September cover girl Faith Hill is one of SELF's most inspiring women of the year. To find out how she, and the other women who topped the list, impressed us, pick up the issue on newsstands now. In this exclusive excerpt from her interview with SELF, find out what inspires the singer and how she and hubby Tim McGraw make it work on tour and at home. For more about Hill's upcoming projects or to hear songs from her latest album, visit FaithHill.com. Plus, go behind the scenes in our blog, SELF Celeb Scoop.
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SELF: Who inspires you musically?
Faith Hill: The music that inspired me early on was the music I heard in church. I was brought up in a Baptist church, but when I was a teenager I sang in black churches, Pentecostal, and I'm really inspired by that music. And I was absolutely in love with Elvis. That was my first concert actually, Elvis Presley.
OK, what music do you work out to?
I'm an obsessed Coldplay fan. We've got Coldplay playing before our show, and we walk off stage and a Coldplay song is playing right off. They're a rock band, but there's something about their writing and interpretation that is so very spiritual to me. I have them on my iPod.
What inspired you at 19 to pursue your dream as a singer?
I just really didn't have another choice, you know? I have always had this passion inside of me to sing. I didn't know what I was going to do, I didn't know how I was going to do it, I really had no idea where I was going to end up, but at 19 you don't know the risks, all you see is the dream. And that's what I try to never lose, even as an adult. You just have to forget about the what ifs, and the embarrassment if something doesn't work. If you have a dream, and you can see it in your mind, you really just should go for it, period.
How do your daughters inspire you?
One of the things I love more than anything in the world, that I cherish, are these beautiful cards and pictures that [Tim and I] get from our children. I have them all over the place in our house, and [while we're on tour] I have them on the bus, too. I've got them framed, sticking on the wall, on the refrigerator, whatever. I love them. They're in the hallway of every arena that we're in as well.
Are they about the tour?
No. It's different things. It's rainbows and funny little comments like "Tigers rock!" They're kids' drawings, and they're hilarious. And Audrey [their 4-year-old daughter]—hers are really, really funny, because usually the things that she draws are upside down.
You worked out a lot for this tour. Has that changed how you've been eating?
As a family, we try to eat healthy because I think what you put into your body affects how it functions. And certainly when you're trying to fight off germs and whatnot....Now there is definitely the occasional craving for the really, really great junk food!
So what junk food do you like?
Oh, the best for me, after a show, is I take three parts cottage cheese, two parts sour cream, and a ranch seasoning packet, and I mix it together, and I can sit on that couch and watch CNN and eat an entire bag of potato chips with that dip. It's just one of those things. I cannot wait to get on the bus and put that together.
What's something your fans might not know about you? Like you're really good at ballet or you have insomnia?
There are a lot of things that people don't know about me, but a lot of that I like to keep in my own back pocket! I'm just simple, really. Something people don't know....I like books. I like to have books around, all around my house, I like them to be just stacked everywhere.
So what are some of your favorite authors?
Well, I just love poetry. The other day, Tim and I went in to [10-year-old daughter] Gracie's third-grade class, and we were guest readers that day. We brought in a Robert Frost collection of poems that we read to these little third graders, and at first they were like, "Huh?" But then they really got into it, and each of them wanted to read a different poem.
What do you think is the secret to working with your husband?
Performing together. We have separate dressing rooms, and I float in and out of his when we're getting ready. Each of us has different ways of doing things to prepare for the show, and it's like we see each other in passing—it's kind of like a day at the office. He'll go and do his thing, I'll go and do my thing, but there is an enormous amount of comfort in knowing that if I want to walk down the hall, that's all I have to do. And vice versa. But to be together 24/7, of course...we would probably kill each other! [Laughter]
