Protective Parent - The Real Story Behind Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s Marriage

Personal Life

The two recently celebrated 21 years of marriage. Being the not so ordinary couple that they are, they chose to use the occasion to share with the world just how different they are. This is how their story began...

Tim McGraw`s childhood was not easy. when he was just a teenager he discovered that the man he thought was his dad was not his biological father. Tim found out that his biological father was former New York Mets pitcher, who eventually accepted him as his son. Faith Hill had a different childhood as well. She was adopted as an infant and was raised  with  two brother who were her adopting parents biological sons, Faith was brought up in a strict  Christian environment.

Earlier Life

At the end of 1994, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill met at the New Faces Show in Nashville. Faith had recently divorced Daniel Hill, and McGraw at the time was dating Kristine Donahue.

While they only had a short backstage interaction, it nonetheless left an imprint on one another. All of their experiences since then have been leading up to this recent announcement.

UnFaithful

The two had started to develop emotional feelings toward one another when Tim, one night, invited Faith to his dressing room after the concert.

The couple had an amazing connection and they knew that they wanted to pursue a relationship together. They had their first kiss on this night and Faith knew that she had to call off her engagement in order to be with Tim.

Sparks Fly

When Tim and Faith sing together, their chemistry can be felt by the audience. As the tour went on, feelings intensified and the country stars couldn’t hold back.

The situation was anything but simple, as Faith was due to get married. She knew that she had to decide on one of the men, it wasn’t fair to either of them to keep them on a threat. Should she stay with her fiancé or try to see how things go with Tim?

Falling In Love

The two finally gave in to each other and set off to embark on a relationship with one another. Fans, of course, could not get enough of them.

Their romance moved very fast and after a few months of dating, they made their first appearance publicly together at the Andre Agassi’s Grand Slam for Children event. They seemed perfect for each other yet fans judged Faith because of the unloyal way she started dating McGraw.

Apologetically In Love

Faith was not willing to put up with the negative comments that were being thrown at her. She remarked unrelentingly “If someone is going to judge my character because I was engaged to somebody and then I left him for somebody else, I can’t control that. But I wasn’t about to let Tim slip through my hands. And I had more self-worth and self-respect to not.”

After striking back in a bold and self-assured fashion, the media kept quiet and stopped bashing her for her choices.

The Unexpected News

After an impulsive and completely unexpected romance, Faith found out that she was pregnant. It was definitely shocking but they were super excited at the news.

Fans were thrilled to see Faith on the red carpet showing a little baby bump. Faith was radiating from head to toe. McGraw, meanwhile, was planning something else behind the scenes. He knew that he had found his soulmate. Now, he wanted to make it official.

Popping The Question

McGraw remembers the day like it was yesterday. He started to talk about marriage with Faith, he said “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 said… I looked at her, grabbed her by the hand, and dropped forward onstage. She had already done her show. And I said, ‘I’m really serious. I want you to marry me.”

After McGraw had finished his show and got off stage, Faith was waiting and had written Yes! on a mirror.

The Wedding

Hill and McGraw planned a huge surprise for their friends and family. They invited them to come over to watch a game of softball and a concert in McGraw’s hometown Rayville, Louisiana. Guests had no idea what was waiting for them. When they arrived, they were greeted by an official wedding ceremony.

Faith by that point was three months pregnant and donned a beautiful yet modest white dress while barefoot. Tim was in jeans and a black coat. They said “I do” under an oak tree. They were some of the first celebrities to pull off a surprise wedding.

Hit Makers

As a newly married couple, they made one of their first public appearances together at the American Music Awards.

Faith was at this point much more pregnant and her baby belly could be seen through her white baby doll dress. The two looked super in love, it was clear to anybody who saw them. They couldn’t wait to start their little family.

Green Eyed Girlfriend

As Tim recalls how it all began with Faith, he remembers a quite uncomfortable situation that occurred with his ex-girlfriend.

Tim shared that when he first saw Faith in flesh, his eyes sparkled so much that his ex-girlfriend even noticed. She told him that she didn’t want him hanging around Faith. Looks like Tim’s ex had an accurate intuition about the two and she was about to get dumped

Baby On Board

Faith made many appearances with her growing baby bump and fans were very excited to see their favorite couple’s first child.

In May 1997, their daughter, Gracie Katherine, was born. Faith took a break from singing to be with her family. It wasn’t long before the couple decided to expand their number again. It seemed like these lovers were crazier about each other day after day.

What Happens On Tour…

Faith and Tim expressed their love for one another anywhere and everywhere. It seemed that they spent all of their time together.

They named their tour bus the love bus and Faith shared that “a lot goes on in that bus.” The two remained completely loyal to one another throughout their relationship, unlike many other stars who often use their reputation to hook up with groupies.

