Tim McGraw

Tim McGraw Artistfacts

  • May 1, 1967
  • Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is the son of baseball player Tug McGraw, who was a star pitcher for the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. Tim grew up believing his stepfather, Horace Smith, was his dad until discovering at the age of 11 that his biological father was in fact Tug McGraw.
  • McGraw signed a recording contract with Curb Records in 1990, but his eponymous debut album flopped. His second long player, Not a Moment Too Soon, was much more successful, becoming the best-selling country album of 1994.
  • He has been married to country singer Faith Hill since October 6, 1996. They had a low-key wedding in McGraw's home state of Louisiana,

    They have three daughters Gracie (b. May 5, 1997), Maggie (b. August 12, 1998) and Audrey (b. December 6, 2001). McGraw once quipped: "The main thing I have learned being in a house full of women is saying 'yes ma'am' or nothing at all."
  • McGraw's singles "It's Your Love", "Just to See You Smile" and "Live Like You Were Dying" were the top country songs of 1997, 1998, and 2004 respectively.
  • "Something Like That" was the top-played radio single in any musical genre in the 2000s, racking up 487,343 spins from Jan 1, 2000 through to Dec. 17, 2009.
  • McGraw's first acting appearance came in a 1997 episode of The Jeff Foxworthy Show, where he played Foxworthy's rival. He has since had supporting roles in several films including The Blind Side and Friday Night Lights and lead roles in Flicka and Country Strong.
  • Taylor Swift's debut single, "Tim McGraw," refers to him. When McGraw was co-hosting CMT's Country Countdown USA show with Lon Helton, he was asked by his co-host what he thought the first time he heard the tune. Tim replied, "It was awesome. I didn't know if I should take it as a compliment, or if I should feel old."
  • 2013's Two Lanes of Freedom was McGraw's first album for Big Machine Records. It followed a contentious split from Curb Records, his label home for over two decades.
  • McGraw has several tattoos, including the Christian fish, the word "Faith" and a cross with the initials of his three daughters on his arms. He recalled his his first inking -a leprechaun with a cowboy hat – to People: "It was 3 a.m. in New Orleans, and I was about 22 and drunk. It's not hard to connect the dots!"
  • McGraw is also a private pilot who owns a single-engine Cirrus SR22. When asked by Country Weekly what his favorite hobby was, he replied that he enjoys flying.
  • Tim McGraw quit drinking in 2008 after Faith Hill warned him that alcohol was taking over his life. Speaking at a media event after almost eight years of sobriety behind him, the singer said becoming teetotal was the best thing for him. "I drank too much for a while," he shared. "I knew that. My kids were getting older. You start thinking about mortality a bit. You start thinking about what your life's going to be like when your kids are gone and you have grandkids. All those things start going through your mind."
  • Tim McGraw wrote his first song after watching Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding in July 1981. "I just fell in love with her (Diana) like everybody else did," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "So I sat down and wrote a song about their wedding and how beautiful she was. I don't remember how it goes, I just remember something about: 'You look so much like a queen' or something like that. It was terrible."

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