TRISHA YEARWOOD SECRETS LIFE

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Trisha Yearwood celebrates a birthday today. At 47-years-old, the '90s hitmaker is still one of the classiest women in country music — and even though she's taking time off to help husband Garth Brooks raise his three daughters, there's little doubt she could make a comeback any time she likes. Food has been Yearwood's focus these last few years, as she's released two southern cookbooks with her mother and sister. You'll find she has plenty more hidden talents in this list of 10 things you many not know about the 'She's in Love With a Boy' singer. Happy Birthday, Trisha! We hope Garth is baking up your favorite cake today.


If a career in music didn't work out, she had dreams of being an accountant.
Trisha Yearwood's mother was a teacher and her father was a banker, so it's easy to see why she had dreams of handling money for a living before moving to Nashville. She was always an honor student in high school, and her degree from Belmont University was in Business Administration. Keep reading to see how important she says that major was later in her career.

Her mom baked her and Garth's wedding cake.
While Yearwood gets most of the credit, it's her mom that taught her all of her best recipes and kitchen secrets. Gwen says in an interview with Redbook that she was very nervous about making this cake, especially since it had to be prepared outside of her home kitchen. But Yearwood bought all the pans she'd need, and after a few trial cakes, the final product was scrumptious. Later in the interview, the singer describes a cake that was her worst kitchen disaster. It was a German chocolate cake for Garth, and while it tasted fine it looked like “a volcano that exploded.”

Her first break came from actress Mary Tyler Moore.
Yearwood's first gig in the music business was working for MTM Records. That was Mary Tyler Moore's record company. While there, she not only learned the ropes of an industry she'd be working in a very different way a few years later, she began recording demos that would lead to her deal with MCA. She also met the man who would eventually sign the singer to the Big Machine Records in 2007.

Growing up, Trisha Yearwood wanted to be Cher.
“I wanted to be Cher for a long time, but not for the singing,” Yearwood said once. “I just thought she was so cool. I wanted her long hair and I wanted to weigh five pounds.” Later, Yearwood admitted she wanted to be Linda Ronstadt. We're glad she “settled” for just being Trisha Yearwood.

Her first mentor was the famous singer and actress Shirley Jones.
A neighbor named Miss Betty knew Jones, and invited Yearwood over to meet the legend one afternoon. She ended up singing for her and got this advice: “Get your education,” she said, “and if you see small opportunities, take them. Each one could be a stepping stone to something bigger.” Yearwood followed her advice to the letter, going on to earn a college degree and inching her way forward with jobs in record label offices.

She stood her ground when it came to kissing a sexy perfume model.
In a piece she wrote for Good Housekeeping, Yearwood recalls a photo shoot for Revlon that required her to be romantic with a male model. Unfortunately, she wasn't comfortable with the director's definition of “romantic.” The normally shy and affable singer stood her ground and refused to kiss the model, effectively shutting down the shoot until the two reached an agreement. They did, and Yearwood says she's glad she stood up for her morals.

She's a runner.
Her recipes, although praised for their authenticity and deliciousness, lack a certain heart-smart sensibility. To keep in shape, Yearwood jogs. She's not training for the Boston Marathon or anything, just taking it one mile at a time. She's even taken part in a 5K.

She credits her business degree with the success of her career
In an interview with Charlie Rose, Yearwood said she would probably have gotten a record deal off pure talent, but she wouldn't have been able to sustain a career through two decades if she hadn't gone to college. “To be an artist who knows what checks are being written and where the money is going and saving for the future … I don't sign every check anymore but I have my checks, my balances. I like the people I work with very much but I check on them.”

She knows how to swing a hammer.
The singer has fond memories of helping her father pound nails in to the home he built the family during Yearwood's tender years. Later on these skills have proven useful, as she's become very close with Habitat for Humanity. “Garth and I were both raised with the mentality that you give back to your community,” she tella Parade. “It's not about giving back if you're successful or a celebrity or how much money you have, it's about your responsibility as an adult to help others … We're seeing people really embrace that spirit of service. I think what celebrity does is help shine a spotlight on a situation, and for me, it takes about two seconds for the volunteers to say, 'OK, it's great that you're Trisha Yearwood, but how are you with a hammer?'”

She helped start Matthew McConaughey's career.
The actor played the lead role in her 1992 video for 'Walkaway Joe.' You could even say that he was 'Walkaway Joe,' as he was the boy the main character's daughter runs off with. McConaughey was somewhat of a beanpole in the early '90s, but he clearly left an impression on a few Hollywood directors. Before long, he'd be starring in movies like 'A Time to Kill.'