Hillary Dawn Scott-Tyrrell (born April 1, 1986) is an American singer and songwriter, known as the co-lead vocalist of the country music group Lady A. Beyond her musical achievements, Scott is a devoted wife and mother. This article explores her career, family life, and recent endeavors.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Hillary Scott is the daughter of country music artist Linda Davis and musician and entrepreneur Lang Scott. She has a younger sister, Rylee Jean, born in 2000. Her heritage is Scottish and Native American. Scott's musical journey began early, joining her mom on stage for a Christmas show.
Scott was homeschooled on the road for kindergarten. She attended elementary school and high school at Donelson Christian Academy, graduating in 2004. During her parents' touring, she lived with her grandparents. After high school, Hillary Scott attended Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). During her time at MTSU, Scott worked with singer-songwriter Victoria Shaw and earned some publicity, but was unable to secure a contract with a major label. She auditioned for American Idol twice but didn't make it to the judges' round.
In May 2006, she met future bandmates Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood. She recognized Kelley from his MySpace page at a Nashville bar. She introduced herself to Kelley and complimented him on his music, which led to his deciding that they should get together with Haywood and write songs. The first song they wrote was "All We'd Ever Need", which led to the formation of Lady Antebellum, now known as Lady A.
Lady A: Rise to Fame
Scott formed Lady Antebellum in 2006 with Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood. Their debut single, "Love Don't Live Here," was released on October 2, 2007, and peaked at No. 3 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart in early 2008. Their debut album was released on April 15, 2008, and debuted at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart. It consisted of eleven songs, ten of which were either written or co-written by the members of the trio, and was produced by Paul Worley and Victoria Shaw.
Read also: Finding balance with Hillary Scott
The trio released their second single, "Lookin' for a Good Time," in mid-2008, which peaked at No. 11 in December of that year. Their third single, "I Run to You," became their first number one hit on the Hot Country Songs chart in July 2009. In August 2009, the group released "Need You Now" as the lead single off their sophomore album of the same name. The song topped the Hot Country Songs chart for five weeks in late 2009 before peaking at No. 1 and No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary and Hot 100 charts, respectively, in early 2010.
"Need You Now" was released on January 26, 2010, and debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart with first-week sales of almost 481,000 copies. The album consisted of eleven songs, eight of which were co-written by the members of the trio, and showcased production by both the trio and Worley. The next two singles from the album, "American Honey" and "Our Kind of Love," reached No. 1 on the country charts in April 2010 and September 2010, respectively. The album was certified triple platinum by the RIAA in October 2010. Its fourth and final single, "Hello World," peaked at No.
In May 2011, they released "Just a Kiss" as the first single from their third studio album, Own the Night, which was released on September 13, 2011, and became their fifth number one hit. "Just a Kiss" was 2x certified Platinum by the RIAA. It stayed on the Hot 100 for forty-two weeks. The second single "We Owned the Night" also became a number one hit and was certified Gold. The third single "Dancin' Away with My Heart" was also certified Gold and peaked at number two. "Wanted You More" was released as the fourth and final single from the album. It was their first single since "Lookin' For a Good Time" to miss the Top Ten.
On October 22, 2012, On This Winter's Night, the band first Christmas album was released. One of the tracks on the album "A Holly Jolly Christmas" was released to Country radio and AC radio. Shortly after the release of On This Winter's Night, the group started working on their fifth studio. Golden was released on May 7, 2013. "Downtown" was the album's first single and peaked at number two on Country radio and number one on the US Country Airplay chart. It was certified platinum by the RIAA. The second single was "Goodbye Town". In late 2013, the deluxe edition re-issue of Golden was released which included the third single "Compass". "Compass" was met with positive reviews and went number one on the Country Airplay chart.
In May 2014, "Bartender" was released as the first single off their sixth studio album. "Bartender" became their third number on the Country Airplay chart and is certified Platinum. 747 was released on September 30, 2014. In January 2017, they released "You Look Good" which is the lead single off their upcoming seventh studio album Heart Break. On June 11, 2020, amid the George Floyd protests, the band announced they would rename themselves "Lady A" in order to avoid racist connotations with Civil War history, as the original name was based on the Antebellum South.
Read also: Weight Loss Guide Andalusia, AL
Solo Work and "Love Remains"
In November 2015, it was reported that Scott was working on a gospel album. On April 22, 2016, she posted a handwritten note online about the project. In the note she expressed her excitement about it, announced the album's title, Love Remains and formally introduced "Hillary Scott & the Scott Family". On why making a gospel album she explains, "Well, I wanted to make this album to share more of who I am. These songs, and many like them are the cry of my heart.
Scott's other works include singing background vocals on Luke Bryan's song, "Do I", which fellow Lady A bandmates, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, wrote alongside Bryan. The song was released to radio in April 2009 and peaked at No. Scott has recorded a duet with Dave Barnes called "Christmas Tonight" and was featured with Kelley and Haywood, as Lady Antebellum, on Maroon 5's "Out of Goodbyes". "Christmas Tonight" was a single off Barnes' 2010 holiday album, Very Merry Christmas, and peaked at No.
Songwriting and Collaborations
In addition, Scott has co-written songs for other country artists, including Sara Evans' "A Little Bit Stronger" and Blake Shelton's "Suffocating". "A Little Bit Stronger" featured Scott on harmony vocals and was released in September 2010 as the lead off single to Evans' sixth studio album, Stronger. Scott appeared on season 4 of The Voice as a mentor for "Team Adam Levine".
