Tim McGraw
Encyclopedia
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country
singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the Soundscan era. He is married to country singer Faith Hill
and is the son of former baseball player Tug McGraw
.
McGraw had 11 consecutive albums debut at Number One on the Billboard albums charts. Twenty-one singles hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. He has won 3 Grammys, 14 Academy of Country Music
awards, 11 Country Music Association
(CMA) awards, 10 American Music Awards
, and 3 People's Choice Awards
. His Soul2Soul II Tour with Faith Hill is the highest grossing tour in country music history, and one of the top five among all genres of music.
McGraw has ventured into acting, with supporting roles in The Blind Side
(with Sandra Bullock
), Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom
, and Four Christmases
(with Vince Vaughn
and Reese Witherspoon
), and lead roles in Flicka
(2006) and Country Strong (2010). He was a minority owner of the Arena Football League's Nashville Kats
. Taylor Swift
's debut single, "Tim McGraw
", refers to him and his song, "Can't Tell Me Nothin.
In acknowledgement of his grandfather's Italian heritage, McGraw was honored by the National Italian American Foundation
(NIAF) in 2004, receiving the NIAF Special Achievement Award in Music during the Foundation's 29th Anniversary Gala.
, to Elizabeth "Betty" Ann D'Agostino, a waitress, and Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr.
, who later became a relief pitcher
for the New York Mets
and the Philadelphia Phillies
. McGraw is of Italian
and Irish descent on his mother's side, and of Scots-Irish and distant German descent on his father's side. In 1966, Tug was a pitcher for the Jacksonville Suns
, and he lived in an apartment above Betty D'Agostino, who attended Terry Parker High School
. The pair had a relationship, and when Betty became pregnant, her parents sent her to Louisiana to live with relatives and to have the baby.
Reared by his mother in Start
, also in Richland Parish, east of Monroe
, McGraw grew up believing his stepfather, Horace Smith, was his father. From the time of his mother's marriage until the time he met his natural father, his last name was Smith. At age 11, McGraw discovered his birth certificate while searching his mother's closet to find pictures for a school project. After his discovery, his mother revealed that his natural father was Tug McGraw, and took Tim to meet him for the first time. For seven years, Tug denied being Tim's father. Tim was 18 years old when Tug first realized how much Tim looked like him at that age, and he acknowledged paternity. They remained close until Tug's death in 2004.
As a child, Tim McGraw loved to play competitive sports, including baseball, even though he did not know his natural father was a professional athlete. He attended Northeast Louisiana University, now the University of Louisiana at Monroe
, on a baseball scholarship, and became a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha
Fraternity
. During his college period, he learned to play guitar, and would frequently perform and sing for tips, although he claims that his roommates often hid the guitar because he was so bad.
His mother, Betty, returned to Jacksonville, Florida
in 1987, and Tim followed. He attended Florida Community College at Jacksonville
for one term, and occasionally sat in with local bands. In 1989, on the day his hero Keith Whitley
died, McGraw dropped out of college to head to Nashville
and pursue a musical career.
in 1990. After cutting a demo single, McGraw gave a copy to his father, Tug McGraw. A man who was friends with Curb Records executives heard the demo while driving with Tug McGraw one day and recommended that Curb contact the young singer. Several weeks later, he was able to play his tape for Curb executives, after which they signed him to a recording contract. Two years later, in 1992, he had his first minor hit with "Welcome to the Club" off his self-titled debut album
. Although the album failed to make much of a dent on the charts, McGraw did have two other minor hits from it in 1993: "Memory Lane" and "Two Steppin Mind".
, was much more successful, becoming the best-selling country album in 1994. The first single, "Indian Outlaw
", caused considerable controversy, as critics argued that it presented Native Americans in a patronizing way. Some radio stations refused to play it, but the controversy helped spur sales, and the song became McGraw's first top-ten country single (getting as high as No. 8), and reaching No. 15 on the pop chart.
The second single from the album, "Don't Take the Girl
", became McGraw's first No. 1 country hit, and "helped cement his image as a ruggedly good-looking guy with a sensitive side". The following year, the album's title track
became a No. 1 country single, while "Down on the Farm
" reached No. 2, and "Refried Dreams
" reached the top 5. The album sold over 6 million copies, topping the Billboard 200
as well as the country album charts. On the strength of this success, McGraw won Academy of Country Music
awards for Album of the Year and Top New Male Vocalist in 1994.
" reached No. 1 on the country charts as the lead-off single, while "She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart
" also went to No. 1 in 1996. "Can't Be Really Gone
", "All I Want Is a Life
", and "Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It
" were all top 5 hits.
In 1996, McGraw headlined the most successful country tour of the year, The Spontaneous Combustion Tour, with Faith Hill
as his supporting act. Faith Hill broke off her engagement to her former producer Scott Hendricks so that she and Tim could start dating each other; they then married on October 6, 1996. The couple have since had three daughters: Gracie Katherine (born May 1997), Maggie Elizabeth (born August 1998), and Audrey Caroline (born December 2001).
", "Everywhere
", "Where the Green Grass Grows
", and "Just to See You Smile
") reached the top of the country charts from the album, with the last of these setting a new record by spending 42 weeks on the Billboard charts. The Country Music Association
awarded Everywhere its Album of the Year award for 1997.
in 1999 continued McGraw's streak, debuting atop both the US pop and country album charts and selling 3 million albums. It featured another four chart-topping singles on the country charts including "Please Remember Me
", "Something Like That
", "My Best Friend
", and "My Next Thirty Years
". "Some Things Never Change
" reached No. 7 on the country chart. He also contributed a song for the Grammy-winning tribute album to Bob Wills
: Ride With Bob. His song, a cover of "Milk Cow Blues", was recorded as a duet with Asleep at the Wheel
, whom he had met while performing together at the George Strait Country Music Festival.
McGraw recorded two more duets with his wife in the late 1990s, both of which appeared on her albums. "Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me
", off of her multi-platinum 1998 album Faith
, reached the top five of the US country charts, while her follow-up and 1999 album Breathe
featured "Let's Make Love
", which would win a Grammy Award
in 2000 for Best Country Vocal Collaboration.
Greatest Hits In 2000, McGraw released his Greatest Hits
album, which topped the charts for nine weeks and sold almost 6 million copies, making it one of the biggest-selling albums in the modern country market. In the latter half of the year, he and Hill went out on the Soul2Soul Tour
, playing to sellout crowds in 64 venues, including Madison Square Garden
. It was one of the top tours of any genre in the US, and the leading country tour during 2000.
While in Buffalo, New York
, McGraw and Kenny Chesney
became involved in a scuffle with police officers after Chesney attempted to ride a police horse. McGraw came to Chesney's aid after police officers nearby believed the horse was being stolen and tried to arrest him. The two were arrested and charged with assault, but were later cleared. During a concert with the George Strait Country Music Festival several weeks later, Hill, dressed as a police officer, made an unscheduled appearance at the end of McGraw's set and led him off the stage.
, was released in April 2001, and spawned four number-one country hits: "Grown Men Don't Cry
", "Angry All the Time
" (with Faith Hill), "The Cowboy in Me
", and "Unbroken
". He provided harmony vocals for the Jo Dee Messina
song "Bring On the Rain
", which he also produced. The song topped the country charts.
Hungry for more of his music, fans downloaded a version of his performance of the song "Things Change" from his appearance at the Country Music Association
Awards Show. The song was played extensively on radio, becoming the first country song to appear on the charts from a fully downloaded version.
his success, and to capture some of the feel of a real band.
All of the Dancehall Doctors have worked with McGraw since at least 1996. They include:
The album debuted at No. 2 on the country albums charts, with the single "Real Good Man
" reaching No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs
chart. "She's My Kind of Rain
" reached No. 2 in 2003, and "Red Ragtop
" reached the top 5. The album also featured a cover version of Elton John
's early 1970s classic "Tiny Dancer
", as well as appearances by Kim Carnes
on "Comfort Me" (a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks
) and Don Henley
and Timothy B. Schmit
of the Eagles on "Illegal".
continued McGraw's record of commercial success. The title track
, dedicated to his father Tug McGraw
, who died of a brain tumor earlier in the year, was a soaring ode to living life fully and in the moment, while the second single "Back When
" was a paean
to an easy nostalgia. Live Like You Were Dying spent seven non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard (10 weeks on Radio & Records
), and went on to become the biggest hit single of the year. It also became one of the most awarded songs/records by winning ACM Single and Song of the Year, CMA Single and Song of the Year, and a Grammy.
In late 2004, his unlikely duet
with hip-hop artist Nelly
on "Over and Over
", a soft ballad of lost love, became a crossover hit, spending 10 weeks atop the Top 40 chart. "Over and Over" brought McGraw a success he had never previously experienced on contemporary hit radio
or rap radio, and brought both artists success neither had previously experienced in the hot adult contemporary market. The song also spent a week at the top of the UK single charts, and was McGraw's first visit to the UK hit countdown.
