It’s a credit to both LeAnn Rimes and Trisha Yearwood, who both handled an uncomfortable situation with so much class, never (as far as we know) making their competition for the song “How Do I Live” personal. At the 1998 Grammy Awards, Rimes performed the song and then stood off stage to learn if she would win the Best Female Country Vocal Performance award.
Yearwood was also nominated when the nominees were announced on Jan. 6, 1998. It was the first time two artists were nominated for the same song within a single Grammy category, and she graciously accepted the trophy at the awards ceremony.
“It was very uncomfortable for me,” Yearwood would say later. “The radio stations started having play-offs where they would play both versions and people would call in and vote.”
“I was surprised the record went to No. 1 because of all the obstacles,” she added. “This was probably the most heartfelt No. 1 because we had to work so hard for it.”
Rimes’ version also went to No. 1, but on the AC charts. She was the original choice for the song, but producers of the movie Con Air decided not to use her version of the track for the movie, instead hiring Yearwood. Yearwood says she had no idea Rimes was going to release it as a single at the same exact time. The version favored by country audiences ended up on the the list of the Top 100 Country Songs.
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