Country music power couple, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill is one of the few couples that have enjoyed a long lasting relationship in the music industry and after 21 years together they recently made an announcement and highlighted moments of their marriage success story.
Private Announcement
The world famous performers celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary in November 2017, and around the same time released their first duet album and they also shared some secret information on their relationship.
Not only have the two been married for over 20 years, they've also toured together and collaborated on each other's music for most of their marriage. In honor of their wedding anniversary, the love birds highlighted memorable events of their relationship and how it all started.
Fans Didn’t See It Coming
The couple first met briefly backstage at a Country Radio seminar in Nashville back in 1994 and the sparks between them were instant. As newcomers to the country music scene, both Hill and McGraw performed in the "New Faces" show during the seminar.
While the two got on at the event, Hill had just divorced her husband, Daniel Hill a songwriter and music publishing executive, and McGraw was dating Kristine Donahue.
Keep on reading their amazing story
Teaming Up On Tour
After two years of meeting at the Country radio seminar, the two singers teamed up well while they were on a joint tour named "Spontaneous Combustion Tour." in 1996. While McGraw was newly single after breaking off his engagement to Kristine Donahue, Hill was engaged to her record producer, Scott Hendricks, at the time. Hill will soon develop a chemistry with McGraw on the tour.
Sparks Fly
Sparks Flew between the two singers with their undeniable chemistry, especially when Tim asked Faith to open for him on his first headlining tour. They interacted amazingly together as they shared the stage. The time the two spent together on tour brought them closer, and things became more intense as the tour progressed.
She couldn’t contain her wandering eye but had a major decision to make. Faith had to decide to stay true to her man or see where things with Tim could go.
UnFaithful
Faith would not have long to make up her mind. After the show one evening, Faith accepted an invitation to come back to Tim’s dressing room. They clearly had some unresolved tension and had grown very close to each other over the tour.
While in the dressing room, Tim decided to go for it and made his move. They had their first kiss and could tell that something real was brewing. Faith realized what she wanted to do and called off her engagement.
Falling In Love
They developed into a true power couple after few months together and they made their first public appearance together as a couple at Andre Agassi’s Grand Slam for Children event in Las vegas in September 1996.
Unapologetically In Love
Faith received a lot of criticism from her fans due to the way she had left her previous relationship for Tim, and she openly responded by saying, "If someone is going to judge my character because I was engaged to somebody and then I left him for somebody else 'Oh, okay, now she's a slut and a bad person 'I can't control that but I wasn't about to let Tim slip through my hands".
The Unexpected News
The couple received some great news months after being engaged when Faith realized she was pregnant and expecting a child. And the news was quite amazing to many of their fans on how so soon the two got wrapped up and was expecting a child. Faith however was always proud to show off her baby bump at red carpet events. They will soon be married months later.
Popping The Question
During the tour on June 26, 1996, Faith was in Tim’s dressing room, which was housed in a trailer and hill decided to pop the question. Hill reminiscing about the event said, “I dropped forward on my knees, and I said I’m really serious, I want you to marry me and laughing in response “she said, we’re at a country music festival in a trailer house and you’re asking me to marry you, and I said “Yeah.
A few minutes later after McGraw had gone on stage to perform his part of the set Faith had written a special message ‘Yes I’m gonna be your wife! I love you” on the mirror and they had their first kiss thereafter. Faith realizing the rapport between her and McGraw was becoming intense, she decided to break up with her engaged boyfriend and producer, Scott Hendricks.
The Wedding
It wasn’t too long before Tim McGraw and Faith Hill Tied the knot. The couple planned a surprise wedding by inviting their friends and family into coming to Tim’s hometown of Rayville, Louisiana for a softball game and a concert and they were all shocked to have arrived for Tim and Faith’s wedding ceremony on October 6, 1996. Faith was three months pregnant at the time and said ‘I Do’ to Tim under an oak tree.
Green-Eyed Girlfriend
Having almost the same feelings for each other when they first met even though McGraw was with somebody else it was clear that his feelings for Hill were deep and serious. “For me, there was an intense physical attraction,” he said. “I guess my girlfriend saw it in my eyes. She said, ‘I don’t want you around her.'” But this only sparked bad things for his ex, who knew that something didn’t feel right and that ultimately, she was on her way out.
