Shinedown is an American hard rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. The band was formed in early 2001 by four friends Brent Smith, Jasin Todd, Brad Stewart, and Barry Kerch. Though they have gone through many line-up changes, the band’s two main members, lead vocalist Brent Smith and drummer Barry Kerch still remain. The band has released three albums on a major label, all three of them spawning successful singles such as “45″, “Save Me”, and “Devour”.
     Metal mavens Shinedown first appeared in 2003 with the release of “Leave a Whisper.” The group made it onto modern rock radio thanks to the single “Fly from the Inside.” Singer Brent Smith borrows heavily from the Scott Weiland template of grungy crooning. Shinedown are known as road warriors, having garnered much of their fanbase through nonstop touring. Other notable bands from Jacksonville, Fla., include Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers Band and Mofro.
     The band is notable for having a song performed by an American Idol contestant; Chris Daughtry sang their single “I Dare You” during a performance. The band has formed a fairly stable fanbase and has had considerable commercial success in their years. The band has also become legendary for their energetic and personal live performances. Their most recent album, The Sound of Madness, was released in 2008 on Atlantic Records. Their debut album, Leave a Whisper was certified Platinum in 2006.

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Carrie Underwood

     Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983 in Muskogee, Oklahoma) is a three-time Grammy Award-winning singer. She is the first Idol winner to sweep all three major music awards (Billboard, American Music, and Grammy Award) in one single season.[citation needed] Since her sweep, she has become a multi-platinum selling recording artist. Her debut album, Some Hearts, was certified seven times platinum and is the fastest selling debut country album in Nielsen SoundScan history. Some Hearts yielded five number one hits on the country charts in the United States and Canada: “Inside Your Heaven”, “Jesus, Take the Wheel”, “Don’t Forget to Remember Me”, “Wasted,” and her biggest hit to date, “Before He Cheats”. Underwood scored another Top 10 Billboard hit with her charity single, “I’ll Stand by You”. Some Hearts sold a total of 7 million RIAA-certified copies as of February 2008. In addition to being the best selling album by an American Idol contestant in the United States to date, it is also the best-selling solo female debut album in country music history.
     Carrie Underwood was the champion on season four of “American Idol.” Underwood’s career shifted into high gear with the release of the country anthem “Jesus Take the Wheel.” Underwood has already hit high on the country charts, but she’s also crossed over to the Christian radio charts. Underwood’s main competition was longhaired heartthrob Bo Bice, who despite losing, landed a record deal. Carrie started singing in church when she was three and plays both the guitar and the piano.

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