, Alabama. Williams, the third child of Lon and Lillie Williams, grew up in a household that never had much money. His father worked as a logger before entering the Veterans’ Administration hospital when young hank was just six. Father and son rarely saw each other over the next decade, with William’s mother, who ran rooming houses, moving the family to Greenville, and later, Montgomery, Alabama. (Hank Williams) Everyone knew Hank was a good guy, but like any man had his ups and his downs throughout the short life he lived. Hank grew up rough and he knew it; however nothing was going to stop this young man from doing what he set out to pursue. What he did was astonishing changing art or “so called” music. Hank redefined country music with his personal opinion on what music really was.
"God put us here on the carnival ride, we close our eyes never knowing, where it will take us" (Wheel of the World quoted In "Biography"). Those were the words of Wheel of the World that inspired Carrie Underwood to write her latest album. At only 13 years old, she recorded her first album ("Carrie Underwood Biography"). Underwood also participated in several different competitions around the US to prepare herself to audition for American Idol in 2004 ("Biography"). After winning this contest, she continued to stay humbly as her fame grew. Her contributions to country music are demonstrated by her career and proves beyond a doubt that the Country Music Hall of Fame should induct this singer. She has shown her value through her major works, charities and influences, and professional morals.
Troyal Garth Brooks (well known as Garth Brooks) was born and raised in a small town near Tulsa, Oklahoma on February 7, 1962. He was born the youngest out of five siblings to his parents Troyal and Colleen Carroll Brooks. While growing up, music was not foreign to the family. Every member had some kind of relation to music, whether it be an instrument or singing.
Throughout the history of country singers they’re has been many of them. It started out being a song about a lady going to the dances. Then it went to singing about their life’s and how they grew up. Now Todays County is about noting really, it’s about drinking and getting drunk and a bunch of non-sense. David Allen Coe was one of those good singers that sang about how he grew up.
Not only a great singer, she taught herself how to play the guitar and the harp, and
Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York . Raised in Detroit , Michigan . Aaliyah Dana Haughton started voice lessons shortly after she learned to talk As a young actress/singer competed successfully on the television program Star Search at age 11. That same year, she performed with R&B legend Gladys Knight, the former wife of her uncle and manager, Barry Hankerson, at a five-night stand in Las Vegas.
It is also said that before Dolly began school, she was already coming up with melodies to songs she had invented. In this stage of development, Dolly showed control over things she liked; her imagination and need for self-expression even led her to start wearing make-up on her own, despite her parents always disapproving it. Dolly was autonomous, and continued to remain that way by the fact that she would make her own choices of style and expressed her passions so openly. Dolly came to love music from small sing-alongs with her family and at her church; and from that love came a deeper connection that Dolly made known from the moment she felt
Taylor Swift was born on December thirteenth, 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania. At five years of age, Swift had begun writing songs and performing for her family. But it wasn’t until about 4th grade that she really discovered her passion and talent for music, after winning an award for her poem, “Monster in my Closet”. “I think I first realized I wanted to be in country music and be an artist when I was 10. And I started dragging my parents to festivals, and fairs, and karaoke contests, and I did that for about a year before I came to Nashville for the first time. I was 11 and I had this demo CD of me singing Dixie Chicks and Leanne Rimes songs.” Swift said. “I was the girl who didn’t get invited to parties. My friends turned into the girls who stood in the corner and talked about me. But as soon as I picked up a guitar…I literally played until my fingers bled. My mom had to tape them up, and you can imagine how popular that made me: “Look at her fingers. So weird”. But for the first time in my life, those girls could say anything they wanted about me, because I was just going to go home after school and write a song about it.“ Swift, as said in the quote, wasn’t exactly the most popular girl in school, but she sure showed her “friends”. Who would want to settle with knowing that in school they talked about a girl behind her back, and she just so happens to now be a pop-country sensation? Swift’s childhood is really what began...
people will give up. The true heroes in this world are those who don't give up
Have you ever had those certain catchy songs that you just can not get out of your head? For me Taylor Swift is always at the top of my playlist. Taylor Swift was born on December 13, 1989 and grew up on a small tree farm. Swift has has a family background of singing in her family. Ever since she started recording her albums.
Taylor Swift was born Taylor Alison Swift (Rawson). She was born on December 13, 1989 (Higgins). She was born in Reading, Pennsylvania (http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Swift__Taylor.html). “ She grew up in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania”(Rawson). Her mom’s name is Andrea Swift . She is a successful businesswoman. Her dad’s name is Scott Swift. He is a stockbroker. They named her Taylor because her parents did not want discriminated by her gender before anybody met her (Spencer). “ She grew up on a Christmas-tree farm” (http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Swift__Taylor.html). On the farm, there were” several cats and 7 horses” (Spencer). She rode horses competitively (Spencer). She has a brother, Austin, who is 2 years younger than her (Schartwtz ). Her grandmother was an opera singer (Spencer). That is where Taylor got her talent (Spencer).