Indescribable Feeling
Faith Hill was adopted by Pat and Edna Perry at a young age and she has always been open about it, but she later gave insights as to how she felt when meeting her biological mother in 1993. She said “The first time I met my biological mother, I just stared at her. I’d never seen anyone that looked anything like me. It was the reverence feeling of seeing someone you came from.
Thankful For Adoption
Faith has always been thankful to her adopted parents a devout Christian, and she had her first singing experience as a child in the family’s Baptist church , she is always grateful to her birth mother aswell for giving her that opportunity to live with them. She said “I can’t imagine the choice to do that and how thankful I am that she was able to give me the opportunity that I had because I was placed into an incredible home that I mean basically is responsible for the way I am today and the backbone that I have.”
Newlyweds
The Country’s hottest couple Hill and McGraw was in the spotlight in 1997, when they appeared at the American Music Awards and were not only newlyweds but were also expecting a baby. The pregnant Hill was wearing a chic white baby doll dress to the AMAs which showcased her bump and she earned the most TNN Awards nominations of any star that year for her hit “Breathe”.
Indescribable Feeling
Although the story surrounding their romance was controversial, the couple was seemingly meant to be together and they’ve always mutually felt the same way about each other. “I mean I think we had a pretty instant knowledge that we were going to be together forever,” McGraw said. And on track the two have stayed glued to each other’s life till this day.
Baby On Board
After Nine months, with public appearances of showing off her baby bump Faith Hill gave birth to her first daughter Gracie Katherine on May 5, 1997. With Hill taking time off her professional career to have time for motherhood and her family and it was not long after that the two celebrated couples were expecting their second child.
What Happens On Tour…
The inseparable couple spent all their time together both at home, in the studio and while on tour that they decided to name their tour bus “The love bus” with Hill admitting that “A lot goes on in that bus,”. And throughout their career tours, groupies or flings haven’t been welcomed.
Protective Parent
Hill made motherhood a priority despite her fame and career and she has always expressed her feelings in interviews. “I can’t even say what my greatest fear is because I, I can’t even imagine,” she said. “Being without my family … I can’t even say it because it makes me cry.”
Making Sweet Music
Hill decided to take a three years break from the music game after four years of touring, and had her second child, Maggie Elizabeth in August 1998. However, she returned to the music game by combining with her beloved husband Tim, for a duet , for a song titled, “It’s Your Love” which became an instant success and liked by their fans. With faith and Tim making the perfect duo and appearing in the headlines once again.
Purpose
As a family man responsibilities and expectations arises, and Tim realizes that his music career and personal changed drastically after becoming a family man.“It gives everything a focus,” he said. “You feel like you got your arms around everything, and you know where your life’s headed. You just find a peace you never had before.” And it seems like, following the births of their daughters Gracie and Maggie; the couple had more purpose and new meaning to life.
Award Winning Couple
The couple’s hit song “It’s Your Love” and its accompanying video, which featured a pregnant Hill, were both commercially successful that it stayed at number one on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for six straight weeks and eventually won Best Country Song and Best Country collaboration with vocals at the Academy of Country Music Awards (CMA’s).
The video also won Video of the Year at the CMA’s that year. But for Faith, it’s so much more than just a song, it means so much more. “It feel like anybody else was really watching,” when they performed it live, she said.
Working Marriage
Faith made her comeback in 1998, eventually returning to her solo career and releasing an album titled in her name which displayed her singing talent with a rare pop sound. And she featured her husband, McGraw in duets such as “Just To Hear You Say That You Love Me,” “Let Me Let Go,” and “The Secret of Life” which became fan favorites. This led to them announcing a new tour.
Expanding The Brood
With Family to handle and two children in mind and professional careers to manage, many fans expected that the couple would not have time to expand the family. The couple proved people wrong when they shared their plans publicly with Tim admitting, “Ideally, we’d love five kids.” And talked also on the gender by saying, “I always wanted boys, but in a way I want it to stay this way. Just keep having girls. That way I’ll always dress good.”
