Tim McGraw and his wife have been married for nearly three decades, but there was a time when the former almost lost his family. Thankfully, the family overcame the challenging phase and raised their beautiful daughters to be normal and grounded. Here are the details.
American Country Music Singer and Songwriter Tim McGraw has seen it all in the entertainment industry. At 55, he has released about 16 studio albums and has three Grammy Awards to his name.
However, despite McGraw’s musical accomplishments, the greatest highlight of his life remains finding and marrying the love of his life and American Singer Faith Hill. McGraw and Hill have been married for over two decades, yet their romance appears evergreen.
The lovebirds first crossed paths in 1994 at a Country Radio Seminar showcase in Nashville. Sadly no romance sprung from their encounter as the pair were both in relationships. At the time, McGraw was dating Kristine Donahue, while Hill was engaged to Record producer Scott Hendricks.
Due to their romantic involvement, neither duo knew they would share a beautiful love story someday. Two years later, the singers would meet again when Hill performed an opening act at McGraw’s Spontaneous Combustion Tour. This time, the couple decided to get to know each other more deeply, and sparks began to fly in the process.
At some point during the tour, the “Highway Don’t Care” crooner could not deny his feelings anymore, eventually opening up to Hill. Unknown to McGraw, the feeling was mutual. The pair’s relationship started snowballing from there, and they broke up with their respective partners.
Hill would later defend her decision to leave Hendricks. According to her, she could not control how she felt towards McGraw and could not let him “slip through her fingers.” Fortunately, getting romantically involved with the Grammy Award winner may have been one of Hill’s best decisions.
On June 26, 1996, a few months after they met and started dating, McGraw popped the question. Recalling how it all went down, the songwriter revealed (via People):
“We were in the dressing room, here, June 26, 1996, and it was raining and stuff, and we’d been on tour for a while together, and I joked around with her about getting married. And so, I looked at her, grabbed her by the hands, and dropped forward on my knees on stage.”
After popping the question, McGraw noted that Hill questioned the proposal, reminding her boyfriend they were at a country music festival in a trailer house. Still, McGraw cared less about the circumstances they were in and more about how he felt toward Hill.
He eventually went back onstage without getting an answer to his proposal, but when he came back offstage, McGraw got what he wished for. “I saw a Sharpie with lipstick kisses all over it saying, ‘Yes! I’m gonna be your wife,’” he recalled.
Some months later, on October 6, 1996, the lovebirds exchanged wedding vows at McGraw’s aunt Barbara’s house close to Start, Louisiana.
The couple revealed they were expecting their first child in January of the following year. Hill showed off her growing baby bump during the American Music Awards show. Then, a few months later, McGraw and his singer wife expanded their family.
On May 5, 1997, they welcomed their first child and daughter, Gracie. Not long after, Hill took in again, and on August 12, 1998, the couple celebrated the arrival of their second daughter, Maggie.
Three years after Maggie’s birth, the singer and his wife’s third daughter, Audrey, joined the family on December 6, 2001. According to reports, she arrived eight weeks before the due date and spent her first few days in the neonatal intensive care unit.
McGraw’s alcohol addiction is not the only challenge the couple has dealt with in the past years. In March 2018, Hill’s husband collapsed on stage during a show in Ireland.
Thankfully, everything eventually turned out well with Audrey. Today, the country music star and his wife have three beautiful grown-up daughters.
Wife Saved Tim from Losing Family
Considering how long McGraw and Hill have been together, the pair inspires many young couples. But like many other marriages, the singers’ union has not been without challenges.
Over the years, McGraw has spoken candidly about the challenges he and Hill have gone through. In 2018, the songwriter recalled a time in his life when he could have lost his family due to alcohol addiction.
McGraw was already a renowned musician, but the need to maintain the top spot weighed heavily on his shoulders. As a result, the singer would take some alcohol before climbing the stage for a performance.
According to McGraw, it made him feel powerful and courageous, and he would effortlessly wow the audience. But sadly, with time, the singer became dependent on alcohol. Eventually, things went out of hand. In McGraw’s words:
“I drank too much. I partied too much. And I did other things too much.”
Slowly, the singer’s life was spiraling out of control, and he was losing his family. McGraw once recalled waking up at about 8 a.m. and heading to the liquor cabinet for a shot when he needed to wake his kids up.
At that moment, McGraw knew he needed to get help. So, after a long battle with alcoholism, he opened up to his wife, and she stepped in to help. Hill felt devastated seeing her husband drift away and knew that things could not continue that way.
To her, challenging McGraw to be a better husband and father was the only out. So, Hill gave her husband two options — he could choose his family or the reckless life, as he could not have both.
McGraw knew he could not lose his family. So, the singer quit drinking and worked towards being a better father to his girls. Ultimately, Hill helped get her husband to where he is today. McGraw confessed:
“She saved my life in many ways — from myself more than anything. Sometimes, I can go down a dark road, and she pulls me out. My wife makes me a better man.”
