Inside Carrie Underwood's Relationship With Mike Fisher
Even though Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher have been married for over a decade, we still can't get over the couple's fairytale romance. Between overcoming long distance (like living in two different countries) and having their first kiss on New Year's Eve, it seems like these two were meant for each other (via Bustle) — and 11 years later, they seem more in love than ever.
Although the country music superstar from Oklahoma and the hockey player from Canada have had to overcome their share of obstacles, they've always been able to find common ground in their love for their two kids and their faith (via "Mike and Carrie: God & Country"). Underwood explained to Glamour that it's okay that they both have busy schedules because they are "both independent people" (per Us Weekly), though she added that the downside is that sometimes they'll "go weeks without seeing each other."
Let's take a closer look at how Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher balance their busy lives and make their relationship work.
Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher were introduced through a mutual friend
Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher met through a mutual friend, Underwood's bass player, Mark Childers, who thought that the two would make a great match (via Bustle). In an interview for VH1's "Behind the Music," Underwood laughingly explained that Childers wanted to set the pair up on a blind date, but she insisted that they meet at her concert and that he be stuck in "meet-and-greet because if he's weird I don't want to deal with him." Luckily, Fisher was not weird, and the two immediately hit it off.
In "Behind the Music," Underwood also shared that after the meet-and-greet she texted Childers that she thought Fisher was "hot, hot, hot." Equally as smitten, Fisher said in his "Behind the Music" interview that Underwood "was more beautiful in person than on TV." The country singer went on to explain that the two went out for a drink, shared dessert, and exchanged numbers — and the rest, as they say, is history. Well, sort of.
They talked on the phone for three months before their first date
According to VH1's "Behind the Music," due to Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher's hectic schedules on the road, the pair were not able to see each other for a long period of time following their first meeting at Underwood's concert. In the episode, she shared, "We started talking on the phone quite a bit for the next like three months."
Although we can imagine the next few months must have been difficult, despite not being able to see each other in person, the two were able to establish a strong connection before taking their relationship to the next level. Underwood admitted in "Behind the Music" that "when you have the spark with somebody and you have a connection it's wonderful, but then when you agree on the core things in your life — your beliefs and your faith — that does connect you to somebody even deeper."
As Bustle noted, Underwood and Fisher finally had their first official date on New Year's Eve in 2008 and even shared their first kiss when the ball dropped. We're having a hard time thinking of anything more romantic than that!
Mike Fisher helped inspire Carrie Underwood's third album
According to VH1's "Behind the Music," Mike Fisher actually came up with the idea for one of Carrie Underwood's most critically-renowned songs, "Temporary Home." Underwood said in the episode that she felt compelled to include a dedication to Fisher in the liner notes because "he had become an important part of my life and inspired ... a lot of the songs that were on that album."
With Fisher's help, Underwood was able to write an album that was personal with songs inspired by her real-life romance. Her album, "Play On," was a huge success praised by many critics, and, as Country Now reported, it even won her Favorite Country Album at the American Music Awards in 2010. According to a review from Billboard, "Play On" is "a wide-ranging album — she's in love, out of love, light-hearted and playful," and "Temporary Home" gave the album, as Billboard described, "the meat and potatoes that make the syrupy-sweet dessert offerings more palatable."
Mike Fisher proposed to Carrie Underwood in a simple and romantic way
Almost a year after Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher started dating, Fisher proposed to her on a romantic Sunday afternoon with snow falling in the woods near his home in Ottawa, Canada, according to VH1's "Behind the Music." Underwood continued to share in the same interview that, as she said yes, she "tackled him in the snow" in excitement. According to Country Living, Fisher spoke about his engagement with the Toronto Sun the next day, where he shared, "It's true. We're both obviously excited and very happy."
