Carrie Underwood
Apr 27, 2014
TIME magazine has revealed its annual list of the 100 most influencial people in the world. The only Country artist represented on the 2014 list is Arista Nashville's Carrie Underwood.
The list, now in its 11th year, recognizes the activism, innovation and achievement of the world's most influential individuals. As TIME has described the list in the past, "The TIME 100 is not a list of the most powerful people in the world, it's not a list of the smartest people in the world, it's a list of the most influential people in the world. They're scientists, they're thinkers, they're philosophers, they're leaders, they're icons, they're artists, they're visionaries. People who are using their ideas, their visions, their actions to transform the world and have an effect on a multitude of people."
The feature selects guest contributors to write about each person named to the list. Carrie's longtime friend Brad Paisley serves as the guest writer for her profile in this year's issue. He wrote, "I remember Carrie Underwood early on telling me how badly she wanted to earn her place in our industry. It was 2005, and she had just won "American Idol" and had her first No. 1 song. Fast-forward to 2014. Not only has she earned her place, she's also raised the bar: she's a prolific songwriter, a trendsetter and an Opry member. But it's her decency as a person that is so impressive. She's an advocate for causes like animal rights and the Red Cross. She has publicly challenged lawmakers when she's disagreed with them, and covered controversial issues in her music. She can sing the fire out of a song and tell a joke. I'm always amazed at her comedic timing and instincts when we co-host the "CMA Awards." She has faith, a sense of self and loves a good challenge. When most singers tackle a Broadway musical, it's in front of a thousand people. She did it in front of 20 million. So many young girls want to be just like her. In that sense, I see hope for the world. If I had a daughter, nothing would make me happier than to hear her say she wanted to grow up to be like Carrie Underwood."
Country music icon Dolly Parton served as a guest writer for an artist named to the 2014 list as well: her goddaughter and Nashville native Miley Cyrus. Dolly wrote, "If I didn't know how smart and talented Miley is, I might worry about her. But I've watched her grow up. So I don't. She knows what she's doing. She was very proud of the work she did as Hannah Montana, but people were gonna leave her there forever. And she was just smotherin' and chokin' in it. So she felt she had to do something completely drastic. And she did. She made her point, she made her mark, and more power to her. "Wrecking Ball" is a great song. The whole album is great. So I'm hoping that now she can relax and show people how talented she really is. 'Cause the girl can write. The girl can sing. The girl is smart. And she doesn't have to be so drastic. But I will respect her choices. I did it my way, so why can't she do it her way?"
The full list appears in the Monday, May 5th issue of TIME, which is available on newsstands and tablets now. You can also check out the list at www.time.com/time100.
By: Misti Douglas