Sara Evans Waited Six Years to Get ‘Stronger’

Sara Evans had scored three Top 10 albums and seven Top 5 singles, selling more than four million albums by the time she retreated from the public eye, following a contentious divorce. Rather than continuing her career amid the turmoil, Sara stayed focused on healing for herself and her three children -- waiting six long years before releasing new music. It was a risky move that in a fickle business could have been career suicide. But for Sara, there was no other option.

"I cannot be creative unless my world is right," she tells CMT. Understanding that many artists write and record their best music while undergoing personal heartache, Sara says that mindset has never worked for her. "A lot of people will say, 'You know, when I was going through my divorce or when I was going through rehab ... ' You always hear artists talk about, 'Those are the best songs I've written.' I'm the total opposite."

Sara's new album, appropriately titled 'Stronger,' is scheduled for a March 2011 release. The project's second single is 'A Little Bit Stronger,' which can also heard on the big screen, sung by Leighton Meester in the film, 'Country Strong,' while Sara's version is on the movie's soundtrack.

"I'm so excited. We found a song, put it on the record, put it out as my first single, shot the video for it and then found out it was in this movie. I was overwhelmed!" Sara tells The Boot. "Not only is it going to be on my album but also the soundtrack ... so many people are going to hear this song that maybe wouldn't have otherwise heard it."

Sara will likely be doing much of her holiday shopping online. Now remarried, with a blended family that also includes husband Jay Barker's four children from a previous marriage, she's on the road for most of the next few months, including stops in Maine, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania this weekend. Check out Sara's tour schedule here.