The Transformation Of Faith Hill From Childhood To 54

Ted and Edna Perry adopted Faith Hill, who was born on September 21, 1967. They started the adoption process three days after she was born, per James Dickerson's biography, "Faith Hill: Piece of my Heart," and eventually picked her up in mid-October of that year. The "You're Still Here" singer's adoptive parents already had two sons, Steven and Wesley, and wanted a daughter to round out their family. Eight-year-old Wesley wanted to call her Audra, while Ted and Edna chose the name Faith to reflect their religious beliefs. And so, a combined moniker was decided upon, and Audrey Faith Perry was welcomed into her new family.

Hill knew that she was adopted. "I had been told that [my birth mother] had an affair with a married man, and he didn't want to leave his wife to marry her, so she gave me up for adoption," she recalled (via Good Housekeeping). Unfortunately, it seems as if her mom and dad fabricated the story to protect Hill's feelings. Evidently, her biological parents were unmarried but later wed and had a son. In an interview with Billboard (via E! News), Hill shared, "I used to think there was some kind of conspiracy, that I must be the daughter of one of my aunts." Elvis Presley appeared as Hill's father in her other dreams, she dished. With a voice like hers, it's no wonder she used to think she was the daughter of the King.

In 1996, the "This Kiss" singer founded the Faith Hill Family Literacy project. She was moved to start the initiative in honor of her dad, Ted Perry, who was only a fourth-grader when he permanently dropped out of school to work at a Jackson, Mississippi manufacturing plant, helping provide for his 12 siblings (per Good Housekeeping). Hill's mom, Edna Perry, was a bank teller in the same town, per "Faith Hill: Piece of my Heart." Even after the family relocated to Star, Mississippi, to enjoy a quieter country life, Hill's parents continued commuting to their workplaces.

Illiteracy goes hand-in-hand with job prospects, but Ted could rely on his wife for support. Edna was more educated than Ted and did what she needed to do to support her family. Hill revealed to Variety, "She was really, really smart and worked three jobs... she was raising my two older brothers and me during a rough time." Nevertheless, Hill doesn't diminish her father's intelligence. In a Barbara Walters interview, she reminisced, "I don't think any of the children wanted to put my dad in a position of being embarrassed or make him feel bad, ever. I have a great dad."

The singer also explained a bit more of her family's financial situation to People: "Mom financially stretched a dollar into 10. My parents' combined salary when I left home at 18 was probably $25,000, raising three kids and paying bills. That's impressive." 

In 2021, Tim McGraw shared how proud he was of Maggie May, his and Faith Hill's second daughter. Taking to Instagram, he wrote, "She graduated from her Masters program at Stanford University this weekend and what a celebration!!!" He continued, "I have such admiration for her work ethic, her fierce love of her family and especially her passion to make the world a better place." While mom Faith Hill also attended college, her parents supported her when she made an unconventional choice to forge her own path.

Jackie Granberry, who worked at Hinds Community College, recalled the day that Hill said she was quitting, per "Faith Hill: Piece of my Heart." "We did everything possible to talk her into coming back to school. You need an education. If [the singing] doesn't work out, you'll need to have a skill to fall back on." Likewise, her parents also tried to reason with her. Eventually, Ted Perry told her that he would help her if she truly wanted to move to Nashville. They loaded up a neighbor's truck before setting off for Music City in March 1987. Ted sat in a cardboard box on the back of a truck for eight hours to help his daughter pursue her dreams. 

After going door-to-door with her resume in hand, Hill eventually landed a receptionist job at Gary Morris' music publishing company, per People.

Faith Hill was adopted at birth and wanted to find her biological mother. When she was in college, per "Faith Hill: Piece of my Heart," she confided in one of her mentors about wanting to explore her roots. Her former boss Bill Buckner explained, "The people that took her in, she loved them and did not want to hurt them, but inside she had this yearning to know." However, it was her brother Wesley who helped her track down her birth mom by painstakingly going through a 1967 directory, searching for her social security number. Three years later, they struck gold. After reaching out to her, the birth mom and Hill met in a city park in Jackson, Mississippi. 

In an interview with People, the "Way You Love Me" singer said, "The first time I met my biological mother, I just stared at her." It was a revelation because, Hill explained, "I'd never seen anybody who looked anything like me." Hill has clarified that she's not angry at her biological mom, but respects the woman's decision as a loving choice, made with Hill's best interest at heart (via Good Housekeeping).

