Carrie Underwood is the small town girl who has taken America by storm. But the road to success from home town of Checotah, Oklahoma to her emergence as 2005's American Idol wasn't always a smooth one.

When he was growing up, nobody thought Curtis James Jackson III would amount to much of anything. If he lived to adulthood and the odds of that weren't good he'd probably be a drug dealer like his mother was

Alan Jackson has always been able to connect with his country music fans, but when he wrote a song addressing the terrorist attacks on American soil in September 2001, he touched the whole country. After debuting Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning), the popular star reached legendary status.

Bernie Mac was not always a successful television and movie star. When he was four years old, he saw how a comedian on television could make his mother stop crying. He vowed to become a comedian himself so that his mother, and other people, would maybe never cry again.

For over a decade, Gwen Stefani was pop music's "It Girl." With her dynamic stage presence and trendsetting fashion sense, Stefani emerged as an icon for teen girls all over the world.

Since the early nineties, Ice Cube's scowl has become as familiar to moviegoers as his voice is to rap fans. From the first time he heard the song "Rapper's Delight," Ice Cube, born as O'Shea Jackson, has been fascinated by performing. Find out how this star got the nickname Ice Cube in the first place. Follow his career as he meets other famous musicians such as Eminem, Dr. Dre, and Sir Jinx.

From his early days playing piano in the church and living with his grandparents to his stardom on television and in movies, Eric Bishop has been a delight to watch. As Jamie Foxx, he has entertained audiences with his humor as well as dazzled them with his ability to take on dramatic roles.

Kelly Clarkson is proving that the first is still the best. Since being crowned the original American Idol, Clarkson has become one of music's brightest stars. Her string of hits, which includes "Since U Been Gone," "Runaway," "Because of You," and "Walk Away," have proven that Kelly is a unique singer who continues to exceed expectations

Mariah Carey was living a dream come true. After growing up poor, Mariah burst on the music scene in 1990. Just 20 years old, her debut album sold over six million copies and made Mariah an instant superstar.

Country music superstar Kenny Chesney has won many awards and sold out numerous concert venues over the course of his music career, but he doesn't take any of the credit. No, he diverts the praise to his loyal fan following and the people who believed in him when he was playing music at little honky-tonks in the seedy part of Nashville.

You may think you know everything about that good-looking actor from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but do you? Orlando Bloom is a familiar face to many movie-goers, of course. But just what is behind that great smile and curly hair?