Although an engagement after only a year of dating may seem like a quick turn-around, everyone could tell that the couple had an immediate spark, and things quickly turned serious. In an interview with The Boot, Luke Laird, one of the co-writers on Underwood's album "Play On," shared that "Mama's Song" was inspired by Underwood's moving on to a new stage of life with her new man. According to Laird, "Carrie just came out with that first line, 'Mama, you taught me to do the right things.' And this was before she was engaged, obviously, but she was in a relationship. We knew where this was coming from."
Underwood and Fisher went on to get married in July 2010 in a lavish ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton's Lake Oconee, Georgia resort (via Country Living). And, of course, the bride rocked a fairytale wedding dress fit for her fairytale romance.
Carrie Underwood says she doesn't 'have to worry' about her husband
If you've listened to any of Carrie Underwood's breakup songs, it's easy to assume that she's had her fair share of messy relationships. But, according to the singer, her relationship with Mike Fisher is different. Underwood shared in an interview with Glamour that before meeting Fisher she had always doubted her partners in previous relationships (per Us Weekly). "I don't have to worry about Mike," she said. "I don't think twice. He's going out? I don't care; it doesn't bother me. I don't bat an eye."
In a feature that Underwood wrote for The Sydney Morning Herald, she explained that, before Fisher came along, she had plenty of experience with "two-timing men" and "love gone wrong," similar to the men she sings about in songs like "Before He Cheats" and "Cowboy Casanova." However, unlike those from her past, she shared that Fisher "is such a warm, caring person and has a wonderful faith in people that I sometimes lack. He's a gorgeous heart wrapped in a gorgeous man."
The couple has two children together
Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher have two adorable boys named Isaiah and Jacob (via Country Living). Isaiah was born first in February 2015 (via Country Fancast). In an interview with Redbook, Underwood gushed about how thrilled she was to become a mom. "I definitely feel like it's changed me as a person. I'm happier. I'm in a better mood a lot of the time," she said. "He'll be watching cartoons and I'll be watching him. I'm completely in love."
Not far behind Isaiah, Jacob was born almost four years later in January 2019 (via Country Living). In a tearfully sweet Instagram caption, the proud mom shared, "Jacob Bryan Fisher entered the world in the wee hours of the morning on Monday ... his mom, dad and big brother couldn't be happier ... Our hearts are full, our eyes are tired and our lives are forever changed. Life is good."
The married couple bond over their faith
No matter what obstacles Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher may encounter together, they always seem to find a way to overcome them through their shared faith. Fisher and Underwood both grew up having a formative relationship with God and have made their faith a priority in their marriage (via the Tennessean). In Episode 4 of the couple's docuseries, "Mike and Carrie: God & Country," Underwood shared, "First and foremost is our faith. We know God brought us together and trust his judgement. And then just finding ... ways to compromise through it."
Similar to their marriage, the pair also try to intertwine faith in their family, as they want their sons, Isaiah and Jacob, to grow up with the same values as they have. In an interview with CBN, Fisher explained that, although he wasn't always comfortable with his religion when he was growing up, he wants Isaiah and Jacob "to be proud of their faith, not be scared of it."
Carrie Underwood brought her family with her on tour
After Carrie Underwood's husband, Mike Fisher, retired from professional ice hockey in 2018, he was allotted more time to spend with his family and to support his rock-star wife (via Pop Culture). Carrie Underwood brought her family along with her on the "Cry Pretty Tour 360" in 2019, allowing Fisher and her kids to see her in action — although Jacob was 3 months old at the time and probably didn't know what exactly was going on (via Today). The tour, which included an all-female lineup, played to over 60 arenas across North America (via Carrie Underwood Official).
Although Underwood was thrilled to have her family on tour with her, she shared with "Today" that bringing a 3-month-old with her on the road wasn't easy. "I'm tired," she said, adding, "But, I mean, how many people get to take their children to work with them?" Fisher even shared how proud he was of his wife after her show in Birmingham, Alabama, in an Instagram caption that read, "What a night! This is Izzy's first tour show that he'll remember. He had a blast ... His mommy is a rockstar on stage and off the stage. Touring with a 3 month old is brave to say the least but if anyone can do it she sure can!"
