A Country Belle Returns, Redirected and Reinvigorated

Faith Hill is the last person many country insiders expected to be going into next week’s Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony with the most nominations.

Country’s leading young belle through the mid-1990s, she de-escalated her career in 1996 to marry fellow country star Tim McGraw and start a family. By the time she was ready to reenter the arena last year, much had changed, and many observers wondered if she would be able to still compete on a mega-star level.

On her initial albums, she was a middle-of-the-road, pop-country singer with the image of a small-town sweetheart--a youthful, more lightweight version of her idol, Reba McEntire.

When she returned, she found herself competing against the brash energy or open sensuality of such artists as Shania Twain, the Dixie Chicks and Deana Carter.

The fact that Hill has lived up to the challenge--with a more contemporary look and sound--is documented by the success of her “Faith” album, which has sold more than 3 million copies, and her six nominations in the 33rd annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which will be held Wednesday at the Universal Amphitheatre.

It’s a turnaround that not only has won the admiration of this country music center, but also may serve as inspiration for other country veterans in a rapidly changing scene.

“I think we all had the knowledge that Faith had a big job in front of her,” says Jim Ed Norman, president of Warner Nashville and head of the country music division of Warner Bros. Records. “And she was very responsive to that challenge. From the start, she came in ready to make substantive changes. She led the charge.”

She succeeded, too. Working with new producers and sporting a new look as well as a new sound, Hill has returned to the front line of female country vocalists.

The album also has given her a level of industry respect that she hadn’t previously owned. Three of her ACM nominations--single, song and video of the year--were earned by her blockbuster 1998 hit “This Kiss.” She’s also nominated for female vocalist of the year, album of the year and vocal event of the year, for a duet with her husband on the Diane Warren-penned hit “Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me.”

Hill also has embarked on her first headlining concert tour, which makes a stop tonight at the Greek Theatre.

As Hill describes it, her album title refers to more than her given name. It connotes what she had to muster in order to grow as an artist. As she sees it, her evolving appearance and sound were part of a maturing process brought on by changes in her private life.

“I think being in a good marriage gave me a kind of confidence I’d never had before,” Hill says, speaking softly because of a cold virus. “My priorities and my perspective on my life and career have changed dramatically. I’d always been a little intimidated by the whole recording process, without really realizing it. But this time I went in feeling different. It was the most sure of myself I’ve ever been when starting a record.”

Part of that self-assurance included a vow to change her music. Previously pegged as more of an entertainer than an artist, Hill set out to record songs that conveyed substance as well as energy. This time, she sought respect as well as success.

“I really put a lot of energy into selecting songs this time,” she notes. “It was important to me that the songs really say something, that we didn’t settle just because something sounded catchy and commercial. . . . I didn’t want to settle for anything less than the best we could do. I felt I had to take control, to grab the bull by the horns and go.”

To initiate the changes, she first changed producers, a move that surprised no one. Her first two albums, 1993’s “Take Me as I Am” and 1995’s “It Matters to Me,” were produced by Scott Hendricks, who became engaged to Hill in 1995.

Under Hendricks’ tutelage, the young woman from tiny Star, Miss., presented herself as a wholesome, vibrant performer of pleasant, lightweight tunes. As bubbly and blithe as a beauty contestant, Hill immediately proved popular with the young audience that had discovered country music in the early ‘90s.

While on a 1996 tour, however, she fell in love with headliner McGraw. The two married shortly after. Their first daughter, Gracie, is 23 months old; a second daughter, Maggie, was born eight months ago.

When it came time to record again, she obviously wouldn’t be working with Hendricks, now head of Virgin Records’ new Nashville-based office. Instead, she tested the waters by going into the studio with two producers, Byron Gallimore and Dann Huff.

Whatever nervousness she had about changing her music melted with the release of the album’s first single, “This Kiss,” which went on to become one of the most-played country radio hits of last year.

Among the media outlets to immediately embrace the song was Country Music Television. Paul Hastaba, vice president and general manager of CMT, says the cable network was excited by Hill’s “new sound and youthful look.”

“I think Faith, as country as she is, has always been interested in reaching the broadest possible audience,” says Warner Nashville’s Norman.

“For her, there’s certainly more of a pop influence on this record, and it allows her to blossom and show off more of her talent. But Faith will also be the first to remind you that she’s a country singer, no matter what she does. She accepted a challenge, and the result is she’s become one of the leaders in taking this format to a broader audience. And that’s good for everyone.”

* Faith Hill, Deana Carter and the Warren Brothers play tonight at the Greek Theatre, 2700 Vermont Canyon Road, 7:30 p.m. $20.25-$55.25. (323) 480-3232.