You know her voice, you know her music, but did you know all this?!
Hillary Scott is one-third of the country band Lady A who rose to fame with the release of their self-titled debut album in 2008, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts. With songs like “Lookin’ For A Good Time,” “I Run To You,” which won them a GRAMMY award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group, and “Love Don’t Live Here,” Lady A gained a large and loyal fanbase that only grew following their sophomore release, Need You Now.
Their second album won them a GRAMMY Award for Best Country Album and was nominated in the all-genre Best Album category, while the single “Need You Now” won four GRAMMYs, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year, making it the second ever country song to win both coveted awards.
In total, the band has nine number one singles, three platinum-selling albums, seven Grammys, eight ACM awards, and six CMA Awards.
While on hiatus from Lady A in 2015-2016, Scott recorded a Gospel/Christian album, Love Remains, with her family under the band name Hillary Scott and the Scott Family. They won two GRAMMY awards for their work on Love Remains.
We’ve been listening to and loving her music over the last decade, so we’ve compiled a list of five things you may not know about the nine-time GRAMMY winner.
1. She Got Rejected From American Idol – Twice
Scott auditioned for the singing competition show American Idol not once, but twice. She didn’t make it past the first round of auditions and never even got to sing in front of the judges!
“It wasn’t meant to be and that’s okay,” she said in an interview with CMT.
Scott explained that if she never got rejected from American Idol, she would have never met her Lady A bandmates, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood! She met them shortly after one of her failed auditions and the rest, they say, is history.
2. Her Mom Sang A Legendary Duet With Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire is one of the most beloved country singers there is, and she hand-picked Scott’s mom to sing on one of her most iconic songs, “Does He Love You.”
Linda Davis, Scott’s mother, was one of McEntire’s backup singers and the perfect person to sing this fiery duet with. Her record label wanted someone more established, like Wynonna Judd, but she pushed to have Davis on the track with her.
Turns out, McEntire knew what she was doing because she and Davis took the song to the number one spot on the Billboard country charts and won them a GRAMMY for Best Country Vocal Collaboration.
Watch them sing the duet at the CMA Awards back in 1993 in the video above!
3. Her First Onstage Memory Was Singing A Gospel Song With Her Mom
Scott’s mother worked as Reba’s backup singer and her dad, Lang Scott, was in Reba’s band so the family spent most of Scott’s early years on the road. She grew up around country music and told Rolling Stone what her very first onstage memory is.
“The first memory I have of being onstage with [my mom] is singing ‘Amazing Grace’ at a show,” she said. “Gospel music was in our house all the time.”
Seeing that singing “Amazing Grace” with her mom is the first onstage memory she has, it’s no surprise that they recorded a gospel album together. Watch Scott’s first TV appearance in the interview with her parents above.
4. Her Daughter Has A Knack For Singing, Too!
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This girl…such a joy, such a light. I hope this makes you smile. #marypoppins #family #eiselekaye
On July 22, 2013, Scott welcomed daughter Eisele Kaye with husband Chris Tyrrell. Since then, Scott has shared adorable photos and videos of her growing up and it turns out, Eisele can sing too!
In the interview with Rolling Stone, Scott details how Eisele sings along to everything on Love Remains.
“There’s a part on the song, ‘The River,’ that’s her shower song. There’s a part of ‘As I Went Down to the River to Pray in it and she loves that part: [Sings] Oh sister, let’s go down’… it modulates,” she said.
“She hits it every time! She’s got a good ear,” Davis adds.
In a few years, maybe Eisele will be the newest Hillary Scott and the Scott Family band member! Watch her sing “Spoonful of Sugar” from Mary Poppins in the video above.
5. She Got Sent To The Principal’s Office In High School & Didn’t Tell Her Mom
“I never told you I got called to the principal’s office [in high school],” Scott told Davis during the Rolling Stone interview.
Shocked, Davis asked her if she felt guilty, which she does.
“I got called to the principal’s office for toilet-papering a football player’s yard. There was a big group of us and one of the guys that was with us jumped off the front porch and the railing fell over. The people who lived there were obviously upset. We all had to pool money together to fix it. But thankfully I had been saving a little bit of money with the Christmas show that you were so kind to pay me to sing in to save some money for school. So, I didn’t have to tell you it happened,” she told her mom.
Turns out, Scott is just like the rest of us who try to hide some things from their parents!
Which fact were you most surprised about?! Let us know in the comments!