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Carrie Underwood Will Put Her Own Spin on ‘The Sound of Music’

Mel — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:49:31 +0000

While everyone is preparing to be “blown away” by Carrie Underwood‘s role as Maria von Trapp in the upcoming live television broadcast of ‘Sound of Music,’ she is making sure it’s clear that she’s not trying to take the place of the iconic Julie Andrews. Instead, she’s going to put her own spin on it.

According to People, the ‘Two Black Cadillacs’ hitmaker explains that she wouldn’t even think to overshadow the British star, who she says “just has this royal air,” adding, “It would be like you’re beneath her!”

In fact, the powerhouse vocalist explains that the television version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical will be quite different than the Oscar-winning movie. She adds, ”I think once people tune in and realize that [our version] is not a remake, they won’t compare it to the movie.”

While this is unlike anything Underwood has done, she’s excited about showcasing her talent, which was first discovered on the hit show ‘American Idol.’ “It’s a giant challenge, which I appreciate,” she says. “Everybody keeps saying, ‘People don’t do this anymore, singing live!’”

Although Underwood and Andrews have never met, the previous ‘Maria’ singer has stated that she’d love to know the country star. Sounds like the feeling is mutual!

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Carrie Underwood rages against Tennessee ‘ag gag’ law on Twitter

Mel — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:48:49 +0000

Country singer Carrie Underwood is a bit miffed that the Tennessee state legislature passed the so-called “ag gag” bill and took to Twitter to post her displeasure. In fact, as Cattle Network reported on April 22, she’s threatened to protest at the governor’s door to make sure he vetoes the bill.

“Shame on TN lawmakers for passing the Ag Gag bill,” she wrote. “If Gov. Bill Haslam signs this, he needs to expect me at his front door. Who’s with me?”

By looking at the comments on her Twitter account following the tweet, it would appear that quite a few are with her.

The “ag gag” bill is supposedly designed to help initialize investigations against businesses that exercise cruel animal treatment and requires anyone with video footage of possible illegal activity to turn such over to authorities within 24 hours of obtaining it. Animal activists like Underwood and those worried about protecting the rights of whistleblowers contend that the new bill, if made into law, will actually focus investigations on the whistleblower, criminalizing those that would expose unsafe, cruel, or illegal practices for not turning over damaging videos to authorities within 24 hours.

As Cattle Network noted, the requirement is actually in keeping with other similar laws, such as the law regarding child abuse. And the livestock industry itself has attempted to get out in front of stories on abuse to animals in their care, promoting the “See It? Stop It!” initiative, which urges employees to report animal mishandling as soon as it is observed or discovered. The reasoning for such a campaign? Reports of abuse have a tendency to have a broad brush effect on an industry, where actual incidents of abuse might be isolated. Limiting public relations damage limits the negative economic impact to the industry.

But Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood isn’t the only “American Idol” finalist that has entered the political arena in public opposition to legislation. Last year, Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken vocally opposed a constitutional amendment in North Carolina (his home state) for the state to not recognize gay marriages as legal unions under the law. (The state already bans same-sex marriage.) Despite the opposition, the bill — North Carolina Amendment One — passed in a statewide vote in May 2012 by a 61 percent to 39 percent margin.

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Carrie Underwood is excited to have children

Mel — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:47:53 +0000

Carrie Underwood’s marriage is her number one priority.

The 30-year-old ‘Blown Away’ singer – who married Canadian ice-hockey star Mike Fisher in July 2010 – has revealed she is open to starting a family in the near future despite being forced to spend long periods apart from her husband because of their careers.

Speaking backstage ahead of her performance on ‘American Idol’ on Thursday, the blonde beauty told People.com: “You just have to make that your number one priority.

“You see each other when you can and you talk to each other as much as you can. You just have to commit and make it work.”

The couple are excited to have children and she admitted that while timing is a concern, they are happy to go with the flow, saying: “There’s always something new to look forward to and something new to plan. [Having a baby] will just happen when it happens.”

Underwood recently claimed that she would quit music if her 32-year-old husband asked her to.

She said: “He knows performing is what I love and he completely supports me as I do him. But if Mike ever told me he needed me to quit, I’d quit. When you make that promise to somebody and you stand before God and your family and friends, you’ve got to do everything that you possibly can to make it work.”

But the country star is eager to clarify that they are both very supportive of each other and she has no plans to retire from the spotlight.

She said: “I feel like everyone’s afraid he’s going to make me quit my job and that’s not quite what we were saying! (He) completely supports me in [my career], as I do him.”

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Carrie Underwood: ‘I would quit music for my marriage’

Mel — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:46:45 +0000

Country star Carrie Underwood wouldn’t hesitate to hang up her microphone if her career ever put her marriage to ice hockey player Mike Fisher in jeopardy.

