Tamia Hill Religion

What religion is Tamia Hill?

Tamia Hill is a Canadian singer, songwriter, producer, and actress who was raised in the Christian faith.

Tamia signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1994 and made her recording debut on Quincy Jones’ album Q’s Jook Joint (1995). Her performances on “You Put a Move on My Heart” and “Slow Jams” earned two Grammy Award nominations. Her self-titled debut album, Tamia (1998), established her as a leading R&B artist and was followed by A Nu Day (2000) and More (2004), which produced the hit singles “So Into You,” “Stranger in My House,” “Officially Missing You,” and “Can’t Get Enough.” She also achieved commercial success with the collaborations “Spend My Life with You” featuring Eric Benét, “Into You” featuring Fabolous, and “Missing You” with Brandy, Gladys Knight, and Chaka Khan.

After leaving Elektra Records, Tamia released her music independently through Plus One Music Group. Her sixth studio album, Love Life (2015), reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums and No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Throughout her career, she has received six Grammy Award nominations, won an NAACP Image Award, and earned nominations for Juno Awards and Soul Train Music Awards. She continues to record and perform while supporting awareness initiatives for multiple sclerosis, following her diagnosis with the disease in 2003.

Early life

Tamia Marilyn Washington Hill was born on May 9, 1975, in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Her mother, Barbara Washington-Peden, gave birth to her at 17 and raised her as a single mother alongside Tamia’s three younger brothers in the McDougall Street Projects of Windsor. Her father, whose name has not been publicly disclosed, is white, making Tamia biracial. Her stepfather is Frederic Peden. Windsor sits directly across the Detroit River from Detroit, Michigan, and Barbara exposed her children to the Motown sound she sang around the house, which became one of Tamia’s earliest musical influences. Tamia was performing in her local church by age six and was involved in musicals, including Godspell and Little Shop of Horrors, by age 12. She studied piano and voice with Windsor musician Eugene Davis, who encouraged her to pursue a professional vocal career. She attended Walkerville Collegiate Institute, where the school’s arts director, John Vacratsis, recruited her specifically for its visual and performing arts program. In 1993, she won Canada’s prestigious YTV Vocal Achievement Award.

Quincy Jones protégé

In 1994, Tamia signed a development deal with Warner Bros. Records. That same year she performed at a multiple sclerosis benefit in Aspen, Colorado, where she met Brenda, Lionel Richie’s ex-wife and co-sponsor of the event, who introduced herself after the show. The connection led to her being brought to the attention of legendary producer Quincy Jones, who invited her to appear on his album Q’s Jook Joint in 1995. Their collaboration produced two singles, “You Put a Move on My Heart,” a cover of a 1993 Mica Paris song that peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and “Slow Jams,” co-written by Babyface and featuring Barry White and Babyface himself, which peaked at number 19 on the R&B chart. Both songs earned her Grammy Award nominations for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “You Put a Move on My Heart” and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group for “Slow Jams.” In 1996, she collaborated with Brandy, Gladys Knight, and Chaka Khan on “Missing You,” featured on the soundtrack of the film Set It Off, which peaked at number 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and earned her a third Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

Major label success

Signed to Jones’s Qwest Records, Tamia released her self-titled debut album on April 14, 1998, produced by Mario Winans, Jermaine Dupri, Tim & Bob, and Quincy Jones. The album sold 416,000 copies in the United States and was certified Gold in Japan. Its singles “Imagination” and “So Into You” both reached the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. In 1999, she appeared on Eric Benét’s “Spend My Life with You,” which topped the R&B chart and won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song in 2000, earning her a fourth Grammy nomination. She then moved to Elektra Records, releasing A Nu Day in October 2000, produced chiefly by Shep Crawford and Missy Elliott. The album entered the top ten on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, sold over 665,000 copies in the United States, and was certified Gold by the RIAA. Its single “Stranger in My House” reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her highest-charting solo single to date. In 2003, Fabolous sampled her song “So Into You” for his hit “Into You,” which further expanded her mainstream profile. Her third album, More, released in mid-2004, was also certified Gold and produced the top-40 single “Officially Missing You.”

Independent label shift

After her time with major labels, Tamia founded her own independent label, Plus One Music Group, to gain full creative control over her music. Her fourth studio album, Between Friends, was released in May 2006 on South African independent label Gallo Records before being distributed by Image Entertainment in the United States. Produced entirely by Shep Crawford with additional production from Rodney Jerkins, it reached number nine on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with singles “Can’t Get Enough” and “Me” both reaching the top 30 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. After a nearly six-year absence devoted to raising her two daughters, Tamia returned with her fifth studio album Beautiful Surprise in August 2012, released through Plus One and EMI Music. It debuted at number 23 on the Billboard 200 and number six on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Its lead single “Beautiful Surprise,” co-written by Claude Kelly and Salaam Remi, peaked at number 24 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Both the single and the album received Grammy nominations for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.

Def Jam signee

In the summer of 2014, Tamia signed with Def Jam Recordings, returning to a major label framework after her independent period. Under Def Jam, she recorded her sixth studio album, Love Life, which was released in 2015 and became her highest‑charting album to date, reaching number one on the Billboard R&B chart. The album was recorded in ten days across two studios in Atlanta simultaneously, with producers including Pop & Oak, The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, and Polow da Don. Love Life debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200, topped Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart, and peaked at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Its lead single “Sandwich and a Soda” peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart. Later on, she released her seventh studio album, Passion Like Fire, which was released in September 2018 through Plus One, 21 Entertainment, and eOne Music, with lead single “Leave It Smokin'” peaking at number two on Billboard’s Adult R&B Songs. She supported the album with the Passion Like Fire Tour beginning September 18, 2018. In 2019, she was awarded the Soul Music Icon Award at the fourth annual Black Music Honors. In 2023, Tamia was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Personal life

Tamia married former NBA star and Hall of Famer Grant Hill on July 24, 1999, after meeting in 1996 through singer Anita Baker. The couple has two daughters: Myla Grace Hill, born in 2002, and Lael Rose Hill, born in 2007. Tamia has described her relationship with Grant as a central part of her life and has highlighted how his presence as a father has helped her children experience the kind of stable family life she did not have with her own father.

In 2003, Tamia was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic condition affecting the brain and central nervous system. She began publicly discussing her diagnosis in 2005 and has worked as an advocate for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, managing her condition through diet, exercise, and medication. Tamia and Grant Hill have also been active in philanthropy, creating The Grant Hill and Tamia Foundation, also referred to as the Grant & Tamia Hill Foundation, which supports various charitable causes.

Alongside her husband, Tamia expanded her professional interests into sports franchise ownership, securing co-ownership stakes in the Major League Soccer team Orlando City SC and the National Women’s Soccer League team Orlando Pride.