By EMILY CHRISTIANSON Special To The Daily Press
Faith Hill fans are in for a treat next week. The southern starlet will perform hits like “Breathe,” “This Kiss,” “Cry” and other favorites during her NBC special Faith Hill: Fireflies. The mother of three and wife of country hunk Tim McGraw says the show will combine footage from two live concerts at Pantages Theater in Los Angeles with an intimate concert in Nashville.
Hill, 38, recently shared some thoughts about her three daughters, Tim’s cooking, and the upcoming show which airs at 9 p.m. on Nov. 23.
QUESTION: You’ve already had one successful special. What can we expect with your second?
ANSWER: With this particular special we had three nights. One night was in Nashville where I performed all of those new songs from Fireflies with the songwriters … the other two were at the Pantages in Los Angeles, (which was) basically a live concert. We had rolls and rolls of backstage footage, rehearsal footage, just moments that are so fun to see and to go back and relive … the toughest part for this particular special was trying to figure out what to eliminate.
Q: As a big star do you still have intimidating moments?
A: The first time I had the opportunity to meet Aretha Franklin. I didn’t have the guts to do it. I was at the Grammys and my husband and I were in the front row and she … walked in front of us. He said “Jump up, jump up and introduce yourself” and I said “I can’t, I can’t move, I’m frozen.” He practically tried to pull me out of my seat to meet her, but I couldn’t. I grabbed a hold of the handrail and just sat there. I couldn’t do it. I couple of years later my tour manager Jimmy Johnson introduced me to her and I cried like a baby.
Q: Have you ever heard a song and wished you had recorded it instead?
A: Imagine, by John Lennon.
Q: Who has inspired you the most in your life? A: It has to be my husband. I felt my life began then and with the birth of our children. It gave my life purpose and great meaning and huge responsibility. I think when we have responsibility and purpose for me it’s inspirational.
Q: Have your three daughters, Gracie, Maggie and Audrey, shown any musical aptitude?
A: All of them do, but Gracie and Audrey are the most interested.
Q: Do they sing or play instruments?
A: (Gracie) plays a little guitar … and piano, but she is the rock and roll chick in the family … Last year for Christmas she asked for an iPod filled with Robert Plant, Stevie Nicks and Steven Tyler and that was it.
Q: She’s only 8. Did you and Tim introduce her to these artists?
A: Gracie has a very raspy dark voice and when she started singing we heard she had so much soul in her voice. Tim and I were like “Listen to Stevie Nicks,” so we started buying her albums … Tim did a Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Norway and we were all there watching him perform and Robert Plant came on to perform and Gracie leaned over and said “Who is this guy?” and I told her who he was. She said “I want his album.” Steven Tyler she just thinks he’s the greatest thing that walked the face of the earth.
Q: Are they at the point where they don’t think mom and dad as cool?
A: Not yet … When I picked them up from school after having done Oprah I was still dressed because I had come right from the airport. I got out of the car to give them a hug and Gracie and Maggie were both (saying) “Mama get back in the car, get back in the car” they didn’t want anybody to see me dressed like that. They were embarrassed that I had make-up on … They asked “Why are you wearing make-up? Why is your hair down?”
Q: Tim says he tries to cook, but he’s not the greatest. Is that true?
A: He is a fantastic cook he is just a very, very messy one. Spaghetti sauce is in the drawers, in the cabinets, you will find it on all of the spoons, pots and pans. I don’t know how he gets it everywhere, but he does. It is so good I don’t mind cleaning it.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 18, 2005. Read the original PDF.