The singer, who wed the Nashville Predators sportsman in 2010, admits their conflicting work schedules often keep them apart, but they do their best to keep the romance alive by frequently texting one another and hosting wine and barbecue nights at home with friends.

They also make a point to meet up for casual dates at Subway: “We called it ‘our place’ when we were first dating!”

However, Underwood insists she would never put her career ahead of her relationship with Fisher and would step away from the spotlight if he ever asked her to.

She tells People magazine, “If Mike ever told me he needed me to quit, I’d quit. When you make that promise to somebody, and you stand before God and your family and friends, you’ve got to do everything that you possibly can to make that work.”

She also discusses her husband’s physique, saying, “Even when he’s like, ‘I’m so out of shape,’ he still has a six-pack. Having Mike there – I want to be a hot wife!”

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Carrie Underwood exhibit coming to the Country Music Hall of Fame

Mel — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:45:12 +0000

NASHVILLE, Tenn., February 12, 2013 – Six-time Grammy winner Carrie Underwood is coming to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in the form of a once-in-a-lifetime exhibit showcasing the singer’s critically acclaimed world tour. The Blown Away Tour kicked off last fall (2012) on Sept. 13 and ran through mid-December, and it relaunches on Wednesday, Feb. 13., and continues through May 23. The illustrious exhibit, which will feature various costumes, instruments, microphones and set pieces from the 100-plus concert tour, will open on June 5, 2013 and runs through Nov. 10.

“Carrie Underwood’s dynamic ‘Blown Away Tour’-starring her peerless powerhouse vocals and featuring amazing special effects including a tornado- has been entertaining music fans around the globe,” Museum Director Kyle Young said in a statement. “It’s easy to see why she was Pollstar’s 2012 top female country touring artist. Touring has always been a key element connecting music artists with their fans; those interactions help forge and strengthen the artist-fan relationship, and this exhibit speaks to that. We are delighted to be able to show our visitors key elements from Carrie’s show; whether re-living their favorite memories of the ‘Blown Away’ tour, or experiencing it for the first time via our exhibition, fans will enjoy this ‘up close and personal’ look at a world-class, superstar level music tour.”

Not only has Underwood’s tour been a source of great entertainment for fans across the globe, but there has been a integral philanthropic element involved. For every ticket sold, the American and Canadian Red Cross has donated $1 on the North American leg to “help provide shelter, food, and emotional support for those in need after a disaster,” according to the official press release.

Early last year, Underwood released Blown Away, her fourth platinum-selling disc, which bowed at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart and the all-genre Billboard 200. Marking the singer’s fourth consecutive studio album to bow at the summit, Underwood is only the second artist in Billboard’s lengthy history to do so. Since its release in May 2012, it has spawned three Top 10 hits, including two No. 1′s, “Good Girl” and “Blown Away,” marking Underwood’s 17th to reach the upper echelon of the Country radio airplay tally.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, operated by the Country Music Foundation, is a non-profit educational organization, thriving on culture to preserve the rich history of the genre and related “vernacular music rooted in southern culture.”

Find out more information about the prominent organization here.

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Carrie Underwood Teams Up with Tickets-for-Charity.com for a Good Cause

Mel — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:44:09 +0000

Carrie Underwood has teamed up with Tickets-for-Charity.com to offer fans great seats for a great cause on her Blown Away tour. Fans who purchase tickets to Carrie’s concerts at TicketsforCharity.com/ACMLiftingLives will get access to seats in the first 10 rows. The best part is that proceeds go to the Academy of Country Music’s charitable arm, ACM Lifting Lives, and Carrie’s won CATS Foundation benefiting organizations in her hometown of Checotah, OK.

“My hometown means everything to me,” Carrie says. “I’m so thankful for my fans and their support through Tickets-for-Charity.”

In addition to Carrie’s offer, Zac Brown Band is also offering “Eat-and-Greet” VIP packages to their shows as part of this campaign.

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Carrie Underwood wins Top-Selling International Album award at 2013 CMAAs

Mel — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:43:08 +0000

Country superstar Carrie Underwood struck gold at the 41st Annual Country Music Awards of Australia on Saturday (Jan. 26). Her platinum-selling album Blown Away, which has amassed 1.3 million in sales and spurred two No. 1 singles, scored a win as the “Top-Selling International Album of the Year.” Underwood beat out Tim McGraw (Emotional Traffic), Dierks Bentley (Home), Alan Jackson (Thirty Miles West) and Zac Brown Band (Uncaged). The ceremony was held at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre in Hillvue, south of Tamworth.

Australian-born musician Troy Cassar-Daley was the night’s big winner, nabbing several major honors, including Male Artist of the Year, Single of the Year for “Country Is,” APRA Song of the Year for “Home,” and Album of the Year for Home.

