Tim McGraw

Tim McGraw (born Samuel Timothy McGraw on May 1, 1967, in Delhi, Louisiana) is an American country music singer who has achieved many number one hits on the country singles and album charts, with total sales in excess of 25 million units. He is married to country singer Faith Hill and is the son of baseball player Tug McGraw. His trademark hit songs include "Indian Outlaw", "Don't Take the Girl", "Down on the Farm", "I Like It, I Love It", "It's Your Love" (featuring his wife, Faith Hill), and "Live Like You Were Dying".

As of his 2006, McGraw has had nine consecutive albums debut at Number 1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and has sold a combined 34 millions records, with twenty-six of his singles reaching number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country 100 chart. He has won 3 Grammys, 11 Academy of Country Music awards, 10 CMA awards, 9 American Music Awards and 3 People's Choice Awards. His Soul2Soul II tour with Faith Hill in 2006 became the highest-grossing tour in country music history, and ranked as one of the top five in all genres of music.^[1]

McGraw has also ventured into acting, with a supporting role in the Billy Bob Thornton film Friday Night Lights and a lead role in 2006's Flicka.

Early Life

Tim McGraw was born May 1, 1967, in Delhi, Louisiana, the son of waitress Betty Trimble (née D'Agostino) and Tug McGraw, a relief pitcher for the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. McGraw is of Italian-Irish descent on his mother's side and Scots-Irish descent on his father's side.^[2]

Raised by his mother in Start, Louisiana, near Monroe, McGraw grew up believing his stepfather, Horace Smith, was actually his birth father. While searching his mother's closet when he was 11 to see if he could find hidden Christmas presents, McGraw discovered his birth certificate. After his discovery his mother revealed that his birth father was Tug McGraw, and brought him to meet his father for the first time.^[2]

As a child, McGraw loved to play baseball and other competitive sports.^[2] He studied sports medicine at Northeast Louisiana University on a baseball scholarship, and roomed with former NFL quarterback Doug Pederson^[3] where he became a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.^[4] During this 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. In 1989, on the day his hero Keith Whitley died,^[3] McGraw dropped out of college to head to Nashville and pursue a musical career.^[2]

1990s

1990-1992

McGraw came to the attention of Curb Records in 1990 through chance circumstances and his father's connections. After cutting a demo single, McGraw gave a copy to 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 after he was able to play his tape for Curb executives, they signed him to a recording contract.^[2] Two years later, in 1992, he had his first minor hit "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."^[3]

1994-1995

His second album, Not a Moment Too Soon, was much more successful, becoming best selling country album in 1994. The first single, "Indian Outlaw," written by John D. Loudermilk, caused considerable controversy as critics argued that it presented Native Americans in a patronizing way.^[3] Some radio stations refused to play it, but among some Indian tribes, the song was popular; it went to the top of the playlist at the clear channel KTNN, the radio voice of the Navajo Nation. The controversy helped spur sales and the song became McGraw's first top ten country single (getting as high as #8); it also made #15 on the pop chart and went gold and silver. At the 1994 Country Radio Seminar, McGraw performed "Indian Outlaw" and then earned a standing ovation for his next song, "Don't Take the Girl." This was named one of the top 10 moments of all-time in seminar history.

"Don't Take the Girl" was released as the second song off of the album and became McGraw's first #1 country hit. It also reached the top 20 on the pop chart and went gold. The following year, the album's title track became a #1 country single, while "Down on the Farm" reached number two and "Refried Dreams" reached the top 5. The album sold over 5 million copies, topping the Billboard 200 as well as the country album charts.^[3] 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.^[5]

All I Want, released in 1995, continued his run of success, debuting at number one on the country charts. The album sold over two million copies and reached the top 5 on the Billboard 200. "I Like It, I Love It" reached number one on the country charts as the leadoff single, while "She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart" also went to number one in 1996. "Can't Really Be Gone", "All I Want is a Life", and "Maybe We Should Just Sleep On It" were all top 5 hits.^[3]

1996

In 1996, McGraw headlined the most successful country tour of the year, with Faith Hill as his supporting act. The tour's name, The Spontaneous Combustion Tour, turned out to be prophetic as the singers married October 6,1996. The couple have since had three daughters: Gracie Katherine born May 5, 1997, Maggie Elizabeth born August 12, 1998 and Audrey Caroline born December 6, 2001.

1997

McGraw's next album, 1997's Everywhere, again topped the country charts and reached number two on the album charts, selling 4 million copies.^[3] The first single, "It’s Your Love", a duet with Faith Hill, became the first single in twenty years to spend six weeks on top of Billboard's country singles chart (the previous such song had been Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson's "Luckenbach, Texas" in 1977).^{[citation needed]} The single reached #7 on the pop chart (and gained platinum status); and became the most played single in the history of the Billboard country charts.^[6] Five more singles "Everywhere", "Where the Green Grass Grows", "One of These Days", "For a Little While", 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.^[6] The Country Music Association awarded Everywhere its Album of the Year award for 1997.

