Happy birthday, Carrie Underwood! The singer turns 42 on March 10. In honor of Underwood's big day, we are uncovering four little known facts about one of country music's biggest superstars.
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1. She has been a vegetarian since she was 13.
Underwood has spent most of her life not eating meat. The Oklahoma native reveals she had just become a teenager when she decided to give up meat entirely, after working on her parents' farm.
"I never made the connection until one day my parents were working out in the pasture...and they were banding calves," Underwood remembers (via Taste of Country). "I was horrified and sad, and I just couldn't believe that this was happening in our pasture. Right there! These adorable baby little calves jumping around, playing around. They would be on someone's plate someday!"
"I couldn't eat those precious cows--they were my babies!" she adds. "I bottle-fed some of them."
2. Carrie Underwood once broke a famous actor's heart.
Carrie Underwood is now happily married to former professional hockey player, Mike Fisher, tying the knot in 2010. But before meeting Fisher, Underwood dated a few other guys, including actor Chace Crawford.
"We broke up over text so... it's like 'peace out,'" Underwood recalls to Extra.
Underwood. might have been fine, but Crawford's sister, Candice, said it was hard on the Gossip Girl star.
"He was upset about the breakup," Candice admits to People. "It's always hard when you lose a relationship."
3. Brad Paisley might be her biggest fan.
Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley have been friends for a long time. They also hosted the CMA Awards together for many years, but that isn't why Paisley is her biggest fan.
"She's the best female singer we've had in our format maybe ever," Paisley tells Marie Claire. "She was a nobody in Oklahoma. On the first tour, she told me, 'I feel like I am a celebrity for no reason, like people are resentful I didn't have to play bars for 10 years to get a record deal.' And I told her she was one of the greatest gifts we have been given in Nashville."
4. She was just 26 years old when she became a Grand Ole Opry member.
Carrie Underwood was only 26 years old when she became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Randy Travis surprised her by inviting her to become a member in 2008, with Garth Brooks officially inducting her.
"The induction award they gave me says, 'Hey, you're a part of the family,'" Underwood says. "It means a lot to me because it's the heart of country music, the church, the sacred place, the super-elite club that says you love this music."