Throughout the 2005 NFL season, McGraw sang an alternate version of "I Like It, I Love It" every week during the season. The alternate lyrics, which changed each week, would make reference to plays during Sunday's games, and the song would be played alongside video highlights during halftime on Monday Night Football
. Later in the year, McGraw became a minority owner of the Arena Football League's Nashville Kats
when majority owner Bud Adams
(owner of the NFL's Tennessee Titans
) was awarded the expansion franchise.
Let It Go In April 2006, McGraw and Hill began their 73-concert 55-city Soul2Soul II Tour, again to strong commercial acceptance. The tour grossed nearly $89 million and sold almost 1.1 million tickets, making it the top grossing tour in the history of country music. It was named "Major Tour of the Year" by the prestigious Pollstar Magazine, beating out such heavyweights as Madonna and the Rolling Stones. In a special gesture, the couple donated all of the profits from their performance in New Orleans
to Hurricane Katrina relief.
Tim, along with Kenny Chesney
, contributed to a version of Tracy Lawrence
's song "Find Out Who Your Friends Are
", which can be found on Lawrence's album For the Love
. Although the official single version features only Lawrence's vocals, many stations have opted to play the version with McGraw and Chesney instead.
McGraw released his eleventh album, Let It Go
, on March 27, 2007. The album's debut single, "Last Dollar (Fly Away)
", reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs
chart, marking Tim's first No. 1 single since "Back When" in late 2004. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart and No. 1 on the Billboard Country Album chart, marking his fourth No. 1 top 200 album and ninth No. 1 country album. His daughters can be heard singing the chorus during the last few seconds of the song on the video.
During the Academy of Country Music
awards show on May 21, 2007, McGraw performed a song titled "If You're Reading This
", which he co-wrote with The Warren Brothers. Several radio stations began to play the live recording of the song; as a result, it entered the Hot Country Songs
chart at No. 35.
McGraw also produced the debut album
of country music duo Halfway to Hazard
. The duo's first single, "Daisy", peaked at No. 39 on the country charts in the summer of 2007.
In the summer of 2007, McGraw and Hill toured together once again in the Soul2Soul 2007 tour.
In the January 18, 2008 edition of the USA Today newspaper, McGraw was stated to be featured on the Def Leppard
album Songs from the Sparkle Lounge
, having also co-written the first single, "Nine Lives
", with Def Leppard band members Joe Elliott
, Phil Collen
, and Rick Savage
. The unusual pairing goes back to 2006 when McGraw joined Def Leppard onstage for the song "Pour Some Sugar On Me
", and then collaborated on the song "Nine Lives" afterward. The album was released on April 25, 2008.
In May 2008, he hit the road with the Live Your Voice tour. The mainly-outdoor arena concert tour was his first solo outing in nearly three years. Also in May 2008, he debuted a new song off of his follow-up to Let It Go at the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California.
In July 2008, Tim McGraw's sixth single, and the title track of his album, "Let It Go
", was released to country radio. Following that, a seventh single, "Nothin' to Die For
", entered the Country charts at No. 57 in late December. Tim McGraw released his third greatest-hits package, Greatest Hits 3
on October 7, 2008. The album features 12 tracks. Tim was set to debut a new song on the 2009 ACM Awards, but then cancelled his performance; he was replaced by Blake Shelton
, who sang "She Wouldn't Be Gone
".
Southern Voice Tim's twelfth studio album, Southern Voice, was released October 20, 2009, and led by the single "It's A Business Doing Pleasure With You
", which was shipped to radio outlets in late June 2009.
Southern Voice was argued to be Tim's last album for Curb Records, following the dispute over releasing his third Greatest Hits collection back in October 2008 without his permission. Tim did not approve of the release. On November 30, 2010, Curb Records released his fourth greatest hits compilation, Number One Hits
.
On November 10, 2010, Tim McGraw presented at the 44th Annual Country Music Awards.
In November 2011, a judge granted McGraw permission to record music for another label, ending his relationship with Curb Records that began in 1990.
and The Band Perry
.
Sirius XM announced on March 30, 2011 that they would be launching Tim McGraw radio, a commercial-free music channel devoted to McGraw's music, and featuring an in depth interview with Tim as well.
McGraw has also finished work on a new album, also called Emotional Traffic, which will be his last album with Curb Records. McGraw states that Curb is holding the record due to it being his last one with them. On November 30, 2011, a Nashville judge denied an injunction from Curb, meaning that McGraw may begin recording for another label.
McGraw performed "Just To See You Smile" with Taylor Swift during her Speak Now Tour stop in Nashville on September 17, 2011.
, where he played Foxworthy's rival.
In 2004, McGraw played a sheriff in Rick Schroder
's independent release Black Cloud
. Later in the same year, McGraw received critical acclaim as the overbearing father of a running back in the major studio Texas high school football drama Friday Night Lights. The Dallas Observer
said the role was "played with unexpected ferocity by country singer Tim McGraw". The movie went on to gross over $60 million dollars worldwide at the box office, and sold millions in the DVD market. Most recently, it was named one of the Top 50 High School Movies of All Time (No. 37) by Entertainment Weekly
.
McGraw's first lead role was in the 2006 film Flicka
, which was released in theaters October 20, 2006. In the remake of the classic book My Friend Flicka
, McGraw played the father, Rob, costarring with Alison Lohman
and Maria Bello
. The family-friendly movie debuted in the top 10 list and has grossed over $25 million at the box office. McGraw again achieved critical acclaim for his acting.
Shortly before Flicka opened, McGraw received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
. His star is located at 6901 Hollywood Blvd. near stars in the sidewalk honoring Julie Andrews
, William Shatner
, and the late Greta Garbo
. One of his Flicka co-stars, Alison Lohman
, attended the ceremony that included comments from Billy Bob Thornton
, McGraw's co-star in the film Friday Night Lights.
In addition to acting in Flicka, McGraw served as executive producer of the soundtrack album, which was released by his record label, StyleSonic Records, in association with Curb Records and Fox 2000 films. It featured the closing credit song "My Little Girl
", one of the first two songs that McGraw recorded that he also co-wrote (the other being "I've Got Friends That Do", both of which were included on Greatest Hits Vol. 2). The song was nominated by the Broadcast Film Critics for "Best Song" in a film, and the movie was nominated in the category "Best Family Film (Live Action)". The movie proved to be another success in the DVD market, and has sold over a million copies, debuting at No. 3 on the DVD sales chart.
McGraw also had a small part in the Michael Mann–produced 2007 film The Kingdom
, reuniting him with Friday Night Lights director Peter Berg
. McGraw played a bitter, angered widower whose wife was killed in the terrorist attack that is the centerpiece of the movie.
On November 22, 2008, McGraw made his first appearance on Saturday Night Live
. He also played "Dallas McVie" in Four Christmases
.
His house appeared in an episode of CSI
with special guest Taylor Swift
.
McGraw appeared in the 2009 film The Blind Side
as Sean Tuohy
, husband of Sandra Bullock
’s character, Leigh Anne Tuohy
. The Blind Side is based on the true story of Michael Oher
, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in and adopted by the Tuohys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. In addition to his appearance in the film, McGraw's hit song "Southern Voice" was played during the closing credits of the film.
He is among the stars of Dirty Girl
, a film that premiered on September 12, 2010, at the Toronto Film Festival, along with Juno Temple
, Milla Jovovich
, William H. Macy
and Dwight Yoakam
.
Also in 2010, McGraw starred in Country Strong as James Canter, the husband and manager of the fictional country singer Kelly Canter (portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow
).
parks and equipment, and have established college scholarship funds for students in the northeast Louisiana area.
From 1996 to 1999, McGraw hosted an annual New Year's Eve concert in Nashville with special guests including Jeff Foxworthy
, the Dixie Chicks
, and Martina McBride
. The 1997 show raised over $100,000 for the Country Music Foundation Hall of Fame and Museum. Beginning in 1999, McGraw would pick select cities on each tour, and the night before he was scheduled to perform, would choose a local club and host a quickly-organized show. This tour-within-a-tour became known as "The Bread and Water Tour", and all proceeds from the show would go to a charity from that community.
In the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina
, McGraw and his wife, who was raised in Mississippi
, joined groups taking supplies to Gulfport, Mississippi
. The two also hosted several charity concerts to benefit those who were displaced by the storm. Later in the year, the couple established the Neighbor's Keeper Foundation, which provides funding for community charities to assist with basic humanitarian services, in the event of a natural disaster, or for desperate personal circumstances.
McGraw is also a member of the American Red Cross
National Celebrity Cabinet, to which various celebrities donate their time, skills, and fame, to help the Red Cross highlight important initiatives and response efforts.
McGraw has helped out with charity events held by Minnesota Vikings
quarterback Brett Favre
. The Brett Favre Fourward Foundation
has featured McGraw (and at other times Faith Hill) performing concerts during dinners and auctions that benefit children with disabilities in Wisconsin and Mississippi. One instance is recorded on Favre's official website.
On July 12, 2007, it was made public that McGraw and his wife Faith Hill
, while in Grand Rapids, Michigan
for a performance, donated $5000 to Kailey Kozminski, 3-year-old daughter of Officer Robert Kozminski, a Grand Rapids police officer who was killed on July 8, 2007 while responding to a domestic disturbance.
