Tim McGraw Biography
As the lyrics from one of country artist Tim McGraw's number one singles says, "I like it, I love it, I want some more of it." The catchy refrain summarizes the feelings many of McGraw's fans have towards his music. The popularity of what Entertainment Weekly' s James Hunter dubbed a "grassroots superstar" pushed McGraw's second album, Not a Moment Too Soon, up the charts to become not only the bestselling country album of 1994, but the sixth bestselling album of the year, according to Billboard. Although the release would also earn McGraw the ire of several Native American groups by including the "very un-PC" dance single "Indian Outlaw," the tenor rode out that controversy and has gone on to achieve even greater popularity among young country music fans--all without the help of what Hunter terms "wraparound grooming, marketing, and spin that routinely accompanies major-label careers." Subsequent album releases, including All I Want, Everywhere, Place in the Sun, Set This Circus Down, and Tim McGraw & the Dancehall Doctors, and McGraw's marriage to country-pop superstar Faith Hill have only increased his fame and record sales, which had reached 30 million albums sold worldwide as of 2004. McGraw had also scored more than 20 number one hits and garnered two Grammy Awards by 2005.
The son of professional baseball player Tug McGraw, a pitcher for both the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies during his 20-year career, Tim McGraw was born on May 1, 1967, in Delhi, Louisiana. Raised in rural Start, Louisiana, by his mother, Betty Trimble (who never married Tim's father), young McGraw would finally meet his father for the first time when he was eleven years old. Apart from singing in his church choir and listening to the radio, McGraw, like most of his friends, showed more interest in collecting baseball cards than learning guitar licks. After graduating from high school with honors, he enrolled in the pre-law program at Northeast Louisiana University, receiving much-needed financial assistance from the father who had once abandoned him.
It was in college that McGraw's focus began to shift; by his junior year he had bought a guitar, strummed a few chords, and finally discovered where his true interests lay. He left for Nashville in 1989, where he knew he'd get an education in country music. Two years of singing in a bar in Printers Alley gained McGraw enough experience and exposure for Curb Records to take a chance on him. They signed the vocalist in 1990 and released his self-titled debut album three years later. "It almost seemed too easy," McGraw recalled to Van Rose in Country Song Roundup. "But I found out later just how tough the music business is. It took me a long time to get a hit record."
The son of professional baseball player Tug McGraw, a pitcher for both the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies during his 20-year career, Tim McGraw was born on May 1, 1967, in Delhi, Louisiana. Raised in rural Start, Louisiana, by his mother, Betty Trimble (who never married Tim's father), young McGraw would finally meet his father for the first time when he was eleven years old. Apart from singing in his church choir and listening to the radio, McGraw, like most of his friends, showed more interest in collecting baseball cards than learning guitar licks. After graduating from high school with honors, he enrolled in the pre-law program at Northeast Louisiana University, receiving much-needed financial assistance from the father who had once abandoned him.
It was in college that McGraw's focus began to shift; by his junior year he had bought a guitar, strummed a few chords, and finally discovered where his true interests lay. He left for Nashville in 1989, where he knew he'd get an education in country music. Two years of singing in a bar in Printers Alley gained McGraw enough experience and exposure for Curb Records to take a chance on him. They signed the vocalist in 1990 and released his self-titled debut album three years later. "It almost seemed too easy," McGraw recalled to Van Rose in Country Song Roundup. "But I found out later just how tough the music business is. It took me a long time to get a hit record."
Profile
Born on May 1, 1967, in Delhi, LA; raised in Start, LA; son of Tug McGraw (a professional baseball player) and Betty Trimble; married Faith Hill (a singer), 1996; children: Gracie, Maggie, Audrey.
Education: Attended Northeast Louisiana University, 1986-89.
Education: Attended Northeast Louisiana University, 1986-89.
Contact Information
Address: Record company--Curb Records, 47 Music Square E., Nashville, TN 37203
Website: http://www.timmcgraw.com
Website: http://www.timmcgraw.com
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