Hill also revealed to Billboard (via E! News) that she "kept the relationship at bay." Her husband, Tim McGraw, shared that they "were just getting to know one another better" in 2007, when Hill's birth mother died.

Larry King asked Faith Hill if she had a breakthrough album. Both Hill and her husband Tim McGraw were in the studio that day, and they had different answers to the question. She replied, "I think 'This Kiss,' the song 'This Kiss,' was definitely my breakthrough song. After that, 'Breathe' was my breakthrough album. It just changed my career basically." "This Kiss" was released in 1994, while "Breathe" made its debut a year later. McGraw chimed in, saying, "'Wild One' did, 'Wild One' too." Hill then conceded that her husband was correct, clarifying, "My first single did really, really well and that just, I guess, brought some attention to what I was doing."

The Washington Post reported that "Wild One" broke a long-standing record when it dropped in 1993. It was "the first debut single by a female singer to top the country charts for four consecutive weeks since Connie Smith's 'Once a Day,' in 1964." It would be a while before Hill actually began palming in awards for her music. Although she quickly rose to the top of the charts, she only snagged an American Country Music Award in 2000 for top female vocalist. Interestingly, Tim McGraw scooped the prize for top male vocalist the same year. Also curiously, MTV News reported that they were pitted against each other at the event, as both were nominated for entertainer of the year, song of the year, and album of the year.

Tim McGraw told People that after he "planted a big old kiss on" Faith Hill in his dressing room during their Spontaneous Combustion tour, the situation escalated. In another People interview, McGraw recalled the moment when he realized they had something special. "A conversation we had in a Jeep in Pennsylvania is one of my favorite memories. It was a conversation about our future. That was the point where we realized we wanted to be together for the rest of our lives." Hill discerned that their goals were similar, with a stable family life being as much a priority as good careers. 

One day on Instagram, McGraw revealed how he proposed to Hill; he shared that he asked her on numerous occasions, but she didn't want to be married to a country star. They were on tour and staying in trailers when he said, "Look, let's get married." Hill responded, "You're asking me to marry you at a country music festival in a trailer house?"  After Hill ascertained that McGraw was serious, he had to go on stage. Upon finishing his show, the singer returned to his dressing room, and Hill was nowhere to be found. "But I looked at the mirror and in lipstick, it said, 'Yes, I'm gonna be your wife.' And we still have that mirror," McGraw sweetly said. The duo got married in a surprise ceremony on October 6, 1996, in Rayville, Louisiana (per Brides).

Fans noticed a scar on Faith Hill's neck in early 2015, and People reported that the singer had an "anterior cervical discectomy and fusion" procedure in response to an old injury. The surgery traditionally helps ease the pain caused by a herniated disc. Hill followed up the procedure with physical therapy. Apparently, in 2011, she had a neck operation to deal with her medical issue. 

Of course, those weren't the only times Hill had surgery around the neck. In 1996, she told The Washington Post, "I was in the studio trying to sing, and I couldn't. I didn't have my usual pitch, range or strength. I'd say, 'Let me take a day off,' but that didn't work." So, she took her then-fiance's advice to go and see a doctor. Hill continued, "They found an enlarged blood vessel, and there was really only one decision to make — surgery." 

At the time, she was in the process of recording her second album, "It Matters to Me," which was necessarily delayed. Luckily, Hill had a team that "was very supportive and concerned" about her wellbeing. But in 2015, she had something more. Hill had the support and love of Tim McGraw and their kids as she navigated her health issues. 

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw have ended one phase of their parenthood journey. Their daughters are now young adults and have left the nest. Audrey, their youngest, was the last to leave, following her 2020 graduation from high school. Gracie and Maggie are both actors in New York, McGraw shared on "The Kelly Clarkson Show." McGraw told People, "You're used to getting up in the morning, taking kids to school, going to softball practices and basketball practices and cheerleader practices, and all of a sudden, all that's gone when your last one leaves."

He lamented the fact that his house had changed since the departure of his daughters. McGraw specifically missed the smell of Hill's cooking in the afternoon because she "would always make sure something was cooking when they would come home from school." He said they remained close and in constant communication. But the star hit the nail on the head when he remarked, "But it's difficult when your kids leave. All of a sudden they don't need you as much anymore." McGraw thought Hill might be struggling with the adjustment even more. In fact, the mom told Stephen Colbert that being without her kids at home was "heartbreaking."

McGraw, meanwhile, told Clarkson that being empty-nesters had its perks. "It's also nice for mom and dad to have the house to themselves every now and then, too." As long as Tim and Faith have each other, all is right with the world.