In June 2010, Tim McGraw, along with his wife Faith Hill organized Nashville Rising, a benefit concert aimed to raise $2 million for The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee in response to the flood in early May that killed 22 people and caused $2 billion in damage.
, has stated that he would like to run for public office in the future, possibly for Senate
or Governor of Tennessee, his home state. In the same interview, he praised former President
Bill Clinton
. He has referred to himself as a "Blue Dog Democrat
" and stated that he supported Presidential candidate Barack Obama
in 2008.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the Soundscan era. He is married to country singer Faith Hill
Faith Hill
Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...
and is the son of former baseball player Tug McGraw
Tug McGraw
Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher and the father of Country music singer Tim McGraw and actor/TV personality Mark McGraw and Cari McGraw...
.
McGraw had 11 consecutive albums debut at Number One on the Billboard albums charts. Twenty-one singles hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. He has won 3 Grammys, 14 Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
awards, 11 Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
(CMA) awards, 10 American Music Awards
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
, and 3 People's Choice Awards
People's Choice Awards
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble and Survivor magnate Mark Burnett...
. His Soul2Soul II Tour with Faith Hill is the highest grossing tour in country music history, and one of the top five among all genres of music.
McGraw has ventured into acting, with supporting roles in The Blind Side
The Blind Side (film)
The Blind Side is a 2009 American semi-biographical drama film. It is written and directed by John Lee Hancock, and based on the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. The storyline features Michael Oher, an offensive lineman who plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL...
(with Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
), Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom
The Kingdom (film)
The Kingdom is a 2007 film directed by Peter Berg and starring Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Ashraf Barhom, with Kyle Chandler, Jeremy Piven and Ali Suliman....
, and Four Christmases
Four Christmases
Four Christmases is a Christmas-themed romantic comedy film about a couple who go to see their divorced parents in one day...
(with Vince Vaughn
Vince Vaughn
Vincent Anthony "Vince" Vaughn is an American film actor, screenwriter, producer and comedian. He began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before attaining wider recognition with the 1996 movie Swingers...
and Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon , better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film The Man in the Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie Wildflower...
), and lead roles in Flicka
Flicka
-Chart performance:...
(2006) and Country Strong (2010). He was a minority owner of the Arena Football League's Nashville Kats
Nashville Kats
The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to Atlanta in 2002...
. Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
's debut single, "Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw (song)
"Tim McGraw" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was written by Swift and Liz Rose, and produced by Nathan Chapman. It was released on June 19, 2006 by Big Machine Records as Swift's debut single and the lead single from Swift's eponymous debut album, Taylor Swift...
", refers to him and his song, "Can't Tell Me Nothin.
In acknowledgement of his grandfather's Italian heritage, McGraw was honored by the National Italian American Foundation
National Italian American Foundation
The National Italian American Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational foundation that promotes Italian American culture and heritage...
(NIAF) in 2004, receiving the NIAF Special Achievement Award in Music during the Foundation's 29th Anniversary Gala.
Early life
McGraw was born Samuel Timothy McGraw in Delhi, LouisianaDelhi, Louisiana
Delhi, originally called Deerfield, is a town in Richland Parish, Louisiana, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 3,066.-History:...
, to Elizabeth "Betty" Ann D'Agostino, a waitress, and Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr.
Tug McGraw
Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher and the father of Country music singer Tim McGraw and actor/TV personality Mark McGraw and Cari McGraw...
, who later became a relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
for the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. McGraw is of Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
and Irish descent on his mother's side, and of Scots-Irish and distant German descent on his father's side. In 1966, Tug was a pitcher for the Jacksonville Suns
Jacksonville Suns
The Jacksonville Suns are a minor league baseball team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The team is currently a member of the Southern League and is the class Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins Major League Baseball team...
, and he lived in an apartment above Betty D'Agostino, who attended Terry Parker High School
Terry Parker High School
Terry Parker High School is a public high school in the Duval County Public School district, located in Jacksonville, Florida. The school celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005. The school has been named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.-Namesake:...
. The pair had a relationship, and when Betty became pregnant, her parents sent her to Louisiana to live with relatives and to have the baby.
Reared by his mother in Start
Start, Louisiana
Start is an unincorporated community in Richland Parish, Louisiana, in the United States.-Geography:Start is located at . It is adjacent to the communities of Crew Lake to the west, Girard to the east, Oak Ridge to the north, and Alto and Mangham to the south.-Community:Start is a small community...
, also in Richland Parish, east of Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
, McGraw grew up believing his stepfather, Horace Smith, was his father. From the time of his mother's marriage until the time he met his natural father, his last name was Smith. At age 11, McGraw discovered his birth certificate while searching his mother's closet to find pictures for a school project. After his discovery, his mother revealed that his natural father was Tug McGraw, and took Tim to meet him for the first time. For seven years, Tug denied being Tim's father. Tim was 18 years old when Tug first realized how much Tim looked like him at that age, and he acknowledged paternity. They remained close until Tug's death in 2004.
As a child, Tim McGraw loved to play competitive sports, including baseball, even though he did not know his natural father was a professional athlete. He attended Northeast Louisiana University, now the University of Louisiana at Monroe
University of Louisiana at Monroe
The University of Louisiana at Monroe is a coeducational public university in Monroe, Louisiana and part of the University of Louisiana System.-History:...
, on a baseball scholarship, and became a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...
Fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. During his college period, he learned to play guitar, and would frequently perform and sing for tips, although he claims that his roommates often hid the guitar because he was so bad.
His mother, Betty, returned to Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
in 1987, and Tim followed. He attended Florida Community College at Jacksonville
Florida Community College at Jacksonville
Florida State College at Jacksonville is a state college in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S., and part of the Florida College System. It is one of several institutions in the Florida College System designated a "state college", as it offers a greater number of four-year bachelor's degrees than...
for one term, and occasionally sat in with local bands. In 1989, on the day his hero Keith Whitley
Keith Whitley
Jackie Keith Whitley , known professionally as Keith Whitley, was an American country music singer. Whitley's brief career in mainstream country music lasted from 1984 until his death in 1989, but he continues to influence an entire generation of singers and songwriters...
died, McGraw dropped out of college to head to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and pursue a musical career.
1990s
Tim McGraw
McGraw came to the attention of Curb RecordsCurb Records
Curb Records is a record label started by Mike Curb originally as Sidewalk Records in 1963...
in 1990. After cutting a demo single, McGraw gave a copy to his father, Tug McGraw. A man who was friends with Curb Records executives heard the demo while driving with Tug McGraw one day and recommended that Curb contact the young singer. Several weeks later, he was able to play his tape for Curb executives, after which they signed him to a recording contract. Two years later, in 1992, he had his first minor hit with "Welcome to the Club" off his self-titled debut album
Tim McGraw (album)
Tim McGraw is the first album by American country music artist Tim McGraw, released in 1993. It includes the singles "Welcome to the Club", "Two Steppin' Mind" and "Memory Lane", none of which reached the Top 40 on the country charts. This is the only studio album of McGraw's career not to achieve...
. Although the album failed to make much of a dent on the charts, McGraw did have two other minor hits from it in 1993: "Memory Lane" and "Two Steppin Mind".
Not a Moment Too Soon
His second album, Not a Moment Too SoonNot a Moment Too Soon
Not a Moment Too Soon is the second album by American country music singer Tim McGraw. It was released on March 22, 1994. Written by country song writer Wayne Perry, it reached #1 on Billboard's Top 200 chart and #1 on Billboard Country chart and stayed for 26 consecutive weeks. It was Billboard's...
, was much more successful, becoming the best-selling country album in 1994. The first single, "Indian Outlaw
Indian Outlaw
"Indian Outlaw" is the title of a song written by Tommy Barnes, Jumpin' Gene Simmons and John D. Loudermilk. It was recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw as the first single from his 1994 album Not a Moment Too Soon. It was his first Top 40 country hit , and his fourth single overall...
", caused considerable controversy, as critics argued that it presented Native Americans in a patronizing way. Some radio stations refused to play it, but the controversy helped spur sales, and the song became McGraw's first top-ten country single (getting as high as No. 8), and reaching No. 15 on the pop chart.
The second single from the album, "Don't Take the Girl
Don't Take the Girl
"Don't Take The Girl" is the title of a song written by Craig Martin and Larry W. Johnson and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. The song was Tim's fifth single overall, and his first number-one single on the Hot Country Songs chart...
", became McGraw's first No. 1 country hit, and "helped cement his image as a ruggedly good-looking guy with a sensitive side". The following year, the album's title track
Not a Moment Too Soon (song)
"Not a Moment Too Soon" is the title of a song performed by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in October 1994 as the fourth single from McGraw's Not a Moment Too Soon album. The song reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts...
became a No. 1 country single, while "Down on the Farm
Down on the Farm (song)
"Down on the Farm" is the title of a song written by Jerry Laseter and Kerry Kurt Phillips and recorded by country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in July 1994 as the third single from his 1994 album Not a Moment Too Soon. It peaked at #2 in the United States, and #3 in Canada.-Music...
" reached No. 2, and "Refried Dreams
Refried Dreams
"Refried Dreams" is the title of a song recorded by country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in February 1995 as the fifth and final single from his 1994 album Not a Moment Too Soon. It peaked at #5 on the U.S...
