Rick Diamond/Getty Images
Rick Diamond/Getty Images
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Today's spotlight falls on the reigning "Queen of Country Music", a singer and songwriter from Checotah, Oklahoma.

Carrie Underwood has scored 16 #1 singles, while producing 4 #1 studio albums and a #1 Greatest Hits compilation. All this from a girl who was planning a career in journalism before Simon Cowell announced to the world that she would not only win season 4 of American Idol, but she would surpass all other Idol winners outsell all other Idol winners.

Check and check!

After a failed attempt in Nashville at age 14, Carrie went back home to Checotah, where she was an Honor Society member, cheerleader and standout softball and basketball player at Checotah High School. She spent her weekends singing locally, but when it came time for college, she left singing behind and attended Northeastern State University in Tulsa, graduating magna cum laude in 2006, with a degree in Mass Communication, with an emphasis on journalism.

<> at Heinz Field on June 6, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
<> at Heinz Field on June 6, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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In 2004 Underwood took the chance on her voice that would change her life and traveled to St. Louis to audition for American Idol. She performed "Could've Been", but Simon Cowell, judge and producer of American Idol, instead could here what would be.

Cowell immediately dubbed Carrie the favorite to win the competition, which she did, defeating country-rocker Bo Bice in the final, performing Rascal Flatts' "Bless The Broken Road" to take the title.

DOVER, DE - JUNE 28: Singer/songwriter Carrie Underwood performs onstage during day 3 of the Big Barrel Country Music Festival on June 28, 2015 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Big Barrel)
Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Big Barrel
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Underwood's first four studio albums have gone platinum (or multi-platinum) and her recent greatest hits album Greatest Hits: Decade 1, released in December, has been certified gold and is on the verge of platinum certiication.

From these albums, 20 top 5 solo singles, 13 of which have gone to #1, have been released. She has also hit #1 in duets with Brad Paisley ("Remind Me") and Miranda Lambert ("Something Bad"), and her very first single, "Inside Your Heaven" hit number one on the pop chart.

Carrie's fifth studio album, Storyteller, is scheduled to be released on October 25th; the first single from the album, "Smoke Break" is currently in the top five. Not to rest on her laurels, Carrie has the second single from the album in the pipeline and it is our focus today. Carrie Underwood and "Heartbeat" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you'll want to hear it again.

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