LEANN RIMES LIVE AGAIN

As she prepares for her biggest-ever UK gig, the singer-songwriter reflects on 30 years in music and what her young stepsons have taught her

-  TRACY SCHAVERIEN

It’s been six years since LeAnn Rimes last performed in the UK and, as she prepares to celebrate 30 years in the music industry with a major comeback concert, she has been enjoying being back in London at her favourite time of year.

“It’s so beautiful here during the holidays,” LeAnn tells hello! as she sits down for this exclusive interview. “I love seeing the Christmas lights in Oxford Street and having a big roast dinner. It’s so nice to be back.”

The multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter has been reflecting on her three-decade career as she performs a US tour aptly named The Story… So Far, which will culminate with a one-off concert at London’s The O2 on 8 May – her biggest-ever UK gig.

And LeAnn’s story so far is a pretty impressive one. By the age of seven, she was performing at country music venues at home in Texas; she recorded her first album aged nine and became the youngest artist to win a Grammy Award at 14.

She was still in her teens when she found global fame with the 1997 hit How Do I Live and the chart-topping track