1998-1999

A Place in the Sun in 1999 continued McGraw's streak, debuting atop both the US pop and country album charts^[5] and selling three 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 #7 on the country chart.^[3] During Summer 1999, Tim McGraw toured the US with the Dixie Chicks^[6] as the support artist as well as appearing as the headline artist at the George Strait Country Music Festival.^[5] After meeting at the George Strait Country Music Festival, McGraw teamed with Asleep at the Wheel to record "Milk Cow Blues" for the Grammy-winning tribute album to Bob Willis, Ride With Bob.^[5]

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 her multi-platinum 1998 album Faith, reached the top five of the US country charts,^[3] 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.^[5]

By the end of 1999, McGraw had supplanted Garth Brooks as the most popular country male singer in the nation, while Faith Hill was one of the most popular female country singers along with Shania Twain.

2000s

2000

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.

While in New York in the summer of 2000, McGraw and Kenny Chesney became involved in a scuffle with police officers after Chesney, who had permission from the sheriff's daughter, attemped 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.^[7]

In the latter half of 2000, 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.^[6]

2001

McGraw's next album, Set This Circus Down, was released in April of 2001 and spawned four number one country hits - "Grown Men Don't Cry", "Angry All the Time", "The Cowboy in Me", and "Unbroken". He also provided harmony vocals for the Jo Dee Messina song "Bring on the Rain", which he also produced. The songtopped the country charts.^[5]

Hungry for more of his music, McGraw's fans downloaded a version of his performance of the song "Things Change" from his appearance at the CMA Awards Show. The song was played extensively on radio, becoming the first country song to appear on the charts from a fully downloaded version.^[6]

2002

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 in the Catskill Mountains. Unlike rock music, where it is commonplace for touring bands such as the E Street Band or Crazy Horse to play on albums with the artist they support, country albums are normally recorded with session musicians.^[8] McGraw stated on his web site that he felt he owed this to the musicians who had been an integral part of his success and to capture some of the feel of a real band.^[6]

All of the Dancehall Doctors had been with McGraw since at least 1996. They include:

• Tim McGraw - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar (Live), Electric Guitar (Live)
• Darran Smith - Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
• Bob Miner - 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 Mason - Drums
• David Dunkley - Percussion.^[6]

Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors was released on November 26, 2002 and debuted at number 2 on the country albums charts,^[2] with the single "Real Good Man" reaching number one on the Hot Country Songs chart. "She's My Kind of Rain" reached number 2 in 2003 and "Red Rag Top" 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".

2004

McGraw also performed the song "Wherever the Trail May Lead" for the 2004 Disney film Home on the Range, one of the last hand drawn animated films.

McGraw's 2004 album Live Like You Were Dying continued his record of commercial success. The title track was a soaring ode to living life fully and in the moment,^[9] while the second single "Back When" was a paean to an easy nostalgia. 'Live Like You Were Dying' spent seven non-consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard (10 weeks on Radio & Records) and went on to become the biggest hit single of the year. It also became one the most awarded songs/records by winning ACM Single and Song of the Year, CMA Single and Song of the Year and a Grammy.

2004 also saw another of McGraw's unreleased songs become popular. "Dear Santa" was a desperate prayer to Santa Claus to help a woman who's heart was broken.

In late 2004, his unlikely duet with rapper Nelly on "Over and Over", a soft ballad of lost love, became a crossover hit^[10] spending 10 weeks atop the Top 40 chart. This made Tim the first modern country artist to have two 10 week number one hits in a single year. "Over and Over" brought McGraw a success he had never previously experienced on contemporary hit radio, 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. Unlike fellow country artists Garth Brooks and Shania Twain, each of whom have had significant crossover success, McGraw is still well-respected by the country music industry.^[8]

In a 2004 interview, McGraw said he would like to run for public office in the future, possibly for Senate or governor of his home state of Tennessee. In the same interview, he praised former President Bill Clinton, a somewhat unusual stance in the new conservative country music industry.^[11]

2005

McGraw also participated in the Live 8: The Long Walk to Justice concert series, performing along with Faith Hill at the Rome, Italy concert on July 2, 2005 as part of the effort to get G8 leaders to address the humanitarian crises in Africa. McGraw's performance of "Live Like You Were Dying" was one of the most re-played performances in Live 8 television recaps.

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.^[12] 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.^[13]

2006

In April 2006 McGraw and Hill began their 73-concert 55 city Soul2Soul II Tour 2006, again to a strong commercial acceptance. The tour was declared the top grossing tour in the history of country music grossing nearly $89 Million and selling almost 1.1 million tickets.^[14] It was named "Major Tour of the Year" by the prestigous 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.^[15]

McGraw received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during ceremonies October 17, 2006. His star is located at 6901 Hollywood Blvd. near stars in the sidewalk honoring Julie Andrews, William Shatner and the late Greta Garbo. The event coincided with the release of the soundtrack to Flicka, the feature film starring McGraw. One of his co-stars, Alison Lohman, attended the ceremony that included comments from Billy Bob Thornton, McGraw's co-star in the film, Friday Night Lights.^[16]

2007

McGraw released his eleventh album, Let It Go, on March 27, 2007. The album features two duets with wife Faith Hill, "I Need You" and "Shotgun Rider." They sang both songs during their Soul2Soul II tour. The album also features the debut single, "Last Dollar (Fly Away)."