For the songstress, it felt great seeing her husband recommit himself to his family again. Hill would reveal that after McGraw overcame his addiction, she became inspired by how the singer took on the responsibility of being a father and husband.
But despite how inspirational McGraw had become, Hill kept an eye on her husband lest he returned to his old ways. Thankfully, the singer is sober many years later and has his family intact.
McGraw’s alcohol addiction is not the only challenge the couple has dealt with in the past years. In March 2018, Hill’s husband collapsed on stage during a show in Ireland.
An eyewitness revealed that the incident looked terrible and terrifying. According to the eye witness, McGraw fell, and immediately, his band rushed over to him and took him offstage.
Afterward, Hill addressed the health scare. While on stage, she assured the audience that her husband was fine, adding that he was dehydrated due to the traveling.
Then, she announced that McGraw would not return to the stage to finish the performance. Hill also advised fans to stay hydrated.
Raising Daughters at Rural Manor
After McGraw and Hill went through the rough patch, the couple purchased a rural manor home. The two-story 622-acre property was built in 1800 and spanned 3,152 square feet.
It comprises a living room, three bedrooms, four bathrooms, the main suite, six fireplaces, a storage building, a barn, a 12-stall stable, and an eat-in kitchen.
The decorations, designs, and furniture are nothing short of elegant for the living room.
It features a white painting, black and gray carpet, a tan leather sofa, a built-in fireplace, floor-to-ceiling windows, a white marble backdrop, natural light, a grand piano, a brass antique-looking chandelier, and a spiral staircase with a black railing.
Walking into the kitchen, a guest is greeted by varnished wooden floors, stainless steel appliances, concrete style splashback, and a stainless steel chimney hood. Overall, the abode screams luxury and class.
McGraw and Hill purchased the property in 2003 and happily raised their daughters there. Together, the family of five made beautiful memories.
The couple would take turns driving their daughters to school and then take Maggie to dance lessons. At the same time, McGraw helped as a coach on Gracie’s basketball team.
Additionally, he would cook for the family once in a while, and Hill was proud to show off her husband. Ultimately, McGraw, Hills, and their daughters had memorable moments in the rural manor home.
Tim and Faith Become Empty Nesters
After enjoying their daughters’ company for many years, McGraw and Hill are now “empty nesters.” Their older daughters, Gracie, and Maggie live in a different state while Audrey moved out of her parents’ Nashville, Tennessee home in 2021 to pursue a career in show business.
It has been difficult for McGraw and Hill to adjust to living away from their kids. During a chat with People, the father of three said:
“You’re used to getting up in the morning, taking kids to school, going to softball and basketball and cheerleader practices, and all of a sudden, all that’s gone when your last one leaves.”
He further noted that the afternoons with his daughters were memorable because Hill was always in the kitchen, cooking, whenever they returned from school. McGraw also said:
“I miss them coming in and smelling what mom’s cooking and being excited about dinner. I miss the energy around. There were times when we had 15 teenage girls in our house talking about boys and life and everything going on.”
But even though Gracie, Maggie, and Audrey were not around anymore, McGraw said they still stayed in touch and maintained the closeness they always shared.
At the same time, the country music singer felt inspired by his daughters’ decisions to pursue success. He described them as strong, independent, and strong-minded. In addition, the father of three noted:
“And what I’m most grateful for is just how normal our kids are and how grounded they are and how much they respect themselves and others.”
With their children finding their way, McGraw and Hill have the house all to themselves and still enjoy their lives. The latter once shared a video of her and her husband doing a romantic dance, and fans loved it.
Similarly, the doting husband also gives fans glimpses of his life with Hill. In one of the Instagram posts, McGraw shared some beautiful flowers in flower pots after gardening with Hill.
Overall, the couple is having the best time of their lives. Recently, they marked 26 years of marital bliss, and McGraw commemorated the occasion with a beautiful post.
Taking to Instagram, he shared a clip showing some romantic and intimate moments he has experienced with his wife while a lovely country song played in the background. McGraw captioned the post:
“Wow, 26 years! Happy anniversary to my girl!! I love you, baby @faithhill.”
Shortly after the post was shared, fans took to the comments section to air their thoughts and offer congratulatory messages to the couple. Many netizens wrote that McGraw and Hill were an inspiration to them, adding that their love was rare.
Hill did not leave all the posting to her husband. She also took to her Instagram page with a video of her and McGraw giving a speech at the Country Music Hall of Fame Induction.
During the speech, Hill gushed about her man, sharing how much of an amazing father and husband he was. It was a lovely sight, as the duo had happiness all over them. In the caption accompanying the clip, Hill wrote:
“Married to this man 26 years today. I ran into this video a while back and thought it would be a good post in honor of our 26th wedding anniversary. I love making my husband laugh, but nothing is more fun than making him do so in public.”
At 26 years of marriage, McGraw and Hill prove that true love exists. Hopefully, the love and happiness McGraw and Hill share will never end.