So how did it all happen for a kid from Checotah, Okla., who once thought she’d spend her entire life in that small town? And more to the point, how does she keep the sudden fame, fortune and full-on fantasy existence from going straight to her head?

According to Carrie Underwood, it may well come down to the company she keeps. “I’ve just been really lucky and I’ve had really, really great people working around me and making everything happen,” says the singer.

Despite the fact that Carrie was reared in a family without an ounce of showbiz in its blood (her dad was a paper mill worker and her mom an elementary school teacher), her amazing voice proceeded to wow America and American Idol’s team of judges — even surly Simon Cowell. “Simon was pretty good to me,” she insists. “He is notorious for speaking his mind. I think that’s just what he does, and fortunately for me, he didn’t have too many bad things to say!” But even though she might be understating the role that talent and hard work have played in her success, Carrie will concede that it wasn’t all about luck.

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