Faith Hill

Childhood

On September 21, 1967, a young, unmarried Mississippi couple gave birth to a baby girl who would later become Faith Hill. Unable to properly care for their young daughter, they put her up for adoption. The adoptive parents, Ted and Edna Perry, named their new daughter Audrey Faith Perry.

Faith grew up knowing that she was adopted, and she felt blessed to be chosen. The Perry family was religious, and Faith starting singing in church at age three. In fact, she became a professional singer as a young child; Edna paid the girl 25 cents to sing at family functions!

Country Roots

Faith Hill left her Star, Mississippi home at the age of 19, in the pursuit of her musical dream. Like most country music singers, Faith had to pay her dues. Living in Nashville, Tennessee, she worked at McDonald's. A while later, she moved up to the popular Fan Fare as a T-shirt peddler. While this was not the most glamorous profession, it at least offered Hill some exposure to the world of country music. Later, she worked as a receptionist in singer/songwriter Gary Morris' company.

It was at Gary Morris' publishing company that Hill was "discovered." One day Morris heard the irrepressible Hill singing along with the radio. Impressed by her strong voice, Morris convinced her to create demo tapes. Soon, Hill was working as a back-up singer. A Warner Brothers executive heard Faith Hill singing with Gary Burr in a Nashville cafe, and signed the young singer to a country music contract.

Faith Hill's first album, Take Me As I Am, was released in 1993, and was certified triple-platinum. Three songs from that album reached number one on the Billboard charts. Hill released It Matters to Me in 1995, and it was also well-received.

Marriage and Family

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw

After the release of It Matters to Me, Hill was given an opportunity that would forever change her life. She was asked to open for country music star Tim McGraw's Spontaneous Combustion Tour. Sparks flew between the two singers and they soon became a couple. Tim and Faith have much in common, including their love of music, family, and sports. Amazingly, neither was raised by both biological parents. This unusual link gives them both an intense devotion to family, stability, and commitment. After a whirlwind romance, the couple married on October 6, 1996. Three daughters soon followed:

• Gracie Katherine (1997)
• Maggie Elizabeth (1998)
• Audrey Caroline (2001)

Crossover Success

2004 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Faith's next two albums, Breathe and Faith were well-received by both country listeners and pop fans. These releases broke Billboard records and garnered Grammy recognition. Hill even recorded There You'll Be for the movie, Pearl Harbor.

Hill's next album, Cry, was released in 2002. The album debuted at number one and won a Grammy Award. Despite its commercial success, many country music fans considered the album a "sell out." Feeling the songs were too pop, many fans felt the songs had been recorded specifically for a top 40 audience. Hill has always strongly denied those allegations.

Her most recent album, Fireflies, featured a return to country. The album features Mississippi Girl, a song proclaiming Hill's devotion to her roots. While some have called the album a calculated attempt to gain favor with country audiences, others applaud the openness of Fireflies.

Acting Ambitions

Faith Hill had a supporting role in the 2004 version of The Stepford Wives. Although the movie was not critically hailed, it did fulfill Hill's desire to be in the movies. She also exercised her acting chops in the video to Like We Never Loved At All. The duet with hubby Tim McGraw has garnered awards for Best Collaboration, and the music video plays like a mini movie.

Awards and Accolades

• Top New Female Vocalist (1994)
• Top Female Vocalist (1999)
• Multiple Grammy Awards
• Multiple Billboard Top 10 Singles
• Multiple ACMs
• People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People

Faith Hill Trivia

• Faith's father was illiterate, prompting her to start the Faith Hill Family Literacy Project.
• Faith was married to music producer Dan Hill for six years.
• The star collects picture frames.
• Hill was a last-minute replacement for Whitney Houston in the 2000 Academy Awards.