Together We Tour
In 2000, the two successful country stars headlined a tour together Tagged ‘Soul2Soul’ and they took their daughters along. The couple started the tour in July 2000 and ended in December the same year and it was a success as they attracted around 950,000 people to 63 shows.
They mixed pleasure with business while on the tour looking happy together in shows, but it did not stop rumors from flying around that the couples were on the verge of splitting.
Hitting Back At Rumors
The flying rumors about their split got to the couple with Faith responding back, by saying “I’ve had an affair with my makeup artist, a female; an affair with my hairstylist; my marriage is on the rocks; Maggie is not Tim’s child, the naysayers. I don’t need their approval. I have too much going on. If that’s their entertainment, fine.” These words dissolved the sparked rumors and indicated that the couple was happy and fine.
Faith’s Strength
Faith and Tim were always speaking good things about each other and always defending their relationship during interviews with Faith expressing how Tim had brought to her life. She said, “Tim has given me confidence and strength and my foundation. He makes me feel like I can conquer the world.” The couple then welcomed their third daughter, Audrey in 2001.
Finding Comfort
Tim discovered that his biological father was Tug McGraw when he found his birth certificate at 11 years old but he chose not to deal with it until after he met Faith. He said, “I knew I had that instability and dysfunction in me, from the way I grew up. And when I met Faith, I knew I needed her in my life to keep me stable, solid and on track.” Tim summed up their connection through these family issues.
Standing Up For Faith
Tim was always the first to defend her wife, Faith Hill when she’s been criticized. He said, “Critics who attack my wife bug me.” He added, “It makes me want to pay ’em a visit so I could give ’em a good punch in the nose.”
Patriotic Family
The patriotic couple joined forces on Feb 13, 2003, at the Army post in Fort Bragg, North Carolina to entertain the military crowd. Tim praised the military crowd afterwards and also spoke highly of his wife, he said, “Faith is just cool, she’s really a smart, smart lady that has got everything together and knows her priorities.”
Battling Addiction
It wasn’t until 2008 that Tim opened up about how he could not go on stage to perform without having a drink or two and he was ready to let go of his addiction. He later said, “Faith saved my life in a lot of ways from myself more than anything. I can go down a dark road sometimes, when you’re not feeling good about yourself, and she pulls me out. My wife makes me a better man.” Apparently Faith supported him throughout the tough periods.
Ultimatum
Faith gave Tim an ultimatum as she would not remain by his side forever if he wasn’t willing to fight his battles and get over it. With the fear of losing his wife and his daughters, Gracie, Maggie and Audrey and the choice to keep his family intact. Tim enrolled in a martial arts class and shed forty pounds.
Talking It Out
The couple is always proving and appreciating their love for one another and the love birds bonds so well even after many years together. Tim revealed that expressing themselves has always lightens up the pair’s relationship. He said, “She would be perfectly happy if I told her, ‘Let’s get in the car and ride for two hours and talk.’ That would be as big a gift to her as anything.”
Back On Top
The couple achieved the goal of having a successful career and a successful marriage as its not seen in many marriages in the entertainment industry even with their heavy schedules. When McGraw appeared in the award winning film The Blind Side, faith also contributed to the film Country song soundtrack.
Family Man
Tim played the fatherly role so well when he appeared in the movie The Blind side. And his outstanding performance led to him saying: “I’m very family oriented. I’ve always been family oriented. I came from a disoriented, dysfunctional family growing up. That probably instilled in me the need and want to have a strong family and a great foundation. That’s something I naturally gravitate towards.”
Inspiring One Another
Faith Hill was always gushing about her husband just as he does, and she said her husband inspires her a lot in many ways. She said “Tim inspires me every day in many, many ways.” She noted, adding: “I draw inspiration from his assertiveness and from watching him being a father and a husband.” Even with critics and rumors around, their confidence and love grew stronger as a couple.
