9 Things to Know About Tim McGraw

Tim McGraw is one of the most recognizable names in country music, having sold over 75 million records over his decades-long career that has seen him release 14 studio albums and take home numerous awards including three Grammy Awards and 11 Country Music Association Awards.

Along with singing, McGraw has also made a name for himself as an actor over the years, starring in films like The Blind Side, Country Strong and Tomorrowland. He’s also an author, and released two books in 2019 — Songs of America and Grit & Grace. Ringing in his 53rd birthday on May 1, the father of three has plenty to celebrate and will likely do so in style. Read on for a few more facts you may not have known about McGraw.

He thought his step-father was his father

McGraw originally believed that his step-father, Horace Smith, was his father, before learning that his real father was baseball player Tug McGraw.

In an interview with Larry King, McGraw revealed that he didn’t learn the truth about his father until he was about 11 years old. He only saw his father twice at that time, and the next time he visited Tug was when he was 18. The pair then developed a relationship when McGraw was an adult and remained close until Tug’s death in 2004.

He originally attended Northeast Louisiana University

McGraw enrolled in Northeast Louisiana University on a baseball scholarship and studied prelaw before leaving to pursue music.

While in college, the 53-year-old began teaching himself to play guitar, eventually playing in clubs for tips. He did that for a while before moving to Jacksonville, Florida and then on to Nashville, where he was signed to his first record deal.

He proposed to Faith Hill while they were on the road

It’s nearly common knowledge that McGraw is married to fellow country star Faith Hill, but the story of their proposal may be less so. The two were on the road at Country Jam in Colorado and were together in McGraw’s dressing room before he was scheduled to go on stage. Right before he went to perform, McGraw asked Hill to marry him, though she didn’t give an answer before he left for the stage.

“When I came back off stage, in sharpie, with a lipstick at the end of it,” McGraw told Taste of Country of the moment. “A lipstick kiss, it said, ‘Yes! I’m gonna be your wife.’”

He became sober in 2008

McGraw cut out alcohol around ten years ago after friends began worrying about how much he was drinking. “People said things,” McGraw told People. “People were worried about me … It wasn’t something that I didn’t know as well. But ultimately, it is really about how I want to be around for my kids. I want to be around to see how they grow up. I want to see what their lives become. I want to see what their kids look like.”

McGraw and Hill share three daughters — Grace, Maggie and Audrey.

He works out up to four hours a day

In place of alcohol, McGraw made exercise a major part of his life and told People in 2013 that he tries to work out twice a day for up to two hours at a time, though in 2015 he noted that he’s in the gym a little less. The star incorporates elements including the elliptical, treadmill, swimming, CrossFit and more into his routine.

“I try to work out every day,” he said in 2013. “Days like today — today I won’t have the chance to work out … But I know days are coming where I will have a chance to work out. Or I will go hard for hours knowing there will be days I don’t have a chance to work out. I try to keep it very constant.” 

His favorite meal is the Thanksgiving meal his wife makes every year

While McGraw usually watches what he eats, he does make an exception on Thanksgiving, when Hill cooks a traditional feast for the family. “Thanksgiving is one of my favorite meals of the year so I’m not going to skip out on anything,” he told Big Machine Label Group, via Taste of Country.

“My wife cooks a great Thanksgiving dinner and we have the traditional turkey and cornbread dressing and all the vegetables that are grown in our parents’ garden,” he shared. “We have cornbread and peas, green beans, butter beans, cranberry sauce — all those things. So, we don’t miss out on anything at Thanksgiving.”

 

He bought all of his band members Harley Davidson motorcycles or vintage cars

After the singer’s Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors sold more than 500,000 copies during its first week of release, McGraw bought the rest of his band the new rides to celebrate the milestone. The 2002 album, which marked the first time McGraw’s band had recorded with him, soon sold one million copies about a month after its release.

He and Hill own a home in the Bahamas

McGraw and Hill are the proud owners of a stunning home in the Bahamas where the two go to escape the hectic pace of their lives as country superstars. “We’ve been all over the world, and we really wanted to create a special place we couldn’t find anywhere else,” Hill told Architectural Digest of the seaside abode. The pair has been spending plenty of time in the tropical paradise recently, with McGraw often using social media to share the fish he catches in the crystal blue waters.

He wears hats in public for a surprising reason

It seems there’s a reason McGraw is rarely seen in public without a hat on — the star has admitted that he isn’t a fan about the size of his cranium. “I don’t have a forehead — I have a five-head,” he once said, via Taste of Country. Over the years, the star has sported newsboy caps, baseball caps and more, but fans will likely always be partial to the traditional cowboy hat.