Arriving in 1993 with her debut album Take Me as I Am, Faith Hill would come to define an era of country music. Her 1998 song “This Kiss” catapulted Hill to international stardom, and that success stretched into the 21st century. Two years earlier, the 15-time ACM Award winner married fellow ’90s country legend Tim McGraw, and they would go on to combine their talents, releasing several duets. On this day in 1967, Faith Hill was born in Ridgeland, Mississippi.
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Tim McGraw Shouts Out Wife Faith Hill on Her 58th Birthday
Before we tell you a bit more about Faith Hill, here’s what her husband, 11-time CMA Award winner Tim McGraw, had to say on her 58th birthday.
“This is the best damn person that there is,” wrote the “Live Like You Were Dyin’” crooner, 58, in a social media post Sunday (Sept. 21.) “Her heart is pure gold… Her love is bigger than the universe. I love this woman. Happy birthday my love. And yes, I married waaaayyy above my head!”
Born Audrey Faith Perry in Ridgeland, Mississippi, Hill’s parents, Edna and Ted Perry, adopted her as an infant, raising her in the small town of Star. By age 3, she was singing at the local Baptist church. Honing her natural skills all throughout her childhood, Hill dropped out of college at age 19 and headed to Nashville.
After failing to land a position as Reba McEntire’s backup singer, she took a secretary job at a music publishing firm. Like so many before (and after her), Hill’s “big break” came at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Cafe, where she was singing backup vocals for songwriter Gary Burr. After one performance, Warner Bros Records executive Martha Sharp approached her and asked if she wanted to make a record.
Conquering the Pop Charts
Having landed three #1 country music hits, Faith Hill stepped back from music after her 1995 sophomore album, It Matters to Me. She returned in grand fashion with 1998’s Faith, which brought her the first taste of crossover success with “This Kiss.”
While she hasn’t released original solo material in nearly two decades, Hill’s spot in country music history is solid. Having sold more than 50 million albums, she has five Grammy Awards, 14 #1 songs, and six multi-platinum records.
Featured image by Debra L Rothenberg/FilmMagic
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