Oklahoma's Carrie Underwood to release third album this fall

Brandy McDonnell, Entertainment Writer | Published: July 7, 2009 | Modified: July 7, 2009 at 4:29 pm

Singer Carrie Underwood arrives at the "American Idol" finale in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 20, 2009. AP Photo

The Oklahoma native is the only "Idol" winner to earn 10 No. 1 hits, and Forbes.com recently named her the top-earning contestant on the reality TV show, with her estimated $14 million in earnings last year. Forbes also ranked Underwood No. 75 on its 2009 Celebrity 100 list.

In April, she became just the seventh female country artist to win the Academy of Country Music's top award, entertainer of the year.

Underwood is lending her celebrity to a public awareness campaign for the nonprofit organization Teachers Count. She is the first country artist to appear in the group's "Behind Every Famous Person Is a Fabulous Teacher" campaign. The

The campaign pairs celebrities with their favorite teachers, but understandably, Underwood couldn't pick just one. She is featured with her sisters, Stephanie Shelton and Shanna Means, who are current teachers, and their mother, Carole Underwood, who taught for 25 years.

"Teaching was something that ran in my family," the singer says in the campaign. "I have always admired my mother and sisters for making a difference in the lives of so many."

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