I remember going down one of those YouTube rabbit holes. I was scrolling through live performances when I stumbled upon Childish Gambino's cover of "So Into You" by Tamia.
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The performance is something you save for that special someone when you're doing that special something like trying the new Spicy McNuggets from McDonald's. This was my first introduction to Tamia. Lo and behold, the famous R&B singer is married to former basketball player Grant Hill. They've been married for more than two decades, and they aren't slowing down anytime soon.
Grant Hill's Wife Tamia Hill's Music Career
Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images for BET
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Tamia hails from Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She's been involved with music from a young age and broke onto the scene with her self-titled 1998 album.
The Canadian singer/songwriter has released six more albums since and been nominated for six Grammy Awards. Her second album, A Nu Day, went Gold.
Her hits include the aforementioned "So into You"; "Stranger in My House"; "You Put a Move on My Heart" (with Quincy Jones); "Spend My Life with You" (with Eric Benet) for which she won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song; and "Beautiful Surprise." She appeared on Fabolous' rendition of "So Into You" — titled "Into You" —from the rapper's 2003 album Street Dreams.
Tamia has been continuously touring since the beginning of her career, including the Verizon Ladies First Tour with Beyonce, Alicia Keys, and Missy Elliot in 2004.
Tamia and Grant met through another singer. R&B legend Anita Baker introduced Tamia to Hill in Detroit, Michigan in 1996. The couple dated for three years and married at a private ceremony on July 24, 1999 in Battle Creek, Michigan. The couple told People they didn't even have time to eat at their own wedding, so they stopped at 7-Eleven for Slurpees and chili cheese dogs.
Together, the couple shares two daughters: Myla Grace Hill and Lael Rose Hill. Myla took up mixed martial arts, winning her debut fight in 2021.
Tamia was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2003. She talked about keeping the disease in balance on the Oprah Winfrey Network's Black Love.
Going on over 20 years of marriage, the couple keeps the sparks flying. Tamia expanded on how the two maintain a strong relationship through affirmation and positivity in a 2018 interview with Essence:
"Every day you are just saying to each other, 'we are going to work it out, we are going get through it together,' [because] it's not about looking into each other's eyes, it's about looking in the same direction. So, there's no secret."
The Hills showcase their musical talent by posting duets on social media. Grant assists on the piano.
Grant Hill's Basketball Career
Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images
Grant Hill was born in Dallas, Texas and attended South Lakes High School in Reston, Virginia, where he was one of the best prep players in the country. He played four years of college basketball at Duke University and was selected third-overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 1994 NBA Draft.
His accomplishments speak for themselves:
— 7x NBA All-Star
— All-NBA First Team (1997)
— 4x All-NBA Second Team
— NBA Co-Rookie of the Year (1995)
— NBA All-Rookie First Team (1995)
— 3x NBA Sportsmanship Award
— 2x NCAA Champion
— Consensus First-Team All-American (1994)
— Consensus Second-Team All-American (1993)
— NABC Defensive Player of the Year (1993)
— ACC Player of the Year (1994)
— 2x First-Team All-ACC
— Second-Team All-ACC (1992)
— No. 33 Retired by Duke Blue Devils
— Third-Team Parade All-American (1990)
— McDonald's All-American (1990)
— Virginia Mr. Basketball (1990)
Over his 19-year career with the Pistons, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Clippers, Hill averaged 16.7 points, 6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals. The small forward won a gold medal as a member of the USA Basketball team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
He was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. He's a lead member of CBS' coverage of the NCAA Tournament.
The 7-time NBA All-Star has been a co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks since 2015.
This post was originally published on December 10, 2020.
