Forced into quiet time by surgery on her vocal cords, country singer Kathy Mattea says the operation two years ago improved her psychologically as well as vocally.
"In many ways that was a really peaceful time in my life because I had one mission: to take care of my body and be in tip-top shape for this operation," she said in the August issue of the Country Music Association's Close Up magazine."I would just go for long runs, walk in the woods, get long massages, meditate, read a lot. I spent a lot of time being quiet, and every once in a while I'd get out my laptop computer and have a long conversation with somebody about the meaning of life."
Mattea, 35, needed the surgery to seal a blood vessel.
Her hits include "Where've You Been" and "18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses." Mattea was the CMA female vocalist of the year in 1989 and 1990.