Hill and McGraw will return to the road with the follow-up to 2006's highly successful Soul2Soul II Tour 2006 with Soul2Soul 2007.

Both Hill And McGraw have been confirmed to take part in the Live Earth concerts on July 7, 2007.

Acting

McGraw's first acting appearance came in a 1995 episode of The Jeff Foxworthy Show, 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 good notices 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 "played with unexpected ferocity by country singer Tim McGraw."^[17] The movie went on to gross over $60 million dollars worldwide at the box office^[18] and sold millions in the DVD market. Most recently it was named one of the top 50 high school movies of all time (number 37) by Entertainment Weekly.

McGraw's first lead role was in the 2006 film Flicka, which was released in theatres 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 21 Million dollars at the box office.^[19] McGraw again achieved critical acclaim for his acting.^[20][21]

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," the first song McGraw has recorded that he co-wrote. 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 huge success in the DVD market and has sold over a million copies, debuting at number 3 on the DVD sales chart.^[19]

McGraw will also be appearing in the new Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner movie The Kingdom produced by Peter Berg and due out in September 2007.

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. Begun 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 league parks and equipment and established college scholarship funds for students in the Northeast Louisiana area.^[22]

From 1996-1999 McGraw also 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 perfom, 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.^[22]

In 2005, McGraw and his wife, who was raised in Mississippi, joined groups taking supplies to Gulfport, Mississippi in the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina. The two also hosted several charity concerts to benefit those who were displaced by the storm.^[23] 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, in which various celebrities donate their time, skills, and fame to help the Red Cross highlight important initiatives and response efforts.^[24] tim and faith get really into it

Discography

For a list of singles and albums, see Tim McGraw Discography

Awards

^[25]

Notes

1. ^
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} December 10, 2002, Interviews with Joe Biden, Chuck Hagel, Tim McGraw, Larry King Live: CNN
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} "Tim McGraw Biography", VH1. Retrieved on March 14, 2007.
4. ^ What's different about Pike?. Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, Kappa Psi Chapter. Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Tim McGraw Biography. CMT. Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
6. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} 2001, Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors - Bio, Liner notes for album Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors: Curb Records
7. ^ Ryan, Harriet. "The singers, the deputies, and a horse", CourtTV, Mar 14, 2001. Retrieved on March 14, 2007.
8. ^ ^{a b} Tyrangiel, Josh. "The Clinton of Country", Time Magazine, September 13, 2004. Retrieved on March 14, 2007.
9. ^ McNary, Dave (December 12, 2004). 'Dying' for a deal. Variety. Retrieved on 2007-04-03.
10. ^ Nelly's 'Over & Over' Jumps To #1!. SixShot (November 9, 2004). Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
11. ^ "Tim MCGraw Likes the sound of Gov. McGraw", MSNBC, January 13, 2006. Retrieved on March 14, 2007.
12. ^ Kelley, Austin (October 10, 2005). Pigskin Poet. The New Yorker. Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
13. ^ Tim McGraw owner of Arena Football Team. USAToday (November 2, 2004). Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
14. ^ "Tim, Faith set tour mark", Country Standard Time, September 14, 2006. Retrieved on March 14, 2007.
15. ^ "Tim McGraw and Faith Hill concert to benefit Katrina relief", Country Standard Time, May 12, 2006. Retrieved on March 14, 2007.
16. ^ "Tim McGraw Receiving Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame", CMT, September 14, 2006. Retrieved on March 14, 2007.
17. ^ Wilonsky, Robert (October 7, 2004). Hell of a Catch. The Dallas Observer. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
18. ^ Weinstein, Joshua L. (May 22, 2006). Hollywood via Nashville. Variety. Retrieved on 2007-04-03.
19. ^ ^{a b} Flicka. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
20. ^ McCarthy, Todd (October 17, 2006). Flicka. Variety. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
21. ^ Hartlaub, Peter (October 20, 2006). McGraw alone can't rein in unruly 'Flicka'. The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
22. ^ ^{a b} Awareness. TimMcGraw.Com (2007). Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
23. ^ Gordon, Dan; Buck Wolf (March 8, 2006). Faith Hill, Tim McGraw Blast 'Humiliating' Katrina Cleanup. ABC News. Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
24. ^ American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet Members. The American Red Cross (2007). Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
25. ^ Tim McGraw Awards. Curb Records (2007). Retrieved on 2007-03-15.

Further reading

Brown, Jim, and Susan Sparrow. 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

Wikipedia information about Tim McGraw This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Tim McGraw". It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer). Help contribute to Americola and edit this article.