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Faith Hill has sold 50 million albums worldwide. The Grammy-winning singer has been in the spotlight for decades, making her mark on the American Country music genre and even crossing into pop with chart-topping hits like “This Kiss” and “The Way You Love Me.” One important facet about the star that many may not know: Her personal connection with adoption. This is the Faith Hill adoption story.
Faith Hill has been open about her adoption story. She has said, in the past, that she is grateful she got the “chance to be placed in such a loving family.” She has also been open about the fact that her adoption influenced the way she parents her own children today, and it has also helped her make a key connection with her husband, Tim McGraw. Her adoption stimulated questions about her life and led to an incredible journey of self-discovery. Whether you are looking to adopt or considering placing your baby for adoption, you may be drawn to stories like this one. Read on as we share the details of Faith Hill’s adoption.
“Mississippi Girl”
Faith Hill was born on September 21, 1967. She was adopted just a few days after her birth. Named Audrey Faith Perry, she grew up in Star, Mississippi, with her two older brothers and loving parents.
Faith’s parents were open about her adoption early on, which helped her feel comfortable with the idea of adoption.
“When kids would call one another names, they’d say, ‘You act like you’re adopted,’” she recalled. “And I’d always get ‘em good, because I’d say, ‘Well, I am adopted. So what do you think about that?’”
“It Matters to Me”
As happy an upbringing as she had, Faith remembers sometimes feeling out of place. She developed a love for singing at an early age, and she was the only one in her family to love music so deeply. In an interview with “Billboard” in 2017, she noted, “I had a spirit that was completely outside what my family was. I didn’t know anyone I was related to, biologically, which gives you a sense of not knowing who you are.”
At the age of 19, Faith went to pursue a country music career in Nashville. Within a few years, she also decided to find her birth family. She later explained to Robin Roberts her motivation behind the search: “There was a period of time when I first moved to Nashville, like the first couple of years, that I was just simply lost. That’s when I went on the search for my birth family.”
The search began in 1990, at a time when adoption records were typically sealed and difficult to access. With the support of her loving family, she and her brother were able to track down some leads and eventually find her birth mother.
“Piece of My Heart”
Deciding to take the step of meeting her birth mother took some time. The two finally met in person in 1993. It was described as an emotional experience.
“The first time I met my biological mother, I just stared at her,” Faith told “People” in 1999. “I’d never seen anybody who looked anything like me. It was the awe of seeing someone that you actually came from. It fills something.”
Meeting her birth mother and learning about her birth family helped give Faith an understanding of her own personality. Her birth mother had been a singer in her church choir, just like Faith. This shared love of music helped give Faith context to her own love of music.
The reunion with her birth mother also revealed facts about her past. Faith’s adoptive parents told her she had been placed for adoption because her birth mother had had an affair with a married man. Faith’s birth mother decided on adoption because she was not married at the time of her pregnancy. Her birth parents got married sometime after the adoption, and went on to have a son, Zack, whom they raised together. Faith Hill never got the chance to meet her birth father, who had died in a car accident, but she did meet and get to know her brother, Zack.
“Let Me Let Go”
Shortly after meeting her birth family, Faith’s first marriage was ending. The couple divorced in 1994 after five years of marriage. Her ex-husband, Music Executive Daniel Hill, has spoken about her meeting her birth family and the impact it had on her life.
“That search consumed much of her energy,” Daniel said. “Meeting her birth mother was the most profound life-altering experience for her. After that, her world turned upside down. I was part of her old world, and she had to let that world go. But there is no bitterness. I’m proud of her success.”
“The Way You Love Me”
Within two years of her divorce, Faith Hill found love again. She married Country Singer Tim McGraw in the fall of 1996. In addition to their shared love of country music, the two found common ground in complicated family relationships. While Tim was not adopted, he learned – as a child – that the man raising him was not his biological father. He never formed a relationship with his biological father – Baseball Star Tug McGraw – until he was an adult.
“Although our stories are very different,” Faith has shared, “there was a missing link within our souls that we both related to.”
Family has always been a priority for Faith Hill, and she has maintained a close relationship with her adoptive family over the years. Faith Hill and Tim McGraw have three daughters, for whom she took time off from her career to raise.
“Having been adopted, I have a strong sense – a necessity almost – for stability.” The singer said. “A foundation where my family is concerned.”
Faith Hill never formed a close bond with her birth mother, who died in 2007, but she has expressed gratitude for the woman who lovingly placed her for adoption 57 years ago.
“I know she must have had a lot of love for me to want to give me what she felt was a better chance,” she has said. She remains – to this day – an advocate for adoption.
“I’m thankful there are people out there who do adopt!”
“American Heart”
Faith Hill has been an outspoken advocate for adoption since getting to know her biological family. The country music star was a part of a closed adoption. Today, most adoptions are open, meaning there is ongoing communication between birth and adoptive families. This helps both parties build deep, meaningful relationships over the years of the adopted child’s life. It can also help create a direct pathway for helping the adoptive family know medical history and background information. Had Faith Hill been in an open adoption, she may have known the truth about her birth parents from the beginning. She also may have had the opportunity to meet her birth father before his death.
Adoptions – in any form – can be made with the support of an adoption agency. With a reputable, trustworthy adoption professional, both birth and adoptive parents can get the support and resources they need throughout – and beyond – the adoption process. Adoption is a lifelong journey. Having the support of an adoption agency is priceless for creating and maintaining these lifelong relationships.
Learn More About Adoption
Whether you are looking to adopt or are considering placing your baby for adoption, Adoptions With Love can help. Call us any time for obligation-free information. Call 800-722-7731, text (confidentially) 617-777-0072, or contact us online.