Tim McGraw is a true country superstar, perhaps the best of the male vocalists in his generation and certainly one of the best-selling.
McGraw, born in Louisiana in 1967, is the son of star baseball pitcher Tug McGraw, a fact he learned late in life. In a classic case of the acorn not falling far from the tree, McGraw attended college on a baseball scholarship before setting his sights on Nashville.
His initial albums sold well, but it was the 1994 release of Not A Moment Too Soon that catapulted McGraw’s career into the stratosphere. During an incredible eleven year run from 1993 through 2004, three of McGraw’s country albums reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 mainstream list – a huge crossover accomplishment. The chart success went along with more than 20 singles that topped the country charts.
Now married to fellow vocalist Faith Hill, McGraw’s life has not always been idyllic. In 2000, he and singer Kenny Chesney were charged by police in Orchard Park, New York during a scuffle with police. Chesney reportedly had permission to ride a police horse, but the pair were soon embroiled in an argument. They were acquitted one year later.
McGraw’s star shows no sign of setting any time soon. His appearance on Nelly’s Over and Over introduced the country star to a new audience. Meanwhile, media reports estimate his 2004 income at more than $20 million, representing more than 3 million CDs sold and tour appearances before more than 700,000 fans.