Sheryl Crowe: “Lance Split Inspired Me To Become A Single Mom”

Sheryl Crow found a silver lining in her split from her cyclist Lance Armstrong after three years of dating in 2006: it inspired her to adopt.

The “Soak Up The Sun” star graces the August cover of Redbook, offering the very first look into her family life after recently adopting her second son, Levi James. In a candid interview, Sheryl opens up about the adoption process, motherhood to son Wyatt and Levi, and waging war against cancer.

Sheryl On Adopting new son Levi James: “It’s been in the works for a while. I was hoping to adopt a child when Wyatt was 2; a lot of the adoptions fell through. But things always work out perfectly. They just do. Generally, when you let go of your vision of how something is supposed to be, the universe hands you exactly what you need.”

On motherhood: “I always knew I wanted to be a mom; it was just a matter of when. I’d just been through a pretty painful breakup where there were kids involved, and I’d also been through breast cancer treatment. After that, I felt an acute sense of urgency about how I wanted my life to feel. Since I wasn’t married, my idea of what the picture was supposed to look like no longer served any great purpose. So I started doing an adoption ‘home study,’ which means you fill out the paperwork, get certified in infant CPR. The idea was, if the opportunity came, I would be ready.”

On Other Celebrity Moms: “I’ve got great mommy friends. Here in Nashville, it’s Kim Williams-Paisley [the actress and wife of country singer Brad Paisley], Nicole Kidman, and another friend, Tracie Hamilton. They’ve been a wonderful resource for me. We get together at each other’s homes, make dinner, and have girls’ nights in. Or we’ll go out for dinner and a drink–though we’re mommies, so we don’t let it all hang out. We’ve had good conversations about vaccinations, child-rearing, the ‘terrible twos’! Luckily, Wyatt’s past the “terrible twos” now, which is great.”

On her new album, 100 Miles from Memphis: “I’m really excited about the new record. It’s much more carefree and not nearly as sociopolitical as ones I’ve done in the past. There are songs dedicated to peace and a higher ideal, but for the most part, it’s inspired by music I loved growing up, like Al Green, Aretha, and Marvin Gaye.”

On Her Battle Against Breast Cancer: “It changed me in almost every way. It rebooted my sense of what was important. I learned to take care of myself emotionally, putting myself first and allowing other people to take care of me as well. It’s great to be a strong woman, but when you’re never allowing your needs to be met, or even heard, it catches up to you.”

On What She Looks For In a Partner: “I’m not looking [for a partner]. If I meet somebody I adore and who adores me, and wants to help me raise my kids, great.”

The August issue of Redbook hits newsstands July 20.