Negative Attention
In 2013, when McGraw’s album Two Lanes of Freedom was released, there seems to be more attention on his relationship with his wife, Hill than his new album. With rumors that their relationship might have hit the rock, Hill responded by saying that “the Rumors seem to be running like crazy right now for some reason. It’s perplexing. I don’t know why ‘happy’ can’t be a story.” Tim responded aswell, “We’ve been married 17 years, and since the first week we were married those things were out, we don’t even think about it.”
College Calling
It was time for the couple’s second daughter, Maggie to go to college, and they found it difficult watching their daughter leave for college. Tim said “It’s beautiful, and it’s sad all at one time, You know, you can’t wait for them to sort of see what they make of themselves and do with themselves when they get out from under your umbrella, but you’re also nervous and sad because you’re gonna miss ’em.”
Supermom
During an interview with Oprah Winfrey, the couple explained their family life and the key to their successful marriage Faith said “we close our door at home; we are husband and wife and a mother and a father.” As for Tim he said, “I think about the fact that we’re married and the fact that we raised these three beautiful daughters. And then I think about having three daughters and having Hill for their mom. It’s a pretty cool thing for those girls to have her.”
Oh, Brother
Tim and Faith helped Faith’s brother, Zachary White who was battling with addiction In 2013, Zachary later admitted how the couple helped him out by saying “I made my share of mistakes in the past, but Faith showed me that I could be a better person, I turned my life around, and I owe much of that to Faith and Tim. If it weren’t for them, there’s no telling where I’d be now.”
Daughter Dreams
Most parents would like their children to follow in their footsteps but as successful as Faith is she wanted her children to know what it takes to get to the peak, she said “The one thing we stress is that you don’t get things handed to you on a silver platter you have to work for the things you want, they know it takes hard work.” she added by saying that “As a parent, you don’t want to stand in the way of their dreams.”
A New Duet
Tim and Faith have been teaming up together to duet on stage and in shows which has resulted in their huge success. But it was captivating in 2015, when Tim allowed her 18 year old daughter Gracie to perform with him on stage to the single “Here Tonight,” and the father -daughter duet was entertaining which made Faith, the proud mother and wife to join them on stage.
Enjoying The Moment
With 20 years of performance together ,the pair seems never to get enough of each other, with Tim confessing that his wife still takes his breath away: “It amazes me every night, every chance I get to sing with her.” It even seems that his wife’s talents are intimidating while watching her sing or perform as he explained, “When you see somebody you love up there, it’s a lot more.”
Channeling Beyoncé
Faith admitted that there is one particular pop star she looks up to when performing. “The truth is, I want to be Beyoncé every single freaking night of my life, so I go out there thinking, ‘I am Beyoncé!'” They might sing in completely different genres, but Beyonce and Faith have more in common than you’d think as they both went on couple’s tour and married high profile musicians.
Keeping The Family Together
Faith has always made her family her priorities and was not afraid to take a break from her career because of her family which Tim appreciated in an interview, Tim said “She’s the light of our whole family’s life. She keeps everything going for us. We all strive to be like my wife, everybody in our family. If your wife holds the example for everybody in your family, that’s a good thing.”
Writing For His Women
The couple released a single together titled “Speak to a Girl” in 2017 and Tim admitted that it was a particularly special song for his family as he drew inspiration for it through the women in his life. He said, “It’s special for us, having three daughters—me being a husband and Faith being a mom of three daughters and growing up in a world of all women like I did, I think it’s just a really special song.”
Meet The Parents
Tim met his daughter Gracie’s, boyfriend in a remarkable and memorable way Tim says he was “in the kitchen and I forget that he’s coming. I have a white apron on and a knife and I’m trimming meat up, so I’ve got chunks of meat all over this white apron, blood everywhere.” And he might have accidentally scared off his daughter’s boyfriend in their first meeting.
Pushing Each Other’s Buttons
Every couple has its flaws and Tim and hill proved that they were not perfect as seen in the lyrics of their song. “I know that sometimes you hate me/We spend most of our days together with you trying to change me,” This came as a surprise to many, with Faith saying “I like a good fight, I know how to press those buttons. And if I’m a little angry, I can press those buttons big time.”
