‘Catch of the Day’ – Carrie Underwood – “Heartbeat” [AUDIO]

After a well deserved sabbatical, today's focus is on an Oklahoma native and former American Idol champion. An artist who almost became a sportswriter, but who instead has become the "idol" of country music fans across the globe.

Carrie Underwood graduated from the Northeastern State University after graduating from Checotah High School. She had already seen the lights of Nashville, after an audition for Capitol Records when she was 14. She had given up the dream of singing professionally when she entered college, focusing on her Communications major, with a emphasis on Journalism.

Her dreams of journalistic glory were put on hold after an audition in St. Louis in 2004 for American Idol. After her audition host and producer Simon Cowell declared her "one of the favorites" to win the competition, which is exactly what she did. On May 25th, 2005, she defeated Bo Bice in the finals, performing "Inside Your Heaven", "Independance Day" and "Angels Brought Me Here" for the competition, also performing with Rascal Flatts on "Bless The Broken Road" on the finale.

Underwood quickly became one of the top acts in country music. Her debut single, "Inside Your Heaven" debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making her both the only solo country artist to have a #1 on the chart in the 2000's and also the first and only country artist to debut at the top of that chart.

Underwood has released 5 studio albums and 1 greatest hits compilation, all of which have found the top spot on the Billboard Country Albums chart, and her 14 #1's on the Billboard Hot Country chart, ranks as the most by any female artist since the chart's inception in 1991. Her most recent album, Storyteller has already spawned two #1 singles, "Little Toy Guns" and "Smoke Break".

The third single from the album is in our spotlight today. Carrie Underwood and "Heartbeat" is our Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you'll want to hear it again.