" reached the top 5. The album sold over 6 million copies, topping the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
as well as the country album charts. On the strength of this success, McGraw won Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
awards for Album of the Year and Top New Male Vocalist in 1994.
All I Want
All I Want, released in 1995, continued his run of success, debuting at No. 1 on the country charts. The album sold over 2 million copies and reached the top 5 on the Billboard 200. "I Like It, I Love ItI Like It, I Love It
"I Like It, I Love It" is a song recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. The song was McGraw's ninth single overall, and his third number-one single on the Hot Country Songs chart...
" reached No. 1 on the country charts as the lead-off single, while "She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart
She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart
"She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart" is a song performed by American country music artist Tim McGraw. Released in 1996, it was the fourth single from McGraw's All I Want album...
" also went to No. 1 in 1996. "Can't Be Really Gone
Can't Be Really Gone
"Can't Be Really Gone" is a song written by Gary Burr, and recorded by country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in October 1995 as the second single from his 1995 album All I Want...
", "All I Want Is a Life
All I Want Is a Life
"All I Want Is a Life" is a song written by Stan Munsey, Tony Mullins and Don Pfrimmer, and recorded by country music artist Tim McGraw. It is the third single, and the partial title track to his 1995 album All I Want. It peaked at #5 in the United States, and #2 in Canada.-Chart positions:"All I...
", and "Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It
Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It
"Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It" is the title of a song written by Jerry Laseter and Kerry Kurt Phillips, and recorded by country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in October 1996 as the last single from his 1995 album All I Want...
" were all top 5 hits.
In 1996, McGraw headlined the most successful country tour of the year, The Spontaneous Combustion Tour, with Faith Hill
Faith Hill
Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...
as his supporting act. Faith Hill broke off her engagement to her former producer Scott Hendricks so that she and Tim could start dating each other; they then married on October 6, 1996. The couple have since had three daughters: Gracie Katherine (born May 1997), Maggie Elizabeth (born August 1998), and Audrey Caroline (born December 2001).
Everywhere
McGraw's next album, 1997's Everywhere, again topped the country charts and reached No. 2 on the album charts, selling 4 million copies. Four singles ("It's Your LoveIt's Your Love
"It's Your Love" is a song by Tim McGraw, released as the first single from his album Everywhere. The song, featuring wife Faith Hill, reached number one on Billboards Hot Country Songs chart in its fifth week on the chart. The song stayed there for six weeks, and became McGraw's and Hill's first...
", "Everywhere
Everywhere (Tim McGraw song)
"Everywhere" is the title of a song written by Mike Reid and Craig Wiseman, and recorded by American country music singer Tim McGraw. It was released in July 1997 as the second single from his album of the same name. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and...
", "Where the Green Grass Grows
Where the Green Grass Grows
"Where the Green Grass Grows" is a song written by Craig Wiseman and Jess Leary and performed by Tim McGraw. Released in July 1998, it was the fifth single from McGraw's Everywhere album. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number...
", and "Just to See You Smile
Just to See You Smile
"Just to See You Smile" is the title of a song written by Mark Nesler and Tony Martin, and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in August 1997 as the third single from the album Everywhere...
") reached the top of the country charts from the album, with the last of these setting a new record by spending 42 weeks on the Billboard charts. The Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
awarded Everywhere its Album of the Year award for 1997.
A Place in the Sun
A Place in the SunA Place in the Sun (Tim McGraw album)
A Place in the Sun is the fifth album by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released on May 4, 1999. "Please Remember Me" was nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance at the 2000 Grammy awards. "My Best Friend" was nominated in the same category the following year...
in 1999 continued McGraw's streak, debuting atop both the US pop and country album charts and selling 3 million albums. It featured another four chart-topping singles on the country charts including "Please Remember Me
Please Remember Me
"Please Remember Me" is the title of a song co-written by American country music artist Rodney Crowell and Will Jennings. Originally recorded by Crowell on his 1995 album Jewel of the South, his version was released as a single that year. Crowell's version of the song peaked at #69 on the Billboard...
", "Something Like That
Something Like That
"Something Like That" is a song written by Rick Ferrell and Keith Follesé, and performed by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in June 1999 as the second single from McGraw's album, A Place in the Sun. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks ...
", "My Best Friend
My Best Friend (song)
"My Best Friend" is a single by country music singer Tim McGraw that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was the third single released from his CD, A Place In The Sun.-Content:...
", and "My Next Thirty Years
My Next Thirty Years
"My Next Thirty Years" is the title of a song written by Phil Vassar and recorded by Tim McGraw. It was released in July 2000 as the fifth single from McGraw's A Place in the Sun album. The song reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number 27 on the U.S...
". "Some Things Never Change
Some Things Never Change
Some Things Never Change is the eleventh album by progressive rock band Supertramp, released in 1997 . It represented a deliberate return to the band's earlier sound , using more organic recording techniques than on their previous studio album.The song "Live to Love You" features both the 'tackled'...
" reached No. 7 on the country chart. He also contributed a song for the Grammy-winning tribute album to Bob Wills
Bob Wills
James Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
: Ride With Bob. His song, a cover of "Milk Cow Blues", was recorded as a duet with Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel is a American country music group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, but based in Austin, Texas. Altogether, they have won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception. In their career, they have released more than twenty studio albums, and have charted more than twenty...
, whom he had met while performing together at the George Strait Country Music Festival.
McGraw recorded two more duets with his wife in the late 1990s, both of which appeared on her albums. "Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me
Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me
"Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me" is a song written by Diane Warren and recorded by pop singer Chynna Phillips for her solo debut album, Naked and Sacred, released in 1995. The song was released as the fourth and final single from the album. In 1998, the song was recorded by country singer...
", off of her multi-platinum 1998 album Faith
Faith (Faith Hill album)
International version – Love Will Always Win-Production:*Producers: Faith Hill and Byron Gallimore , Faith Hill and Dann Huff *Associate producer: Ann Callis*Engineers: Jeff Balding, Julian King...
, reached the top five of the US country charts, while her follow-up and 1999 album Breathe
Breathe (Faith Hill album)
-Personnel:*Faith Hill: Vocal*Dennis Wilson, Gene Miller, Stephanie Bentley, Lisa Bevill, Bekka Bramlett, Chris Rodriguez, Kim Parent, Lisa Cochran: Vocal Backing*Jerry McPherson, B...
featured "Let's Make Love
Let's Make Love (song)
"Let's Make Love" is a duet between Faith Hill and her husband Tim McGraw. It was the third single off Hill's multi-platinum album Breathe...
", which would win a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in 2000 for Best Country Vocal Collaboration.
Greatest Hits In 2000, McGraw released his Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Tim McGraw album)
Greatest Hits is the first compilation album of American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released on November 21, 2000, and reached #4 on the Billboard Country charts. All of the songs, with the exception of "Let's Make Love" , were released on various albums by the singer...
album, which topped the charts for nine weeks and sold almost 6 million copies, making it one of the biggest-selling albums in the modern country market. In the latter half of the year, he and Hill went out on the Soul2Soul Tour
Soul2Soul Tour
The Soul2Soul 2000 Tour was the first joint concert tour by country singers, and husband and wife, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. The concert tour began in Atlanta in July 2000 and ended later that year in December in Orlando. The tour's shows featured an opening set by Hill, then a set by McGraw,...
, playing to sellout crowds in 64 venues, including Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. It was one of the top tours of any genre in the US, and the leading country tour during 2000.
While in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, McGraw and Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney
Kenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...
became involved in a scuffle with police officers after Chesney attempted to ride a police horse. McGraw came to Chesney's aid after police officers nearby believed the horse was being stolen and tried to arrest him. The two were arrested and charged with assault, but were later cleared. During a concert with the George Strait Country Music Festival several weeks later, Hill, dressed as a police officer, made an unscheduled appearance at the end of McGraw's set and led him off the stage.
Set This Circus Down
McGraw's next album, Set This Circus DownSet This Circus Down
Set This Circus Down is the seventh album by country music singer Tim McGraw. Certified 3× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA for U.S. sales of three million copies, the album produced four singles for McGraw on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
, was released in April 2001, and spawned four number-one country hits: "Grown Men Don't Cry
Grown Men Don't Cry
"Grown Men Don't Cry" is the title of a song written by Tom Douglas and Steve Seskin, and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in April 2001 as the first single from McGraw's Set This Circus Down album. The song reached Number-One on the Billboard Hot Country...
", "Angry All the Time
Angry All the Time
"Angry All the Time" is the title of a song written by Bruce Robison and first recorded on his 1998 album Wrapped. It was later covered by Tim McGraw with guest vocalist Faith Hill. Released in July 2001, McGraw's version was the second single from McGraw's Set This Circus Down album...
" (with Faith Hill), "The Cowboy in Me
The Cowboy in Me
"The Cowboy in Me" is a song performed by American country music artist Tim McGraw. Released in December 2001, it was the third single from McGraw's Set This Circus Down album. The song reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts...
", and "Unbroken
Unbroken (song)
"Unbroken" is a song performed by American country music artist Tim McGraw. Released in June 2002, it was the fourth single from McGraw's Set This Circus Down album...
