An American singer and record producer, Tim McGraw has released a staggering 15 studio albums, 12 of which have reached number one on the Top Country Albums charts. But which song was his first?
Tim Mcgraw made his debut in 1991 with the song ‘What Room is the Holiday In’. His self-titled debut album was released a few years later, in 1993, but didn’t make the charts. The country singer’s second album, ‘Not a Moment too Soon’, was an undeniable hit and became the best-selling country album of 1994.
Read on to find out more about Tim McGraw’s early music and his incredible career.
Rocky Beginnings
Tim McGraw’s southern twang and heartfelt ballads have earned him three Grammy Awards, but his entry onto the music scene wasn’t an instant success.
Born in Louisiana, McGraw attended Northeast Louisiana University on a baseball scholarship, but began performing his music frequently after buying a guitar from a pawnshop. Caring little about his grades, McGraw soon dropped out of college, dreaming of his name in lights.
The hopeful musician headed to Nashville and at the age of 23, he signed a record deal with Curb Records. His debut single ‘What Room is the Holiday In’ was a flop and a program director, who booked the song on his station, frankly reflected that “it was just a terrible song”.
McGraw’s first album ‘Tim McGraw’ similarly failed to bring the singer his first taste of success. His song ‘Welcome to the Club’, got the closest to reaching the Top 40, peaking at No. 47 on the Billboards country charts.
Although unable to find critical acclaim, McGraw drummed up a fanbase performing on the road. He told CMT in 2010 that “what cut my teeth and made me a better artist, and made me a better singer, and made me a better performer were those years I spent on the road in a van, pulling the trailer.”
Country Stardom
The singer’s graft started to pay off with the release of his second album ‘Not a Moment Too Soon’, which achieved immense success. Featuring songs including ‘Indian Outlaw’ and ‘Don’t Take the Girl’, the album was Billboard’s best-selling country album of the year.
From this point on, McGraw’s success is dizzying, and has brought him a slew of awards and accolades. In 2014, he won the People’s Choice Award for ‘Favorite Country Music Icon’, a well-deserved title considering he had sold 75 million records as of June 2018, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time.
In addition to a triumphant music career, McGraw found success in the world of acting. His first major acting appearance came as Charles Billingsley in high school football drama ‘Friday Night Lights’, a role which brought him critical acclaim.
He’s acted in other notable films such as ‘Flicka’, ‘The Blind Side’ and ‘Tomorrowland’ but interestingly has yet to play the part of a singer.
Watch the official music video for Tim McGraw’s award-winning song ‘Live Like You Were Dying’ below.
Taylor Swift – ‘Tim McGraw’
Fans of a slightly younger country star might be more familiar with ‘Tim McGraw’ the song, than Tim McGraw the legend.
Superstar Taylor Swift debuted with ‘Tim McGraw’ when she was just 16 years old. In the song, the young Taylor Swift lists all the things that would remind her of an old boyfriend, with an unnamed song by Tim McGraw topping the list.
The duo have since performed together and clearly have a lot of mutual respect with McGraw telling interviewers, “She’s great. You know, I’ve been a fan of Taylor so long”.
Awards and other achievements aside, with a song titled after him by the country princess herself, it’s safe to conclude that Tim McGraw is a certifiable country legend.