Tim McGraw was born May 1, 1967, in Delhi, La. After a small-town upbringing, he arrived in Nashville in 1989 and released his self-titled debut album in 1992 on Curb Records. He didn't have a major hit until 1994's Not a Moment Too Soon,
which included the controversial single "Indian Outlaw." He followed that up with his first No. 1 record, "Don't Take the Girl," and continued with "Down on the Farm," "Refried Dreams" and the title cut. The project was named album of the year in 1994 by the Academy of Country Music.
McGraw's next album, 1995's All I Want, sold multi-platinum on the strength of the multi-week No. 1 hit "I Like It, I Love It." In 1996, McGraw teamed up with Warner Bros. recording artist Faith Hill for the Spontaneous Combustion tour. It proved to be just that, as McGraw and Hill were married in October 1996.
McGraw's Everywhere earned the CMA album of the year honors in 1998. The lead single, "It's Your Love," was the first musical collaboration between McGraw and Hill. It held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard country singles chart for six weeks, garnered the couple a CMA vocal event trophy and won vocal event, video, song and single of the year at the ACM Awards. More duets followed: "Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me" won the 1998 ACM vocal event trophy, and "Let's Make Love" earned a Grammy.
A Place in the Sun debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard country and pop albums charts in 1999. On the strength of the hits "Please Remember Me" and "Something Like That," McGraw won his second CMA album of the year award. Already a popular headlining act, McGraw joined the George Strait Country Music Festival and teamed with Asleep at the Wheel to record "Milk Cow Blues" for the Grammy-winning Bob Wills tribute album Ride With Bob. McGraw picked up male vocalist of the year honors at the CMA awards in 1999 and 2000.
Following his Greatest Hits, McGraw released Set This Circus Down in 2001, hitting No. 1 with "Grown Men Don't Cry," "Angry All the Time" and "The Cowboy in Me." He also filmed a video for "Angel Boy" and harmonized and helped produce Jo Dee Messina's crossover hit, "Bring On the Rain."
McGraw and his touring band, the Dancehall Doctors, retreated to upstate New York to record the 2002 studio album, Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors. The first single, "Red Ragtop," suggested an abortion-related story line, although the ensuing controversy didn't hinder his career. He filmed the video to "She's My Kind of Rain" in London, and his 2003 tour featured more than two hours of music, without an opening act.
Another career single came his way in 2004 when the anthem "Live Like You Were Dying" dominated the airwaves. It spent seven weeks atop Billboard's country airplay chart and won two Grammys and two CMA Awards. The follow-up single, "Back When," topped the charts too. McGraw also teamed with urban artist Nelly for the pop hit, "Over and Over," which was included on McGraw's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 in 2006. He spent most of 2006 touring with Hill on the Soul2Soul2 tour, which sold more than a million tickets.
