Faith Hill

Faith Hill was born Audrey Faith Perry in Ridgeland, Mississippi and was adopted as an infant. One of her earliest influences was Elvis Presley, who she saw perform live in 1976. Over 30 years later, in 2008, Hill would cover "That's Alright Mama" and "Peace in the Valley" for an ABC television tribute to Presley. Throughout her childhood, Hill performed locally in venues including church, rodeos, and the Hinds County Jail. She moved to Nashville when she was 19 to pursue her singing career and auditioned to be a backup singer for Reba McEntire, but did not get the job. The woman who did get the job, Paula Kaye Evans, died in a 1991 plane crash near San Diego that killed seven members of McEntire's band and her road manager. Hill told Larry King in a 2006 interview that she does not think fate had anything to do with her life being spared, saying, "I wasn't a great background singer and I didn't get the part."

Hill's 1993 debut album, Take Me as I Am, includes her breakout hit "Wild One," which made her the first female country singer in 30 years to claim the top spot on the Billboard country chart for four consecutive weeks. She followed up Take Me as I Am with It Matters to Me in 1995. The following spring, Hill met fellow country singer, Tim McGraw, while on tour. Both singers report that the attraction was "instant" and began an affair that led to their marriage in 1996. Hill took three years off of performing to have children, although she did record the duet "It's Your Love" with McGraw, which won Song of the Year from the Country Music Association in 1997.

Hill's sound began to move away from country and more toward pop when she returned to recording with the 1998 album Faith, featuring "This Kiss." The song went to #1 on the Country chart and #7 on the Pop chart. On the heels of this success, Hill released her smash album, Breathe, winner of three Grammy Awards, including Best Country Album, although many critics suggested that the album bore little trace of country music. Hill again stepped away from recording to spend time with her children, and she didn't make another album until 2005, when she released Fireflies. That one debuted at #1 and featured a more distinctive country sound than Breathe. "Mississippi Girl" became her first #1 Country single since "The Way You Love Me" in 2000.