Protective Parent

: It seemed like motherhood came so natural to Faith. During interviews, it became obvious how much Faith loves her family. She even confessed that she was developing a fear of not being with her family all the time.

Faith said, “I can’t even say what my greatest fear is because I, I can’t even imagine. Being without my family … I can’t even say it because it makes me cry.” In 1998, the pair welcome a second daughter, and the family was perfect.

Making Sweet Music

Faith took a much needed three years away from making music after an exhausting four years of touring while raising her young children. When she did decide to go back to singing, she didn’t want to do it alone this time.

Faith joined her husband, like the power couple that they are and they recorded the song “It’s Your Love.” The song was a big success and Tim and Faith were passionate about creating more music together.

Purpose

Tim started to see that his children were becoming a major inspiration for his music. While previously Faith had often inspired him, now his children were also encouraging him.

Tim stated, ”It gives everything a focus,” adding, “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.” It was clear that both Faith and Tim had discovered who they really were once they became parents.

Award Winning Couple

Faith and Tim won an award at the Academy of Country Music Awards for their song “It’s Your Love.” The couple spoke about just how touching it was for them to perform the song together live “it doesn’t feel like anybody else is really watching״.

Tim and Faith`s love for one another was so obvious and apparently the couple promised each other from the beginning of the relationship that they would never spend more than three days apart.

Working Marriage

In 1998, Faith went back to recording a new album and called it “Faith.” The more pop-oriented album exemplified Faith’s talent once again.

Much to fans’ approval, Faith featured her husband on the album and the two recorded the following songs together: “Just To Hear You Say That You Love Me,” “Let Me Let Go,” and “The Secret of Life,” the latter being the crowd favorite. Fans were even more thrilled to hear that they would embark once again on a tour together.

Expanding The Brood

By 1999, Tim and Faith had a beautiful family of four and were busy with their schedules. However, the couple didn’t want that to stop them.

When questioned about having more children, Tim stated “Ideally, we’d love five kids,” and when pushed to answer the question whether he wants more girls or boys he added “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, with their daughter joining along, her and Tim set off on their first record breaking co-headlining tour together. The tour was not only a financial success but it allowed the couple to maximize their time with one another.

It seemed as though Tim and Faith were still well in their honeymoon phase and didn’t need any personal space from each other. Despite their evident love, the media still fabricated rumors that the two were in midst of a break up.

Hitting Back At Rumors

When the rumors started to circulate, Faith did anything but sit back and accept them. She said “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.”

While the media often manifests celebrity breakups which naturally affect the couple, Faith and Tim assured the public that it didn’t affect them.

Faith’s Strength

In all their red carpet interviews, the two professed their love for one another. In 2000, Faith had said during an interview “Tim has given me confidence and strength and my foundation. He makes me feel like I can conquer the world.”

In 2001, the couple decided to expand their family once again and they welcome into the world their third daughter, Audrey. It seemed like everything was perfect, until Tim had a setback.

Finding Comfort

Tim had found out only after finding is birth certificate that his father was Tug McGraw. He repressed his feelings about this until he met Faith. “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.” Faith also helped Tim deal with other things...

“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.” Faith also helped Tim deal with other things...

Indescribable Feeling

After the two wed, Tim shared their deep feelings for one another. He said “I mean I think we had a pretty instant knowledge that we were going to be together forever.”

While most relationships in the music industry don’t last, Tim and Faith seemed to have a different relationship, one that would last throughout the years.

He Never Knew

Tim’s father was Frank “Tug” McGraw, a former relief pitcher in the New York Mets. Tug is remembered for coining one of fans’ favorite phrase, “ya gotta believe,” which became a popular rallying cry for the Mets.

Tug briefly dated Betty D’Agostino, and shortly after, the country sensation Tim McGraw was born. He later wrote a biography called “Ya Gotta Believe” in which he discloses that he never had a chance to be a father to Tim because D’Agostino left him without revealing her pregnancy.

Wouldn’t Recognize Him

While Tug wasn’t willing to recognize Tim as his son until he was 17, the two were nonetheless able to develop a close relationship.

Tim found out that his stepfather was not his biological only at the age of 11, so we’re sure he had to deal with a lot of emotional and mental baggage until he was able to develop a relationship with his birth father.

A Man Now

Tim grew up thinking that his step-father was his biological father. He grew up with him and the rest of his family in Louisiana in the small town of Start. When Betty and Tim’s father divorced, Betty finally shared with Tim the truth about his roots.

Tim shared with Country Weekly why he didn’t establish a relationship with his father until he was older: “I felt like I was a man now and I needed to face him and try to work things out. Plus, it just was the right time to pursue it, to ask some questions.”

Untimely Parting

When Tim gained a second father in Tug, he also gained a few more siblings. From Tug’s previous relationship with his first wife Phyllis Kline, he had a son named Mark and a daughter named Carrie. From his second wife Diane Hovenkamp-Robertson he had a son named Matthew.