The happy couple filmed a docuseries together
In 2020, Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher released a four-episode docuseries, "Mike and Carrie: God & Country," through the Christian nonprofit I Am Second, which creates films about individuals who have "put Jesus first in their lives." The docuseries details the ups and downs of Underwood and Fisher's marriage, their individual and communal relationships with God, and their journey to become parents.
One of the show's producers, John Humphrey, spoke to Entertainment Tonight where he shed some light on showing the world through the docuseries who Fisher — not just his superstar wife — really is. "I think it was important for us to look at Mike's story and the evolution of him as a hockey star and then moving into retirement and what that entailed," he shared.
The two share a lot of sweet moments in the docuseries as they hold hands and let viewers in on some of the most intimate details of their lives. If you plan on watching, we recommend that you have some tissues handy!
They spent a lot of quality time together during the pandemic
We can imagine that a former professional hockey player and a country music star don't have much free time on their hands, but in an interview with the Toronto Sun, Carrie Underwood shared that the pandemic brought some unexpected benefits, as it allowed her and Mike Fisher to spend more quality time with each other and with their kids. "But this year, my silver lining was just getting to be home and be in one place so I could watch them grow and just spend time with them," she said.
In another interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Underwood recalled a memory of a sweet comment that Fisher had made to her and reflected on how they grew as a couple during the pandemic as they spent the extra time together. "Some couples kinda get stronger, and you see some go the other way," she said. "And I feel like we were really good at being together all day, every day."
Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher learned to work through their differences
All couples have their differences, and Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher are no exception. In Episode 1 of their docuseries, "Mike and Carrie: God & Country," Underwood explained, "We learn from each other and we have spirited discussions about things that we disagree on, but at the end of the day, we love each other very much."
According to Wide Open Country, in Underwood's book, "Find Your Path: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul, and Get Strong With the Fit52 Life," she writes about what led her to become a vegetarian. She explains that she grew up on a farm and became very attached to the animals. As a result, she didn't feel right eating meat. Underwood explained in her book that since her childhood, "I've never gone back to eating beef, and I never will."
With her history as a vegetarian and an animal lover, Underwood shared in Episode 4 of the docuseries that she had a hard time accepting Fisher's love of hunting but said they learned to compromise and accept their differing opinions and hobbies.
They've grown stronger together after having three miscarriages
Although it may seem like Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher have a perfect life, they have experienced hardships throughout their marriage. After Underwood had three miscarriages in less than two years while trying to conceive their second child, she shared in a vulnerable interview with People that she had many difficult, emotional discussions with her husband and with God. "Of course you wonder if it's you, what am I doing wrong, or what have I done wrong," she shared. "I remember having conversations with Mike trying to make sense of it all."
Underwood elaborated on this challenging time in Episode 2 of her docuseries, "Mike and Carrie: God & Country," where she explained that, although the experience was incredibly difficult, she and her husband, in the end, became stronger as a couple and "were able to kind of work through our faith together like we'd never done before."
The superstars are still trying to figure out how to juggle their busy lives
Mike Fisher and Carrie Underwood have never claimed to have a perfect marriage or to be perfect parents, and, like many of us, they're actually still trying to figure out how to organize different aspects of their lives. "My work life is pretty busy and can be unpredictable. Sometimes things are so hectic, I feel as if I'm not as present as I would like to be for them," Underwood revealed in an interview with Parents. "I tell myself that there are ebbs and flows."
In fact, something that initially attracted Underwood to Fisher was that, as a former professional hockey player for the Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators, he understood her hectic schedule. In her feature for The Sydney Morning Herald, Underwood explained that — before she met her husband — it was hard to find people to date after winning "American Idol" in 2005 because they didn't understand her lifestyle. But, fortunately, Fisher does. We love to see it!