Growing up in the '70s in rural Monticello, Ga., Trisha Yearwood was a shy, straight-A student who listened to Linda Ronstadt on the radio and dreamed of being a singer. Little did she know she'd one day share the stage with Luciano Pavarotti, have a street named after her and rise to the rank of country superstar.

"I really am one of those people who at age five knew what I wanted to do. It was a calling - like it was what I was supposed to do," says the soft-spoken singer who first found fame with the 1991 smash hit, "She's in Love With the Boy."

Today, Trisha shines bright in Nashville's star-filled galaxy, celebrating a decade of success with the release of album number ten, "Inside Out."

"For me, every time I get ready to release an album, it's like having a child go out into the world," says Trisha, who has spawned an impressive flock so far. Each of her previous releases has been certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

"All my albums are special," she continues, "but this one feels a little bit more mature. It's not a real dark, introspective work but has real feelings." Indeed, Trisha has the ability to conjure up any emotion and the voice to carry it out, from belting out a brassy bit of sass to crooning a sweet country tune. "Inside Out," that hit stores in June, also features guest vocalists Don Henley, Vince Gill and Rosanne Cash, among others.

With a heart-felt passion for her profession, Trisha gives generously of herself through her music. She performed at the Fox Theatre on Aug. 11 in a concert to benefit the World's Children Center, a 500-plus acre planned community for orphaned, neglected and abused children to be built in Georgia. The concert (part of the festivities leading up to the annual U.S. 10K Classic in September) was one of several charitable events she participated in this year.

Trisha also holds a "Meet and Greet" every night she's on tour - posing for photos, signing autographs and talking to fans. "I have listened to the fans talk about other people they've met and I figure people who come through my event should have a good experience," she says. Part of that commitment stems from Trisha's own experience when she met her idol, Linda Ronstadt. "She took some time with me and that's important!"

At 36, with two divorces behind her, Trisha has come a long way in life and love. But she's a hometown gal at heart. And though she hangs her hat in Nashville, she heads back to Monticello every chance she gets. "It's always home," she says wistfully. "Every time I go back, it's just a welcoming feeling. There is such a sense of community. I've been all over the world and I don't think there is a prettier place."

In April, she made a point of being home for a special event: the unveiling of the Trisha Yearwood Parkway. "It's odd to see your name on a sign on a street that you've been down so many times."

After finishing high school, Trisha earned an associate's degree in business from Young Harris College and followed a sister to the University of Georgia. She didn't stay long.

"I just wanted to sing, so I decided that I was going to have to jump off the cliff at some point," she says. "I found out about Belmont University in Nashville and applied. I thought that if I got accepted, I was going to go to the town that I needed to be in."

She was right. Her talent and tenacity opened all the right doors. In 1991, Trisha embarked on her first tour with none other than Garth Brooks. Soon after, she skyrocketed to stardom with a name of her own.

Her career highlights and musical honors are many. Trisha sang at the closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996. She won the triple crown of country music in 1997, receiving a Grammy, as well as Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music awards for "Female Vocalist of the Year."

In 1998, Trisha traveled the globe, performing with Luciano Pavarotti in Italy, Don Henley in New York City and Garth Brooks in Los Angeles ­ all in the same week. She was also inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, followed by her inclusion in the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2000.

Close to her family, Trisha is guaranteed to see two familiar faces in the audience whenever she performs in the Southeast: those of her mom and dad. Last year, her parents even joined her on the tour bus in California for a week. "They enjoy it," Trisha says. "It's fun for them to see me on stage - they've always been real supportive."

When she's not on the road, Trisha says she's a homebody. "I do boring things, like cook." She also reads biographies and fiction. "I mix them up. Right now I'm reading a biography of Robert Mitchum - I'm also a big movie buff. I like books written by the actual person, although usually when we write about ourselves we leave certain things out."

In addition to contributing to numerous film soundtracks, Trisha has tried her hand at acting, notably with a recurring role on the TV show JAG. "I like playing this same character - who isn't even a singer," says Trisha, who just wrapped up her fourth episode. "I enjoy acting occasionally, but I don't have the same love for it like I do singing. It's difficult, hard work, but it's also a challenge to step outside your comfort zone a little bit."

In real life, she speaks out on the subject of women's self-esteem. "Where I relate to the self-esteem issue is that all girls and women pick up magazines and say, 'I'll never look like that.' There is such an epidemic about how we look. I have a niece about to turn 10 years old and I don't want her to worry that she doesn't look like a skinny model," Trisha says. "There is a movement afoot and a lot of people who are champions of this cause."

Quite comfortable in her own skin, Trisha reflects a maturity and honesty that comes with introspection and time. As for future plans, she'll continue touring, recording and participating in carefully selected projects. And she hopes to team up with Garth Brooks again for a duet album.

"Our voices are so natural together, but it's difficult to find duets that fit well with both of our vocal ranges," she says. "It would be nice and I think it makes sense because we've sung together so much."

Regardless, Trisha is sure to keep on doing what she does best - and making all those folks back home proud.

From the Summer 2001 issue.

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