Fighting With Faith
As much as Tim and Faith get into arguments and dispute they confessed that it’s mostly on minor issues that leads to nothing, speaking about their last argument Tim said “the last argument we got into, I didn’t load the dishwasher or something.
Healthy Hill?
Faith’s health became a concern in 2017 when she was looking lean while performing on stage with Medical professionals claiming it was due to her hectic touring lifestyle, dehydration, and perhaps a heart issue. However, a source close to Faith revealed her loss of weight was as a result of her tight schedule and visiting the Gym more often.
The Best Memories
Life together after 20 years of marriage might be quite boring but to Tim and Hill they try and lighten things up by performing together which keeps their relationship alive. The couple's stated On performing together, Tim said “The memories we have created every time we have gone out have been the best memories of our career”, and he added we have “two kids in college, what else are we gonna do?”
Making It Last
During their tour when the couple was asked about what their secret to a successful marriage was, Tim said, “Well, she tolerates a lot, I think that’s probably the main reason.” with Faith also admitting that Tim “tolerates a lot too.” and that she is “not the easiest person.”, she said the major secret was that they do actually like one another.
Fame In The Family
Tim McGraw never knew about his biological father until he was 11 years old, and he never new who he was nor his profession. As Tim's father Tug Mcgraw was pitching for the Jacksonville Suns, which was then an international team and His mother was only in high school when she met Tug McGraw, who lived in the apartment directly above hers in Jacksonville, Florida.
Caught Unawares
Tim Mcgraw didn’t bear his real father's surname when he was a kid because he never knew him until he was 11 years old when he discovered his birth certificate and he never knew that his stepfather, Horace Smith, wasn’t his biological father, as his mother never bothered to tell him, and McGraw donned the last name of ‘Smith’ at the time.
In Denial
Tim was nearly an adult before his father, Tug Mcgraw could recognize and acknowledge him as his son because of the striken resemblance, Tim could never forget the first time he met his father , who was well known by then, having played for the New York Mets for a number of years.
In His Father’s Footsteps
Tim found himself drawn to the world of team sports when he was young, eventually earning himself a baseball scholarship to Northeast Louisiana University. Unfortunately for Tim his baseball career was caught shirt when he injured his knee during a game. This made him divert to music having learned how to play the guitar.
Cooking From The Heart
The two talked about how they started dating with Faith revealing that Tim tried to impress her, “Tim brought me chicken and dumplings.” Faith revealed. “He came to my house unannounced. He knocked on my door, and he had a bowl of homemade chicken dumplings.” Tim added that he’d also made her cornbread."
He said, 'I made these myself. They're homemade from scratch.' He had the bowl covered in aluminum foil, and he had a spoon and a fork on top of the bowl. He said, 'I didn't know if you liked to eat your dumplings with a spoon or a fork.'"
Out Of Place
Faith was raised by adopted parents with a feeling that she was an outsider. She told reporters during an interview, she said “I have a great family: salt of the earth, hardworking. But I’m a gypsy at heart. I had a spirit that was completely outside what my family was. I didn’t know anyone I was related to, biologically, which gives you a sense of not knowing who you are . she also stated that “I used to think there was some kind of conspiracy, that I must be the daughter of one of my aunts. And of course I used to dream I was Elvis’ daughter….
Declined By Reba
Faith auditioned to sing with Reba as a teenager which didn't work out as she has been performing at her adopted family's Baptist Church and in surrounding churches with her unique voice prompting her to create her own band at such a tender age.
Shattering Her World
Faith spoke about her marriage to Daniel Hill, whom she met upon moving to Nashville. she said she had to leave almost everything from her past behind, including Daniel. She said of the marriage, “I was going through so much. I was like a flower trying to bud. Marriage wasn’t what I needed. It was a disguise.”
Number One
In November 2017, Faith and Tim joint debuted an album and it was their first that they would record together, which was titled “The Rest Of Our Life.” and the album was a huge success becoming number one on the Top Country Albums chart. And in response to their successful album they were quoted by saying: “We are especially grateful for our amazing fans and the talented folks who worked on the album with us, we are blessed to get to do this and, even more so, together.”
Return To Tour
