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[On her fondest childhood memory] The summers I spent
in Ajo, Arizona with my Grandmother, starting when I was around four. |
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[On how she got the nickname Stevie] Stevie just
came from not being able to pronounce “Stephanie.” And it kind of came
out as “teedee.” My mother calls me TD Bird, she calls me TD Bird....it’s
really sickening, isn’t it!? But TD went to Stevie. And I was too little
to remember why that happened, but they told me that’s what I used to, that’s
how I used to say “Stephanie.” And so, it just kinda worked itself into
Stevie. And I was never called Stephanie. And my Dad named me Stephanie to call
me Stephanie, because he loved that name, so somehow whatever fate just twisted
it away and I became Stevie.... |
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When I was younger, my mom said, 'I totally believe that you're
going to be a singer and a famous songwriter. But just in case, Stevie, I need
you to take typing and I need you to take shorthand. And if you go to college,
we'll pay for everything.' And I went. I think that you should get the best education
you can, and then if you want to go off and be a total entrepreneur space cadet,
that's fine. But if you are called upon to take care of somebody or keep something
together, you gotta have studied something. |
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The only thing my dad ever said to me was ~ because my dad was very successful and very ambitious ~ he said, 'If you're going to do this, you better be the very best.' That was the only thing he ever said to me. 'I don't want to see you being second.' And that was a pretty heavy thing to say to me. When I write my different songs and take them home, I'll play them for him
and he'll say, 'Well, that comes a little closer to what your potential as a songwriter
is.' And then he'll give me a big hug. My mother says he's very cool, he's like
Jimmy. He strives to get the best out of me, and you don't get the best out of
me by hugging and kissing me and telling me how wonderful I am. That doesn't work.
The best thing to do is really be serious with me and I'll work hard. |
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I don't really need children. I have a niece who's six, who certainly fills
my life up as far as a child goes. I'm gonna just work on my work. I don't think
the world is going to have that much of a problem with me not being married or
having a family. I don't think that's why I came here. I have something that's
really important to do, and I don't think I've done that yet. |
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My
mother's mom and dad were divorced very early, and her stepfather worked in a
coal mine in Ajo, Arizona and died of tuberculosis. She had a hard life, was very
poor, was 19 when she got married, and had me at 20. My dad went after a big job
in a big company, got it, did very well, and liked to move around and travel a
lot. My mom got used to it and had a lot of fun, but she's much more practical,
frugal ~ she still sniffs her nose at my dad's and my expensive tastes ~ and she
wanted more than anything else for her daughter and son [Christopher] to be independent
and self-assured. 
My
granddad [A. J. Nicks] was a country and western singer, and he left his family
and took freight trains and traveled all over, playing in bars and supporting
himself by playing pool. So my mom and dad thought, 'Well, there she goes. She's
gonna walk down the same road as her grandfather.' And luckily I became a bit
more successful than he was. 
I
have a newfound respect for moms. When I'm at my house in Phoenix, I live with
my 5 1/2 year old niece and my brother and sister-in-law. And I now really understand
what an incredible commitment it is to have a child, and how difficult it is.
I know I could not have done both. I'd have ended up having to stop doing my music,
or pretty much letting someone else raise my child ~ which would have made me
very unhappy ~ or I'd have ended up kind of a half-assed mom and a half-assed
rock musician. 
