Photo Credit: Corina Marie Howell
[Hilary Roberts](https://www.instagram.com/officialhilaryroberts/?hl=en) is 23 years sober, which speaks volumes about her character. Dubbed the Red Songbird, the recording artist, speaker, and philanthropist has a story far beyond the music, overcoming her own battles with substance abuse, trauma, and mental health. While music would be her saving grace, her mission in life is to inspire the masses that they too can overcome the unthinkable.
Equipped with resilience, strength, passion, and dedication, the Denver, Colorado native has made it her life-long goal to help others and save lives any way she can. Her sound encapsulates the genres of pop, dance, hot AC, blending into a mainstream sound that fans can’t help but fall in love with. Most recently, she released her highly-anticipated self-titled album, spearheaded by charting singles “There For You,” “Good Man,” and “Back To Life.” With multiple themes throughout the project (success, redemption, heartbreak), Roberts reminds you that you’re not alone, and we’re all going through the motions together.
In addition, she’s launched her own podcast alongside Jason Wahler titled _Let The Journey Begin_, a safe space to have uncomfortable conversations surrounding life’s challenges and victories. Flaunt caught up with Roberts via Zoom to discuss her sobriety, her own Red Songbird foundation being a resource to help those struggling with mental health, her faith, and the exciting “Ringer” visual to come.
**Being from Denver, what were you seeing growing up?**
I remember everything being very outdoorsy and clutter boots, if people even remember those. I remember the weather being extreme. One day it’s 75°, by the end of the day it’s 2 feet of snow on the ground and we’d get out of school. Or the opposite, you'll have a big snow storm overnight. You go to school all wrapped up, then it’s 75°. It’s interesting. \[laughs\]
**When did music come into play for you?**
At 10 years old, I was taken to see the musical _Annie_. I was enthralled with the music and started singing the songs from the play. I discovered I could sing. Both of my parents introduced me to different styles of music, which I'm really grateful for. I started singing all the time, doing talent shows, auditioning for commercials and dinner playhouses. I got about everything I auditioned for.
**When did you get the nickname Red Songbird?**
That's a very interesting story. I created an email way back when and decided to call it Red Songbird. I always loved that they called Minnie Riperton, the Songbird. She’s one of my idols growing up. I thought, “I’m a Red Songbird.” I wanted to use a different name for my foundation, it was taken, so I used that.
**Bring us back to when you created “There For You,” did you think it would blow up like this?**
I did not. I started doing this music with Damon Sharpe, my amazing Grammy award-winning producer. He’d sent me a song idea he did with Eric Sanicola. I loved the idea, the meaning behind it. I was very excited. I had no idea our first release would go Top 10, I was really fired up. We’re having a conversation over dinner, I’m talking about songs that were epic in the past. The classics, "Back To Life" was one of them. I started singing it, one of my friends said, "You have to do that. You should totally go into the studio." I was intimidated, but we made my own sound with it. We released that, it went #1. I’m in France for a tour like, "Oh my gosh!" It took 2 weeks to sink it, I couldn't believe it.
**“Fight to the Other Side” is so powerful, what were you going through recording this one?**
A friend was encouraging me for so many years to get back to my singing, because I’d ruined singing with alcohol and drugs. I’d been sober a long time but my self-esteem in that area wasn’t good. When I finally got my voice back, she kept encouraging me to do music. When my music career started taking off, she got sick with a very rare form of muscular dystrophy that progressed in a year and a half, but should’ve taken 10 years. She’d tried sucide 6 times in 2 weeks, and that's not her personality at all. It was hard on her.
I got with Damon and the team, “We gotta write a song.” We wrote this song for her. She kept saying she felt like a burden to her husband and everybody else. We presented it to her at the official launch of the foundation and she no longer wants to commit sucide. Incredible, a song that’s saved lives. Because of all the people she helps, it saves other lives. There's nothing greater than that. In the field of music, we dream of Grammys, Oscars, Billboards, but when you have a song that’s saved a life, it's so much more.
**That’s what it’s all about, to be honest.**
Yeah, the power of music. The power of love. The power of encouragement. The power of saying, “You mean so much more than you think you do. You're not a burden."