". He provided harmony vocals for the Jo Dee Messina
Jo Dee Messina
Jo Dee Marie Messina , known professionally as Jo Dee Messina, is an American country music artist. She has charted nine Number One singles on the Billboard country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and has been nominated for two...
song "Bring On the Rain
Bring On the Rain
"Bring On the Rain" is the title of a country music song written by Billy Montana and Helen Darling. It was recorded by Jo Dee Messina on her 2000 album Burn, and was released in September 2001 as that album's fourth single...
", which he also produced. The song topped the country charts.
Hungry for more of his music, fans downloaded a version of his performance of the song "Things Change" from his appearance at the Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
Awards Show. The song was played extensively on radio, becoming the first country song to appear on the charts from a fully downloaded version.
Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors
In 2002, Tim McGraw bucked country music traditions by recording his album Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors with his tour band The Dancehall Doctors. Unlike rock music, where it is commonplace for touring bands to provide the music on albums recorded by the artist they support, country albums are typically recorded with session musicians. McGraw chose to use his own touring band, in order to recognize their part inhis success, and to capture some of the feel of a real band.
All of the Dancehall Doctors have worked with McGraw since at least 1996. They include:
- Darran Smith – lead guitar, acoustic guitar
- Bob Minner – rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin
- Denny Hemingson – steel guitar, electric, baritone, and slide guitars, dobro
- John Marcus – bass guitar
- Dean Brown – fiddle, mandolin
- Jeff McMahon – piano, organ, synthesizer, keyboards
- Billy MasonBilly MasonBilly "Thunder" Mason is an American drummer who is a member of Tim McGraw's touring band, The Dancehall Doctors. He has toured and/or recorded with numerous artists such as Tobin Sprout, Faith Hill, Bill Anderson, Paulette Carlson, among others. Mason has also trained with drummer Charlie Adams....
– drums - David Dunkley – percussion
The album debuted at No. 2 on the country albums charts, with the single "Real Good Man
Real Good Man
"Real Good Man" is a single by American country music singer Tim McGraw that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It was the third single from McGraw's 2002 album Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors.-Content:...
" reaching No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart. "She's My Kind of Rain
She's My Kind of Rain
"She's My Kind of Rain" is the title of a song written by Tommy Lee Jones and Robin Lerner, and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in January 2003 as the third single from his 2002 album Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors. It peaked at number 2 on the U.S....
" reached No. 2 in 2003, and "Red Ragtop
Red Ragtop
"Red Ragtop" is the title of a song written by Jason White and recorded by American country music singer Tim McGraw. It was released in September 2002 as the lead-off single on his 2002 album Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors. The song peaked at number 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles...
" reached the top 5. The album also featured a cover version of Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's early 1970s classic "Tiny Dancer
Tiny Dancer
"Tiny Dancer" is a 1971 song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It appears on John's fourth album, Madman Across the Water, and was released as a single in 1972...
", as well as appearances by Kim Carnes
Kim Carnes
Kim Carnes is an American singer-songwriter. She is a two-time Grammy Award winner noted for her distinctive raspy vocal style. Some people have called her "The Female Rod Stewart" due to her raspy voice....
on "Comfort Me" (a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
) and Don Henley
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
and Timothy B. Schmit
Timothy B. Schmit
Timothy Bruce Schmit is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his work as bass guitar player and singer for Poco and the Eagles. Schmit has also worked for decades as a session musician and solo artist.-Early career:Raised in Sacramento, Schmit began playing in the folk music group...
of the Eagles on "Illegal".
Live Like You Were Dying
2004's Live Like You Were DyingLive Like You Were Dying
Live Like You Were Dying is the eighth studio album by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released on August 24, 2004, by Curb Records and was recorded in a mountaintop studio in upstate New York. It entered the Billboard 200 chart at number one, with sales of 766,000 copies in its...
continued McGraw's record of commercial success. The title track
Live Like You Were Dying (song)
"Live Like You Were Dying" is a song written by Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman and performed by American country music artist Tim McGraw. The song appears on his Live Like You Were Dying album. It reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard country music charts, and held that position for a total of seven...
, dedicated to his father Tug McGraw
Tug McGraw
Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher and the father of Country music singer Tim McGraw and actor/TV personality Mark McGraw and Cari McGraw...
, who died of a brain tumor earlier in the year, was a soaring ode to living life fully and in the moment, while the second single "Back When
Back When
"Back When" is the title of a song written by Stan Lynch, Stephony Smith and Jeff Stevens, and recorded by American country music singer Tim McGraw. It was released in August 2004 as the second single from McGraw's 2004 album Live Like You Were Dying...
" was a paean
Paean
A paean is a song or lyric poem expressing triumph or thanksgiving. In classical antiquity, it is usually performed by a chorus, but some examples seem intended for an individual voice...
to an easy nostalgia. Live Like You Were Dying spent seven non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard (10 weeks on Radio & Records
Radio & Records
Radio & Records was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It originally started out as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006, up until its final issue in 2009.-History:The company was founded in 1973 and...
), and went on to become the biggest hit single of the year. It also became one of the most awarded songs/records by winning ACM Single and Song of the Year, CMA Single and Song of the Year, and a Grammy.
In late 2004, his unlikely duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with hip-hop artist Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
on "Over and Over
Over and Over (Nelly song)
"Over and Over" is the second single from American rapper Nelly's fourth album Suit. It features country singer Tim McGraw. The song, which was written by Cornell Haynes Jr, Jayson "KoKo" Bridges & James D...
", a soft ballad of lost love, became a crossover hit, spending 10 weeks atop the Top 40 chart. "Over and Over" brought McGraw a success he had never previously experienced on contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
or rap radio, and brought both artists success neither had previously experienced in the hot adult contemporary market. The song also spent a week at the top of the UK single charts, and was McGraw's first visit to the UK hit countdown.
Throughout the 2005 NFL season, McGraw sang an alternate version of "I Like It, I Love It" every week during the season. The alternate lyrics, which changed each week, would make reference to plays during Sunday's games, and the song would be played alongside video highlights during halftime on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. Later in the year, McGraw became a minority owner of the Arena Football League's Nashville Kats
Nashville Kats
The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to Atlanta in 2002...
when majority owner Bud Adams
Bud Adams
Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams, Jr. is the owner of the Tennessee Titans' National Football League franchise. He was instrumental in the founding and establishment of the former American Football League. Adams became a charter AFL owner with the establishment of the Titans franchise, which was...
(owner of the NFL's Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
) was awarded the expansion franchise.
Let It Go In April 2006, McGraw and Hill began their 73-concert 55-city Soul2Soul II Tour, again to strong commercial acceptance. The tour grossed nearly $89 million and sold almost 1.1 million tickets, making it the top grossing tour in the history of country music. It was named "Major Tour of the Year" by the prestigious Pollstar Magazine, beating out such heavyweights as Madonna and the Rolling Stones. In a special gesture, the couple donated all of the profits from their performance in New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
to Hurricane Katrina relief.
Tim, along with Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney
Kenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...
, contributed to a version of Tracy Lawrence
Tracy Lawrence
Tracy Lawrence is an American country music artist. He started at a country music restaurant called "Live At Libby's" where owner Libby Knight would help local talent find their way into country music...
's song "Find Out Who Your Friends Are
Find out Who Your Friends Are
"Find Out Who Your Friends Are" is the title of a song written by Casey Beathard and Ed Hill, and recorded by American country music artist Tracy Lawrence. It was the lead-off single for his album For the Love, which was released in early 2007 on Rocky Comfort Records, a label which Lawrence owns...
", which can be found on Lawrence's album For the Love
For the Love
For the Love is a studio album by country music artist Tracy Lawrence, released on January 30, 2007 through his personal label Rocky Comfort Records. It debuted at #53 on the Billboard 200...
. Although the official single version features only Lawrence's vocals, many stations have opted to play the version with McGraw and Chesney instead.
McGraw released his eleventh album, Let It Go
Let It Go (Tim McGraw album)
Let It Go is the eleventh album by Tim McGraw. Released on March 27, 2007, it was his first studio album in two and a half years. Let It Go entered the U.S. Billboard 200 at number one with sales of 325,000...
, on March 27, 2007. The album's debut single, "Last Dollar (Fly Away)
Last Dollar (Fly Away)
"Last Dollar "is the title of a country music song written by Big Kenny, one half of the duo Big & Rich. It was recorded by Tim McGraw for his 2007 album Let It Go...
", reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart, marking Tim's first No. 1 single since "Back When" in late 2004. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart and No. 1 on the Billboard Country Album chart, marking his fourth No. 1 top 200 album and ninth No. 1 country album. His daughters can be heard singing the chorus during the last few seconds of the song on the video.
During the Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
awards show on May 21, 2007, McGraw performed a song titled "If You're Reading This
If You're Reading This
"If You're Reading This" is the title of a song by American country music artist Tim McGraw. The song was first performed at the Academy of Country Music awards, which were held in Las Vegas, Nevada and aired May 15, 2007 on CBS...
", which he co-wrote with The Warren Brothers. Several radio stations began to play the live recording of the song; as a result, it entered the Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart at No. 35.
