Carrie Underwood: From 'Idol' to idol
t's hard to imagine that three years ago, Carrie Underwood could have conceived of the whirlwind journey she was about to embark upon.

As if being crowned the winner of the popular TV series "American Idol" in 2005 wasn't a dream come true in itself, the shy college girl from Muskogee, Okla., went on to make history in the music business with her first album.

Released in 2005, "Some Hearts" became the Recording Industry Association of America's all-time best-selling debut album by a solo female country artist.

With several smash singles, including "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and "Before He Cheats" -- which won Grammy awards for best country song in 2007 and 2008, respectively -- "Some Hearts" has sold 7 million albums and solidified Underwood's status as a superstar in country and pop music.

Last year, Underwood released her sophomore album, "Carnival Ride," which to date has sold 2 million copies. Like all of her singles so far, the project's first two singles, "So Small" and "All-American Girl" (both co-written by Underwood) topped the country charts.

And she is just getting started. The singer, budding songwriter and reigning female vocalist of the year for the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music celebrated her 25th birthday earlier this month.

She recently received a huge validation of her work in the form of an invitation to be the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. The singer -- who made her Opry debut two weeks after winning "American Idol" -- will be inducted on May 10.

Success has, indeed, been a wild ride.

"It was always something to dream about and to think, 'How cool would that be?'" Underwood said of her ascendancy in a recent telephone interview from a tour stop in Massachusetts.

"I consider myself to be a very levelheaded person; I'm a dreamer, but my feet are on the ground, and I'm (also) practical, and I have a plan," she said. "So, I never would have thought this would have been possible."

Underwood has performed in Grand Rapids as an opening act for superstar Kenny Chesney. Monday night, she will return to Van Andel Arena as headliner of her Carnival Ride Tour, which kicked off last month.

While obviously no stranger to pressure, Underwood said mounting her first solo tour -- including getting the band rehearsed and the production right -- was her biggest worry.

"There is so much to do ... getting everybody on the same page and making sure that everything goes smoothly," she said. "I would just sit around and worry about all the jobs that everybody else has."

The wrinkles have been worked out, and fans can look forward to the type of show befitting a headliner, she said.

"I think everybody can expect everything to be a lot bigger," she said, comparing the tour to her show as an opening act. "We have a lot more crew people, we have a couple of new band members, (and) we have a lot more lights and a few more tricks."

Underwood's latest CD has no song titled "Carnival Ride," but the expression surely could fit the journey of a talented small-town girl who took a shot at the stars and wound up walking among them.

The title comes from the song "Wheel of the World," which closes the album and contains these lyrics:

"God put us here on this carnival ride. We close our eyes never knowing where it'll take us next."

That line, Underwood said, describes "the wonderful craziness I've been through over the past couple of years.

"I love that line -- that's my favorite line in the whole album."

If you go

When: 7:30 p.m. Monday

Where: Van Andel Arena, 130 W. Fulton St.

Opening act: Josh Turner

Tickets: Sold out, but check Ticketmaster outlets, 456-3333 or ticketmaster.com for last-minute availability.