Personal Life: Marriage and Family
Scott married Nashville-based drummer Chris Tyrrell on January 7, 2012. The two first met in college and reconnected when Lady A and fellow country music band Love and Theft, in which Tyrrell was the drummer at the time, both served as opening acts on Tim McGraw's Southern Voice tour in early 2010. They began dating in July 2010. When Lady A released "Just a Kiss" in May 2011, Scott hinted that the song was inspired by her relationship with Tyrrell, saying, "We love writing songs from personal experience, and this is definitely one of those songs. There is so much excitement at the beginning of a new relationship … all the butterflies and that optimistic feeling that this person could be 'the one.' This song is about one of those times when your brain kicks in and tells your heart 'good things are worth waiting for.'"
Tyrrell proposed to Scott on July 2, 2011, during a family vacation in east Tennessee, and the couple wed in upstate New York on January 7, 2012.
Read also: Beef jerky: A high-protein option for shedding pounds?
Scott has two tattoos, a music note on her right foot and the number 14 on her right wrist.
Recent News and Projects
Nine-time Grammy Award-winner Hillary Scott of Lady A and her 11-year-old daughter, Eisele Kaye have teamed up for a new song, titled "Hard To Wait For Christmas." Hillary co-wrote the holiday song with her husband Chris Tyrrell and Eisele Kaye. Scott, Tyrrell and Ryan Gore produced the track. The song, with brassy trombones and hint of jingle bells ignites the Christmas cheer for all ages and reminisces on the many things that make the holiday season so special.
"We hope this song makes families smile and encourages them to laugh and have fun together as they wait patiently (or not!) for Christmas," shares Scott. "My favorite line from the song is about how it feels better to give than to receive, and if we could say anything about the Christmas season, it is that we hope you have a giving heart. That's what really makes Christmas special - the gift of your time to the people you love, and the gift of your generosity to those in need." The song's video features homemade cookies, sprinkled giggles, and several heartwarming family moments. There are also some behind-the-scenes clips from the studio recording the song and their Christmas card photoshoot.
Charles Kelley's Sobriety Journey
âWe are a band, but more importantly ⦠weâre family,â the trio wrote via a statement at the time. âWeâre proud to say that Charles has embarked on a journey to sobriety. So, right now in order to be the healthiest, strongest and most creative band we can be, Lady A will take the time with the support of our families and team of professionals to walk through this together. Itâs early on this road, but we are determined to do what will best set us up for many more years together.
Kelley noted that he had been trying to stop drinking on his own since January 2022, following a vacation in Greece with his wife Cassie and several friends. This marked his third attempt at sobriety. Kelley made his first attempt more than six years ago. As with his previous sobriety attempts, Kelley has the full support of his Lady A bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood. When Kelley revealed his plan to one of Lady Aâs managers, Callie Cunningham Nobel, she connected with Tennessee nonprofit Porterâs Call, which helps music artists with care and resources.
âItâs amazing what not drinking will do,â Kelley told the outlet. âYou save yourself, Iâm ashamed to say, anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 calories a day in booze â youâre bound to lose some weight. But I look back at pictures from just three months ago. Itâs my face, my midsection. Iâve found that it all goes hand in hand. When Iâm not drinking, I feel better. âMy wife bought me an ice cream maker, and I unapologetically every night will destroy almost a pint of ice cream.
âTheyâve been doing this thing for 15, 20 years and are in the same spot that Iâm in right now,â Kelley said. âWhat do you want out of this life? Do you want to wreck your family and your career?
Expanding Family
Lady A are about to add a new member to the group's extended family! Except, this one comes with diapers. Singer Hillary Scott turned to social media to share some exciting news with her fans, revealing that her family is growing again. On Thursday (Feb. 13), the country singer, 38, revealed that she and her husband, Chris Tyrrell, are expecting another baby. Their already busy household â which includes daughters Eisele, Emory and Betsy â will soon welcome a fourth little girl.
Scott expressed her excitement on Instagram, posting black-and-white photos of her children wearing bracelets that read "Big Sister" and showing off a maternity bin sheâs preparing to use once again:"Chris, Eisele, Emory, Betsy, and I are overjoyed to report that this summer our family will be made complete with the most precious little SISTER joining the family. Iâm dusting off that Maternity bin from the storage room ONE more time," she writes in the caption of her post."4 daughters," she adds. "We are thankful that God has entrusted us with a household of little ladies, and I couldnât be happier that my husband continues his streak as the absolute BEST girl dad, in my opinion!"We have been looking forward to this day and covet your prayers for a continued safe and healthy journey getting her here."
Scott has always embraced the musical talents within her family â who also sing â and her daughters are no exception. Over the holidays, her oldest daughter Eisele joined Scott on stage at the Today show for a touching duet of a song co-written by Tyrrell. The proud mom of soon-to-be four has previously shared how each of her daughters expresses their creativity differently. Emory enjoys creating melodies, while Betsy loves to dance. Now, with another little one on the way, sheâs eager to see how her newest little girl will add to their familyâs artsy spirit.
Awards and Recognition
Since 2008, Scott and Lady A have been awarded many top awards in the music industry. Some of the top accolades include nine Grammy awards, seven ACM awards, six CMA awards, one Billboard Music Award and CMT Artists of the Year honorees in 2010 and 2011 and 2018. Scott was also named SESAC songwriter of the year in 2008, 2010, and 2011. In 2011, her publishing company, Hillary Dawn Songs, shared publisher of the year with EMI Foray Music at the SESAC awards.
tags: #hillary #weight #loss #lady #antebellum