McGraw also produced the debut album
Halfway to Hazard (album)
Halfway to Hazard is the self-titled debut of American country music duo Halfway to Hazard. It was released through a joint venture of Mercury Nashville Records and StyleSonic Records on August 14, 2007. The tracks "Daisy" and "Devil and the Cross" were both released as singles; both singles...
of country music duo Halfway to Hazard
Halfway to Hazard
Halfway to Hazard is an American country music duo composed of singer-songwriters David Tolliver and Chad Warrix. Though Tolliver and Warrix grew up in different towns in southeastern Kentucky, their band's origins are in Hazard, Kentucky, which was halfway between their hometowns.Their debut...
. The duo's first single, "Daisy", peaked at No. 39 on the country charts in the summer of 2007.
In the summer of 2007, McGraw and Hill toured together once again in the Soul2Soul 2007 tour.
In the January 18, 2008 edition of the USA Today newspaper, McGraw was stated to be featured on the Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
album Songs from the Sparkle Lounge
Songs from the Sparkle Lounge
-Deluxe Edition Bonus DVD:* "Behind The Curtain"* "The Sparkle Lounge Commentary"* "Nine Lives" Music Video-Chart positions:-Personnel:*Rick Savage – bass guitar, backing vocals, additional guitars*Joe Elliott – vocals...
, having also co-written the first single, "Nine Lives
Nine Lives (Def Leppard song)
"Nine Lives" is a 2008 song by British hard rock band Def Leppard from their Songs from the Sparkle Lounge album. The song features guest vocals by country singer Tim McGraw...
", with Def Leppard band members Joe Elliott
Joe Elliott
Joseph Thomas "Joe" Elliott Jr is an English singer-songwriter, and musician, best known as the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of the British rock band Def Leppard. He has also been the lead singer of David Bowie cover band, the Cybernauts and the Mott the Hoople cover band, Down...
, Phil Collen
Phil Collen
Philip Kenneth "Phil" Collen is the co-lead guitarist and one of the backing vocalists for English rock band Def Leppard. He joined the band in 1982 following the departure of Pete Willis.-Early years:...
, and Rick Savage
Rick Savage
Richard "Rick" Savage is the bassist and one of the founding members of the English rock band, Def Leppard. He is called "Sav" to avoid confusion between him and the other Rick in the band, drummer Rick Allen. He and lead vocalist, Joe Elliot, are the only remaining original members of the band...
. The unusual pairing goes back to 2006 when McGraw joined Def Leppard onstage for the song "Pour Some Sugar On Me
Pour Some Sugar on Me
"Pour Some Sugar on Me" is a song by British hard rock band Def Leppard from their 1987 album Hysteria. It reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100...
", and then collaborated on the song "Nine Lives" afterward. The album was released on April 25, 2008.
In May 2008, he hit the road with the Live Your Voice tour. The mainly-outdoor arena concert tour was his first solo outing in nearly three years. Also in May 2008, he debuted a new song off of his follow-up to Let It Go at the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California.
In July 2008, Tim McGraw's sixth single, and the title track of his album, "Let It Go
Let It Go (Tim McGraw song)
"Let It Go" is the title of a song written by Aimee Mayo, Bill Luther, and Tom Douglas. It was recorded by American country music singer Tim McGraw on his 2007 album Let It Go...
", was released to country radio. Following that, a seventh single, "Nothin' to Die For
Nothin' to Die For
"Nothin' to Die For" is the title of a country music song written by Lee Thomas Miller and Craig Wiseman. It was recorded by Tim McGraw on his 2007 album Let It Go, and released in January 2009 as the album's seventh single. It is McGraw's fifty-first chart entry on the Billboard country charts...
", entered the Country charts at No. 57 in late December. Tim McGraw released his third greatest-hits package, Greatest Hits 3
Greatest Hits 3 (Tim McGraw album)
Greatest Hits 3 is the third greatest hits collection from country singer from Tim McGraw. The album was released on October 7, 2008.The official announcement of the album was made on August 28, 2008, on McGraw's official website....
on October 7, 2008. The album features 12 tracks. Tim was set to debut a new song on the 2009 ACM Awards, but then cancelled his performance; he was replaced by Blake Shelton
Blake Shelton
Blake Tollison Shelton is an American country music artist. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". Released as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
, who sang "She Wouldn't Be Gone
She Wouldn't Be Gone
"She Wouldn't Be Gone" is the title of a song written by Jennifer Adan and Corey Batten, and recorded by American singer Blake Shelton. It is his fourteenth single, and the first release from his fifth studio album, Startin' Fires, which was released on November 18, 2008...
".
Southern Voice Tim's twelfth studio album, Southern Voice, was released October 20, 2009, and led by the single "It's A Business Doing Pleasure With You
It's a Business Doing Pleasure with You
"It's a Business Doing Pleasure with You" is the title of a song written by Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger and country musician Brett James, and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. The song is the lead-off single to his tenth studio album, Southern Voice. It is also McGraw's...
", which was shipped to radio outlets in late June 2009.
Southern Voice was argued to be Tim's last album for Curb Records, following the dispute over releasing his third Greatest Hits collection back in October 2008 without his permission. Tim did not approve of the release. On November 30, 2010, Curb Records released his fourth greatest hits compilation, Number One Hits
Number One Hits
-Track listing:-Album:-Certifications:...
.
On November 10, 2010, Tim McGraw presented at the 44th Annual Country Music Awards.
Curb Records lawsuit
On May 13, 2011, Curb Records filed a breach-of-contract suit against McGraw. The label alleged that McGraw recorded tracks for his Emotional Traffic album too early prior to its delivery to the label. Several days later, McGraw filed a counter suit against the label seeking advance payment and recording-fund reimbursement, unspecified damages, and a jury trial. A trial is scheduled to begin in July 2012.In November 2011, a judge granted McGraw permission to record music for another label, ending his relationship with Curb Records that began in 1990.
2010s
On January 2, 2011, Tim McGraw announced plans for his Emotional Traffic Tour featuring opening acts Luke BryanLuke Bryan
Thomas Luther "Luke" Bryan is an American country singer who debuted in 2007 with the single "All My Friends Say", a Top 5 single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His debut album, I'll Stay Me, was released on Capitol Records in 2007. This album also produced chart singles in "We Rode in...
and The Band Perry
The Band Perry
The Band Perry, an American country music group, is composed of siblings Kimberly Perry , Reid Perry and Neil Perry...
.
Sirius XM announced on March 30, 2011 that they would be launching Tim McGraw radio, a commercial-free music channel devoted to McGraw's music, and featuring an in depth interview with Tim as well.
McGraw has also finished work on a new album, also called Emotional Traffic, which will be his last album with Curb Records. McGraw states that Curb is holding the record due to it being his last one with them. On November 30, 2011, a Nashville judge denied an injunction from Curb, meaning that McGraw may begin recording for another label.
McGraw performed "Just To See You Smile" with Taylor Swift during her Speak Now Tour stop in Nashville on September 17, 2011.
Acting
McGraw's first acting appearance came in a 1995 episode of The Jeff Foxworthy ShowThe Jeff Foxworthy Show
The Jeff Foxworthy Show is the name of two short-lived television series starring comedian Jeff Foxworthy and based on Foxworthy's stand-up comedy routine...
, where he played Foxworthy's rival.
In 2004, McGraw played a sheriff in Rick Schroder
Rick Schroder
Richard Bartlett "Rick" Schroder, Jr. is an American actor and film director.He debuted in the 1979 hit film The Champ, going on to become a child star on the sitcom Silver Spoons...
's independent release Black Cloud
Black Cloud
Black Cloud is a 2004 American film directed and written by Rick Schroder.- Plot:Black Cloud , a young Navajo man, must take a journey of personal growth to prepare himself for a chance at boxing in the Olympics...
. Later in the same year, McGraw received critical acclaim as the overbearing father of a running back in the major studio Texas high school football drama Friday Night Lights. The Dallas Observer
Dallas Observer
The Dallas Observer is a free alternative weekly newspaper distributed around the Dallas, Texas . At its inception, it was conceived as a weekly local arts and cinema review publication, with the credo "Advocate for Excellence in the Arts" on the cover. For a time during the early years, the paper...
said the role was "played with unexpected ferocity by country singer Tim McGraw". The movie went on to gross over $60 million dollars worldwide at the box office, and sold millions in the DVD market. Most recently, it was named one of the Top 50 High School Movies of All Time (No. 37) by Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
.
McGraw's first lead role was in the 2006 film Flicka
Flicka
-Chart performance:...
, which was released in theaters October 20, 2006. In the remake of the classic book My Friend Flicka
My Friend Flicka
My Friend Flicka is a 1941 novel by Mary O'Hara, about Ken McLaughlin, the son of a Wyoming rancher, and his horse Flicka. It was the first in a trilogy, followed by Thunderhead and Green Grass of Wyoming . The popular 1943 film version featured a young Roddy McDowall...