**What’s your own faith in God?**
I’m Christian. I’m a woman that believes my example of loving God's kids is so much bigger than other places that I know people of faith can go. It's so crucial I stay in the stance of love and not judging. I have friends from every background. My own father is an atheist. I have friends with different sexual preferences, different religions, transgender friends who struggle with their own sexuality. It’s not my job to decide for them what’s correct and what isn't. It’s my job to love the hurting. The God I feel in my heart and know in my soul is a God of love. You can have all the scriptures memorized and everything recited but if you don't have love, you have nothing. What made you ask about my faith?
**I was listening to your song!**
I don't talk about my faith much because I'm always scared of people thinking I'm going to judge them. It took me a long time to come to faith. One of my perpetrators was in the church and I was so mad at this God, I had such a hard time with it. When people would bring up the word God, I’d get so furious. What kind of God would let these things happen to me? As I started following what others taught me, it was a process. I vowed I’d never beat people over the head with my beliefs the way certain people tried to beat me up. They tell me I’m going to hell, but you can't tell me I'm going to hell because I've already been there. Everyone struggles with their own stuff. I’m no better than anybody else. I’m a flawed person that wants to make a difference.
**Self-titled debut album out now, how are you feeling?**
I’m thrilled beyond words. I’m a woman who’s 23 years sober. I’m a woman that had to crawl out of nightmares of trauma haunting me for my first 6 or 7 years of sobriety. I’m a woman that survived many things. I don't know why I get to be here and others don't, but I thank God everyday that I get to use the gifts given me to be a vessel to share with the world. If my music or anything I do can make a difference to anyone, then I’ve succeeded.
**I interview a lot of artists who are struggling with substance abuse. Do you have any advice for those who are stuffling?**
First of all, you can reach out to our Red Songbird foundation at RedSongbird.org. You can email us, we can direct you to resources that can be helpful to you. There are many support groups, there are counselors. People get it in different ways. We’re here to encourage people to get the solution that brings them to a place of peace, joy, and relief.
**How easy or difficult it was to start your foundation?**
I personally had started to send people to treatment. I went to treatment for trauma at 6 years sober. When I was drinking and drugging, I’d gone to 5 treatment centers and 8 detoxes, then finally got sober. I swore one day if I had the means or the platform, that I wanted to help others. As I had extra funds come in, I started sending people to treatment in 2009. I got a wild pair, I’m like, “I want to have a big celebration and launch this thing.” We did it. I wanted to make it completely official.
**You enjoy dancing, nature, animals, driving fast cars. Have you picked up any new interest during quarantine?**
Girl, for a while there I was tearing up some Ben and Jerry's. \[laughs\]
**What's your flavor? I love Ben and Jerry's!**
The cookie dough bars! I can't. I struggle, oink oink oink. I'm like “no more!”, then I cut out all my carbs. \[laughs\] My hobbies are writing music still, looking at nature a lot, playing with my puppies. Helping others, really trying to do the next right thing.
**What we expect from the “Ringer” visual?**
You all are not even ready for this! I'm so ready, this is about narcissists. How they present to be one way, then they turn into.... I don't want to give it away. It’s so different from any other song I've done, you're going to see me in the face of the camera. Because they’re psychopaths with no conscience, you can't sit there and love them. You can forgive for your own sanity, but stay the heck away. They’re totally cooky. I'm so excited, this is another side.
**Goals for yourself at this point in your career?**
I’d love to have a Top 40 hit, that’d be very exciting for me. I’d love to tour with one of the queens of music, whether it's Kylie Minouge, Cher, or Anastacia. I love Pink. Possibly collaborate with some of them. Taylor Swift is an incredible songwriter. She's brilliant at what she does, she's got a beautiful heart. Ariana Grande, her vocals are amazing. So many beautiful singers killing it right now. Kelly Clarkson, I love her on so many levels. That girl’s from Texas and she's down to earth all the way.
**Anything else you want let us know?**
No matter what you're walking out and what you might have lost during this pandemic, that this too shall pass. If you need help, please reach out to the foundation. If you're suffering from depression, do things that are nurturing to you. You are worthy, you are lovable. You are worth doing great things in your life. I don't know you but I know you are because I know who made you.
