Faith Hill

Faith Hill lays her journey to the upper echelons of country music for us at the beginning of her hit 2005 tune “Mississippi Girl”: “It’s a long way from Star, Mississippi to the big stage I’m singin’ on tonight.” She’s done it with style—Hill’s spectacular pipes, coupled with her girl-next-door vibe, turned her into one of the most successful country artists of all time.

Born in 1967, Hill dropped out of college at 19 and took off to Nashville, earning her keep selling T-shirts and working as a secretary at a music publishing firm until she was discovered when a coworker overheard her singing to herself.

The rest, as they say, is history; Hill’s very first single, 1993’s raucous and rebellious “Wild One,” made her an overnight success.