, McGraw played the father, Rob, costarring with Alison Lohman
Alison Lohman
Alison Marion Lohman is an American actress. She has had lead roles in the films White Oleander, Where the Truth Lies, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Flicka and Drag Me to Hell as well as smaller parts in Matchstick Men, Big Fish, Gamer, and Beowulf...
and Maria Bello
Maria Bello
Maria Elena Bello is an American actress and singer known for her appearances in the movies Coyote Ugly, The Jane Austen Book Club, Permanent Midnight, Thank You for Smoking, A History of Violence, Payback, and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. For television she is known for her role as Dr...
. The family-friendly movie debuted in the top 10 list and has grossed over $25 million at the box office. McGraw again achieved critical acclaim for his acting.
Shortly before Flicka opened, McGraw received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
. His star is located at 6901 Hollywood Blvd. near stars in the sidewalk honoring Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
, William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
, and the late Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
. One of his Flicka co-stars, Alison Lohman
Alison Lohman
Alison Marion Lohman is an American actress. She has had lead roles in the films White Oleander, Where the Truth Lies, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Flicka and Drag Me to Hell as well as smaller parts in Matchstick Men, Big Fish, Gamer, and Beowulf...
, attended the ceremony that included comments from Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, screenwriter, director and musician. Thornton gained early recognition as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground and Tombstone...
, McGraw's co-star in the film Friday Night Lights.
In addition to acting in Flicka, McGraw served as executive producer of the soundtrack album, which was released by his record label, StyleSonic Records, in association with Curb Records and Fox 2000 films. It featured the closing credit song "My Little Girl
My Little Girl (song)
"My Little Girl" is a song co-written and recorded by country music singer Tim McGraw that reached the top three on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It was released in August 2006 as the second single from his CD, Tim McGraw Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2. The song was also featured on the...
", one of the first two songs that McGraw recorded that he also co-wrote (the other being "I've Got Friends That Do", both of which were included on Greatest Hits Vol. 2). The song was nominated by the Broadcast Film Critics for "Best Song" in a film, and the movie was nominated in the category "Best Family Film (Live Action)". The movie proved to be another success in the DVD market, and has sold over a million copies, debuting at No. 3 on the DVD sales chart.
McGraw also had a small part in the Michael Mann–produced 2007 film The Kingdom
The Kingdom (film)
The Kingdom is a 2007 film directed by Peter Berg and starring Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Ashraf Barhom, with Kyle Chandler, Jeremy Piven and Ali Suliman....
, reuniting him with Friday Night Lights director Peter Berg
Peter Berg
Peter Berg is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is known for directing films such as Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom, The Rundown, Hancock and Battleship. He also developed the television series Friday Night Lights, which was adapted from the film he directed. As an actor...
. McGraw played a bitter, angered widower whose wife was killed in the terrorist attack that is the centerpiece of the movie.
On November 22, 2008, McGraw made his first appearance on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. He also played "Dallas McVie" in Four Christmases
Four Christmases
Four Christmases is a Christmas-themed romantic comedy film about a couple who go to see their divorced parents in one day...
.
His house appeared in an episode of CSI
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
with special guest Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
.
McGraw appeared in the 2009 film The Blind Side
The Blind Side (film)
The Blind Side is a 2009 American semi-biographical drama film. It is written and directed by John Lee Hancock, and based on the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. The storyline features Michael Oher, an offensive lineman who plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL...
as Sean Tuohy
Sean Tuohy
Sean Tuohy is an American sports commentator and restaurateur. He played college basketball at the University of Mississippi in the early 1980s, and is known for being the all-time assists leader in the Southeastern Conference ....
, husband of Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
’s character, Leigh Anne Tuohy
Leigh Anne Tuohy
Leigh Anne Roberts Tuohy is an American interior designer. She is best known for being featured in Michael Lewis's 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, and its 2009 feature film adaptation The Blind Side...
. The Blind Side is based on the true story of Michael Oher
Michael Oher
Michael Jerome Oher is an American football offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Mississippi for the Ole Miss Rebels...
, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in and adopted by the Tuohys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. In addition to his appearance in the film, McGraw's hit song "Southern Voice" was played during the closing credits of the film.
He is among the stars of Dirty Girl
Dirty Girl (2010 film)
Dirty Girl is a 2010 coming of age comedy, written and directed by Abe Sylvia. It stars Juno Temple, Milla Jovovich and William H. Macy. It premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival on 12 September 2010...
, a film that premiered on September 12, 2010, at the Toronto Film Festival, along with Juno Temple
Juno Temple
-Early life:Juno Temple was born in London, and is the daughter of producer Amanda Pirie and film director Julien Temple. She grew up in Somerset, England and attended Enmore Primary School, Bedales School, and King's College, Taunton...
, Milla Jovovich
Milla Jovovich
Milla Jovovich December 17, 1975)is an American model, actress, musician, and fashion designer. Over her career, she has appeared in a number of science fiction and action-themed films, for which music channel VH1 has referred to her as the "reigning queen of kick-butt".Milla Jovovich began...
, William H. Macy
William H. Macy
William Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor and writer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. He is also a teacher and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, though...
and Dwight Yoakam
Dwight Yoakam
Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
.
Also in 2010, McGraw starred in Country Strong as James Canter, the husband and manager of the fictional country singer Kelly Canter (portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
).
Charitable efforts
As his success has grown, McGraw has become increasingly interested in giving back to the community. When McGraw first reached fame in 1994, he established his annual Swampstock event. It began as a charity softball game to raise money for hometown little league programs; the event now includes a celebrity softball game and a multi-artist concert that attracts over 11,000 fans per year. The combined events have funded new Little LeagueLittle League
Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
parks and equipment, and have established college scholarship funds for students in the northeast Louisiana area.
From 1996 to 1999, McGraw hosted an annual New Year's Eve concert in Nashville with special guests including Jeff Foxworthy
Jeff Foxworthy
Jeffrey Marshall "Jeff" Foxworthy is an American comedian, television and radio personality and author. He is a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a comedy troupe which also comprises Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall and Ron White. Known for his "you might be a redneck" one-liners, Foxworthy...
, the Dixie Chicks
Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...
, and Martina McBride
Martina McBride
Martina McBride is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range....
. The 1997 show raised over $100,000 for the Country Music Foundation Hall of Fame and Museum. Beginning in 1999, McGraw would pick select cities on each tour, and the night before he was scheduled to perform, would choose a local club and host a quickly-organized show. This tour-within-a-tour became known as "The Bread and Water Tour", and all proceeds from the show would go to a charity from that community.
In the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, McGraw and his wife, who was raised in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, joined groups taking supplies to Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
. The two also hosted several charity concerts to benefit those who were displaced by the storm. Later in the year, the couple established the Neighbor's Keeper Foundation, which provides funding for community charities to assist with basic humanitarian services, in the event of a natural disaster, or for desperate personal circumstances.
McGraw is also a member of the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
National Celebrity Cabinet, to which various celebrities donate their time, skills, and fame, to help the Red Cross highlight important initiatives and response efforts.
McGraw has helped out with charity events held by Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
quarterback Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
. The Brett Favre Fourward Foundation
Brett Favre Fourward Foundation
The Brett Favre Fourward Foundation was established in 1996 to raised money for charities in Brett Favre's home state of Mississippiand his Green Bay, Wisconsin home where he played American football for the Green Bay Packers. The charity holds an annual cricket tournament, celebrity rugby game and...
has featured McGraw (and at other times Faith Hill) performing concerts during dinners and auctions that benefit children with disabilities in Wisconsin and Mississippi. One instance is recorded on Favre's official website.
On July 12, 2007, it was made public that McGraw and his wife Faith Hill
Faith Hill
Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...
, while in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
for a performance, donated $5000 to Kailey Kozminski, 3-year-old daughter of Officer Robert Kozminski, a Grand Rapids police officer who was killed on July 8, 2007 while responding to a domestic disturbance.
In June 2010, Tim McGraw, along with his wife Faith Hill organized Nashville Rising, a benefit concert aimed to raise $2 million for The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee in response to the flood in early May that killed 22 people and caused $2 billion in damage.
Politics
McGraw, a DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, has stated that he would like to run for public office in the future, possibly for Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
or Governor of Tennessee, his home state. In the same interview, he praised former President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. He has referred to himself as a "Blue Dog Democrat
Blue Dog Democrat
The Blue Dog Coalition, commonly known as the Blue Dogs, is a group of United States Congressional Representatives from the Democratic Party who identify themselves as moderates....
" and stated that he supported Presidential candidate Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in 2008.
Studio albums
- Tim McGrawTim McGraw (album)Tim McGraw is the first album by American country music artist Tim McGraw, released in 1993. It includes the singles "Welcome to the Club", "Two Steppin' Mind" and "Memory Lane", none of which reached the Top 40 on the country charts. This is the only studio album of McGraw's career not to achieve...
(1993) - Not a Moment Too SoonNot a Moment Too SoonNot a Moment Too Soon is the second album by American country music singer Tim McGraw. It was released on March 22, 1994. Written by country song writer Wayne Perry, it reached #1 on Billboard's Top 200 chart and #1 on Billboard Country chart and stayed for 26 consecutive weeks. It was Billboard's...
(1994) - All I Want (1995)
- Everywhere (1997)
- A Place in the SunA Place in the Sun (Tim McGraw album)A Place in the Sun is the fifth album by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released on May 4, 1999. "Please Remember Me" was nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance at the 2000 Grammy awards. "My Best Friend" was nominated in the same category the following year...