Other winners include Catherine Britt, Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson, just to name a few. The Lifetime Achievement Award was handed to Geoff Mack (writer of “I’ve Been Everywhere”) to honor his contribution to Australian Country music.

Winners list:

Male Artist of the Year: Troy Cassar-Daley

Female Artist of the Year: Catherine Britt

Telestra New Talent of the Year: Chelsea Basham

Single of the Year: “Country Is” by Troy Cassar-Daley

APRA Song of the Year: “Home” by Troy Cassar-Daley

Album of the Year: Home by Troy Cassar-Daley

Group/Duo of the Year: Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson

Video of the Year: “Piece of Me” by The McClymonts

Sanity Top Selling Australian Album of the Year: Two Worlds Collide by The McClymonts

Top Selling International Album of the Year: Blown Away by Carrie Underwood

Alternative Country Album of the Year: Big Days & Little Years by Camille & Stuie

Vocal Collaboration of the Year: “Women in Song” by Tamara Stewart, Sara Storer and Felicity Urquhart

Toyota Heritage Song of the Year: “The Drover’s Wife” by Luke O’Shea and Peter Gabrielides

Instrumental of the Year: “Yackandandah 1952″ by Pete Denahy

Bush Ballad of the Year: “Looking Back” by Graham Rodger.

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Carrie Underwood Weighs in on ABC’s Nashville: “Backstabbing and sleeping with everybody. That’s really not [the case].”

Mel — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:19:31 +0000

In the middle of her Blown Away Tour, pop/country crossover star Carrie Underwood had time, before performing for last year’s American Music Awards, to sit down with Rolling Stone Magazine and share her thoughts on the new Music City drama.

“I feel like the show represents our town really well.”

Though the Grammy award-winning Underwood enjoys watching the show, “because I’m [Underwood] like, ‘I eat there,’” she has reservations with the show’s tendency to go a little overboard with the drama, at least relative to her experiences.

I hope people don’t think it’s all backstabbing and everybody sleeping with everybody else. That’s really not [the case], at least to my knowledge,” Underwood tells Rolling Stone. “People [in her world] really are pretty open and friendly and normal.”

Underwood is justified in thinking the show takes a little too much dramatic license exaggerating the sex, the lies, and the dirty politics.

Critics have compared the show to a mix between a less realistic “Treme” (HBO’s portrayal of post-Katrina New Orleans culture) and the pop, more importantly iTunes-friendly, sensibilities of Glee (unfortunately, we all know what Glee is).

Who knows maybe Underwood will even guest star on the show? When asked about the prospect of representing a bona fide “lady of country,” Underwood tells Rolling Stone, “[It's] something really different that would be out of my comfort zone — a really wonderful thing to put on my ‘I did that’ list.”

You’ll have plenty of chances to catch Underwood on her international Blown Away Tour, recently adding some 40 extra dates to the Spring leg.

You can see new episodes of “Nashville” Wednesdays (10 p.m. ET) on ABC.

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“Two Black Cadillacs” Official Music Video

Mel — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:17:01 +0000

Carrie Underwood On Love And Marriage

Mel — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:14:09 +0000

Carrie Underwood thinks everyone should enjoy the same right to marry as she did, regardless of what some think her religious beliefs should dictate.

Last summer Carrie Underwood caused a stir when the self-professed Christian came out in favor of gay marriage. Now she’s elaborating on those beliefs.

In June, Underwood (who is wed to hockey star Mike Fisher) told a British paper, “As a married person myself, I don’t know what it’s like to be told I can’t marry somebody I love.” The statement raised the ire of some conservative Christian fans, but the country star is sticking to her guns.

“I’m in favor of acceptance,” Underwood elaborated in an interview with Allure magazine. “And I am a Christian person, and I do love the Lord, and I feel no matter who you are, what you believe, how you live your life, it’s not my place to judge. I don’t want that power. It’s my place to love and to show God’s love to other people, even if they don’t live a life like I live. So that’s where I’m coming from.”

“I feel I’ve done a few interviews where someone is coming from an accusatory way [about the issue],” she revealed. “If mail comes to my house, I don’t check my mail. I don’t want to know. I just run my own race. If somebody doesn’t like you, they’re going to find a reason not to like you. As soon as you give them something like that, they’re going to be like, ‘Ha, ha! That’s it!’ So that’s fine. They probably didn’t like me in the first place.”

Speaking of equality, Underwood would appreciate it if you treated her husband as his own man and not “Mr. Carrie Underwood.”

“It made me feel awful,” the 29-year-old star complained to the mag. “Somebody works real hard to make a name for themselves, a respectable name, and then it’s ‘Mr. Underwood.’”

Read the complete interview with Carrie Underwood in the new issue of Allure.

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