Tim McGraw (born Samuel Timothy Smith in Delhi, Louisiana on May 1, 1967) is a country music singer who has achieved many number one singles on the country charts and sales of over 25 albums. He is married to country singer Faith Hill and is the son of baseball player Tug McGraw. His trademark hit songs include "Don't Take the Girl", "Down on the Farm", "I Like It, I Love It", "It's Your Love" (featuring wife Faith Hill), and "Live Like You Were Dying".
1990s
He signed with Curb Records in 1990 but it wasn't until 1992 that he had his first minor hit "Welcome to the Club" off his self-titled debut album, which failed to make much of a dent on the charts. He achieved a couple of minor hits, "Memory Lane" and "Two Steppin Mind", off the same album in 1993.
The second album Not a Moment Too Soon went on to become the 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. 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 as well as reaching the top 20 on the pop charts.
The second single, the ballad "Don't Take the Girl", reached the top of the country charts as did the title track in 1995. "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. He won Academy of Country Music awards for Album of the Year and Top New Male Vocalist in 1994.
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 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.
In 1996, Tim McGraw travelled America on the Spontaneous Combustion Tour, which was the most successful country tour of that year.Faith Hill was his supporting act and the title of the tour turned out to be prophetic as the singers married October 6, 1996. The couple have had three daughters: Gracie Katherine born May 5, 1997, Maggie Elizabeth born August 12, 1998 and Audrey Caroline born December 6, 2001.
Tim McGraw's happy family life is in contrast with his father who had a reputation as a hell raiser. Tug McGraw once famously said: "Ninety percent I'll spend on good times, women, and Irish Whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
Tim McGraw also produced the first three albums by Jo Dee Messina, along with long-time associate Byron Gallimore.
Everywhere continued his golden run topping the country charts and reaching number two on the album charts in 1997. The album sold 4 million copies. The first single "It’s Your Love", a duet with Faith Hill, reached number one on the country charts, reached the top ten in the pop charts and became the most played single in the history of the Billboard country charts. 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. The Country Music Association awarded Everywhere its Album of the Year award for 1997.
A Place in the Sun in 1999 was another huge hit topping the US pop and country album charts and selling three million albums. It featured another four chart topping singles on the country charts including "Please Remember Me" with Patty Loveless, "Something Like That", "My Best Friend", and "My Next Thirty Years". During Summer 1999, Tim McGraw toured the US with the Dixie Chicks as the support artist as well as appearing as the headline artist at the George Strait Country Music Festival.
Faith Hill's career was also going well. Another duet between the pair, "Just to Hear You Say You Love Me" off her multi-platinum 1998 album Faith, reached the top five of the US country charts. Her follow-up and even more successful 1999 album Breathe featured another duet between the couple called "Let's Make Love", which would win a Grammy Award in 2000 for Best Country Vocal Collaboration.
By the end of 1999, Tim 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.
Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