(1999) - Set This Circus DownSet This Circus DownSet This Circus Down is the seventh album by country music singer Tim McGraw. Certified 3× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA for U.S. sales of three million copies, the album produced four singles for McGraw on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
(2001) - Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors (2002)
- Live Like You Were DyingLive Like You Were DyingLive Like You Were Dying is the eighth studio album by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released on August 24, 2004, by Curb Records and was recorded in a mountaintop studio in upstate New York. It entered the Billboard 200 chart at number one, with sales of 766,000 copies in its...
(2004) - Let It GoLet It Go (Tim McGraw album)Let It Go is the eleventh album by Tim McGraw. Released on March 27, 2007, it was his first studio album in two and a half years. Let It Go entered the U.S. Billboard 200 at number one with sales of 325,000...
(2007) - Southern Voice (2009)
Compilation albums
- Greatest HitsGreatest Hits (Tim McGraw album)Greatest Hits is the first compilation album of American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released on November 21, 2000, and reached #4 on the Billboard Country charts. All of the songs, with the exception of "Let's Make Love" , were released on various albums by the singer...
(2000) - Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (2006)
- Greatest Hits: Limited EditionGreatest Hits: Limited EditionGreatest Hits: Limited Edition is a compilation of American country music artist Tim McGraw's first two greatest hits albums. Initially sold exclusively at Wal-Mart, it was released on April 29, 2008, and entered Billboards Top Country Albums chart at #1, selling 29,000 copies in its first week of...
(2008) - Collector's Edition (2008)
- Greatest Hits 3Greatest Hits 3 (Tim McGraw album)Greatest Hits 3 is the third greatest hits collection from country singer from Tim McGraw. The album was released on October 7, 2008.The official announcement of the album was made on August 28, 2008, on McGraw's official website....
(2008) - Limited Edition: Greatest Hits: Volumes 1, 2 & 3 (2008)
- Number One HitsNumber One Hits-Track listing:-Album:-Certifications:...
(2010)
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2004 | Black Cloud Black Cloud Black Cloud is a 2004 American film directed and written by Rick Schroder.- Plot:Black Cloud , a young Navajo man, must take a journey of personal growth to prepare himself for a chance at boxing in the Olympics... |
Sheriff Cliff Powers | |
| Friday Night Lights | Charles Billingsley | Nominated – MTV Movie Award – Best Male Breakthrough Performance MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Breakthrough Performance. In many years, the awards were split into Male and Female categories... |
|
| 2006 | Flicka | Rob McLaughlin | Nominated – Critics Choice Award for Best Song: "My Little Girl" |
| 2007 | The Kingdom The Kingdom (film) The Kingdom is a 2007 film directed by Peter Berg and starring Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Ashraf Barhom, with Kyle Chandler, Jeremy Piven and Ali Suliman.... |
Aaron Jackson | |
| 2008 | Four Christmases Four Christmases Four Christmases is a Christmas-themed romantic comedy film about a couple who go to see their divorced parents in one day... |
Dallas | |
| 2009 | The Blind Side The Blind Side (film) The Blind Side is a 2009 American semi-biographical drama film. It is written and directed by John Lee Hancock, and based on the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. The storyline features Michael Oher, an offensive lineman who plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL... |
Sean Tuohy Sean Tuohy Sean Tuohy is an American sports commentator and restaurateur. He played college basketball at the University of Mississippi in the early 1980s, and is known for being the all-time assists leader in the Southeastern Conference .... |
|
| 2010 | Country Strong | James Canter | |
| 2011 | Dirty Girl Dirty Girl (2010 film) Dirty Girl is a 2010 coming of age comedy, written and directed by Abe Sylvia. It stars Juno Temple, Milla Jovovich and William H. Macy. It premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival on 12 September 2010... |
Danny | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1997 | The Jeff Foxworthy Show The Jeff Foxworthy Show The Jeff Foxworthy Show is the name of two short-lived television series starring comedian Jeff Foxworthy and based on Foxworthy's stand-up comedy routine... |
Lionel | one episode; "Feud for Thought" |
| 2008 | Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture... |
Host | Hosted November 22, 2008 |
| 2011 | Who Do You Think You Are? (U.S. TV series) Who Do You Think You Are? (U.S. TV series) Who Do You Think You Are? is an American genealogy documentary series that premiered on NBC on March 5, 2010. The show is an adaptation of the British series of the same name, aired by the BBC. Each week a celebrity goes on a journey to trace his or her family tree. Lisa Kudrow is executive... |
Himself | Season 2, Episode 2 |
Awards
| Year | Awards | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Country Music Television | Male Video Artist of the Year |
| American Music Awards | Album of the Year – Not a Moment Too Soon | |
| American Music Awards | Top New Male Vocalist | |
| Billboard Awards | Top New Country Artist | |
| Billboard Magazine | Top New Country Album – Not a Moment Too Soon | |
| 1995 | American Music Awards | Favorite Country New Artist |
| 1997 | Billboard Magazine | Single of the Year – "It's Your Love" (with Faith Hill) |
| Country Music Television | Video of the Year – "It's Your Love" (with Faith Hill) | |
| Country Music Television | Male Artist of the Year | |
| Playgirl Playgirl Playgirl is a print quarterly adult magazine published in the United States that is marketed mainly to heterosexual women, but has also gained a considerable gay following... Magazine |
Top Ten, Sexiest Men of the Year | |
| CMA | Vocal Event – "It's Your Love" (with Faith Hill) | |
| 1998 | Billboard Awards | Country Single of the Year – "Just To See You Smile" |
| CMA | Album of the Year – Everywhere | |
| Academy of Country Music | Single of the Year – "It's Your Love" (with Faith Hill) | |
| Academy of Country Music | Song of the Year – "It's Your Love" (with Faith Hill) | |
| Academy of Country Music | Video of the Year – "It's Your Love" (with Faith Hill) | |
| Academy of Country Music | Top Vocal Event – "It's Your Love" (with Faith Hill) | |
| 1999 | Academy of Country Music | Male Vocalist |
| Academy of Country Music | Vocal Collaboration – "Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me" (with Faith Hill) | |
| CMA | Male Vocalist | |
| CMA | Album of the Year – A Place in the Sun | |
| 2000 | CMA | Male Vocalist |
| National Fatherhood Initiative | Father of the Year | |
| Academy of Country Music | Male Vocalist | |
| Billboard Awards | Male Artist of the Year | |
| 2001 | American Music Awards | Favorite Male Country Artist |
| Grammy Awards | Vocal Collaboration – "Let's Make Love (with Faith Hill) | |
| CMA | Entertainer of the Year | |
| Billboard Awards | Country Artist | |
| Billboard Awards | Male Country Artist | |
| Billboard Awards | Country Albums Artist | |
| Billboard Awards | Country Single Artist | |
| Billboard Awards | Country Album – Greatest Hits | |
| 2002 | American Music Awards | Best Country Album – Set This Circus Down |
| American Music Awards | Favorite Male Country Artist | |
| 2003 | American Music Awards (January) | Favorite Country Male Artist |
| Radio Music Awards (January) | Country Male Artist | |
| American Music Awards (November) | Favorite Country Male Artist | |
| 2004 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Country Male Artist |
| Radio Music Awards | Country Male Artist | |
| CMA | Single of the Year – "Live Like You Were Dying" | |
| 2005 | American Music Awards American Music Awards -Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC... |
Album of the Year -Live Like You Were Dying |
| American Music Awards | Male Artist (country genre) | |
| Academy of Country Music Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the... |
Song of the Year -"Live Like You Were Dying" | |
| Academy of Country Music | Single of the Year -"Live Like You Were Dying" | |
| People's Choice Awards | Favorite Country Male Artist | |
| Grammy Award | Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "Live Like You Were Dying" | |
| Country Music Television Country Music Television Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs... |
Most Inspiring Video – "Live Like You Were Dying" | |
| 2006 | People's Choice Awards People's Choice Awards The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble and Survivor magnate Mark Burnett... |
Top Male Performer |
| Grammy Award Grammy Award A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry... |
Country Vocal Collaboration – "Like We Never Loved At All Like We Never Loved at All "Like We Never Loved At All" is the second single from American country singer Faith Hill's album Fireflies. The song features husband Tim McGraw singing harmony vocals... " (with Faith Hill Faith Hill Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S... ) |
Further reading
- Brown, Jim; Sparrow, Susan. Faith Hill & Tim McGraw: Soul 2 Soul. Quarry Music Books, 2002. ISBN 1550822934
- Gray, Scott. Perfect Harmony: the Faith Hill & Tim McGraw Story. 1st ed. Ballantine Books, 1999. ISBN 0345434129
- McGraw, Tim. Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors: This is Ours. Atria Books, 2002. ISBN 074346706X
- Nichols, Tim, and Craig Wiseman. Live Like You Were Dying. Rutledge Hill P, 2004. ISBN 1401602126
- Trimble, Betty "McMom". A Mother's Story. D'Agostino/Dahlhauser/Ditmore Pub, 1996. ISBN 1886371326
External links
- Tim McGraw at Country Music TelevisionCountry Music TelevisionCountry Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...