Tug also had two stepsons names Christopher and Ian Hovenkamp. Tim definitely had a lot of unresolved issues to deal and he says that it took the death of his feather for him to truly understand the role that Faith played in his life.

She Was His Rock

In an interview that Tug and Tim gave in honor of Father’s Day, Tug stated “Timmy has a passion for what he’s doing, he has a passion for life, when it came to my baseball career, I was really into the intricacies of baseball, trying to take it to an art form and I see Timmy doing that with his music. Tim is very particular in his choice of music. I have tremendous admiration for him.”

After Tug passed away, Faith was there wholeheartedly.

Standing Up For Faith

Tim is Faith’s number one supporter, there’s no doubt about that. So it’s no surprise that her husband is the first to answer when people criticize his wife.

Tim 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.” So, unless you want to deal with Tim, you should refrain from bad mouthing Faith.

Patriotic Family

The country stars are very patriotic and supportive of their country, especially of the armed forces.

At the Army post in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Hill and McGraw performed together for the military crowd. They not only acclaimed the army, but Tim also showed admiration towards 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

In 2008, Tim came forward with his alcohol addiction. He admitted to not being able to perform without having one or two drinks. The one or two drinks ended up spiraling into an addiction.

With the support of Faith, Tim was able to tackle his addiction. He stated, “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.”

Ultimatum

However, there did come a point in time when Faith had to give Tim an ultimatum. While she was extremely sympathetic and caring of her husband during his battle with alcohol, she did threaten to leave him and take the girls if he didn’t get his act together.

Tim had to use all his power and make the decision to get sober. He proceeded to lose forty pounds and even started to train with a martial arts master.

Talking It Out

If anything, the power couple proved that no matter what barrier they came up against, they had each other and that was everything.

Tim shared that they always express themselves to one another. “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.” Couples who have open communication with one another have a stronger relationship.

Back On Top

It is pretty uncommon for stars in the music industry to have both a successful career and relationship, but the two proved that this isn’t always the case.

In 2008, Tim appeared in the Oscar nominated film The Blind Side alongside Sandra Bullock while in 2010, Faith recorded songs for the soundtrack of the film Country Strong. Of course, Faith and Tim were there for each other, arm in arm, during both events’ red carpet.

Family Man

McGraw’s role as Sean Tuohy, the father of Michael Oher in the film The Blind Side, came pretty naturally to him.

Tim said ““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.” He gave an amazing performance in the film and it was evident that he was able to connect with his character.

Inspiring One Another

Faith and Tim often speak about how they are each other’s biggest support. Faith said “Tim inspires me every day in many, many ways. I draw inspiration from his assertiveness and from watching him being a father and a husband.”

While it was very clear that the couple were completely smitten by one another and had a relationship that would debunk the statistic of couples in the industry, they still had critics.

College Calling

When parents become empty nesters and send their kids off to college, it’s a difficult adjustment for them to make. While Faith and Tim still had two more children had home, sending Maggie off to college was far from easy for the two.

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, McGraw shared what goes on behind all the closed doors at home. “We close our door at home we are husband and wife and a mother and a father.”

Tim also spoke highly of Faith, stating “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

In 2013, Faith’s brother, Zachary White came forward as an addict and found himself in a very dark place.

He later praised the duo for saving his life. “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

Like their talented musical parents, the McGraw daughters also inherited their parents musical genes.

Faith struggles between giving her kids the freedom to live their dreams. 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, “As a parent, you don’t want to stand in the way of their dreams.”

A New Duet

While Tim and Faith proved to be a successful duo together, Tim wanted to try something different. In 2015, he paired up with his 18-year-old daughter Gracie on one of the nights of his tour.

She joined him on stage to perform “Here Tonight.” It was a proud moment for the whole McGraw family, to see the two singing together, especially for Faith. Faith eventually got up on the stage as well.

Enjoying The Moment

While Tim and Faith had performed together countless times, for Tim it was special each time over.

He expressed “It amazes me every night, every chance I get to sing with her.” He explained how emotional it was for him every time that Faith took to the stage. “When you see somebody you love up there, it’s a lot more.”  Tim’s endearment of his wife was touching.

Keeping The Family Together

Faith has often commented on her commitment to her family. And it doesn’t go unappreciated by her husband.

Tim stated “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.” And aside from his genuine statement, he surely couldn’t overlook his wife’s smoking looks adding “My hot wife, man.”

Meet The Parents

Tim confessed that when he first met his daughter’s new boyfriend, things got a little bloody.

He shared “We’re doing a barbecue, so I’m 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.” So, Gracie’s boyfriend met Tim when he was holding a knife with blood all over himself.

Pushing Each Other’s Buttons

While the country couple look picture perfect from the outside, they hold true the statement that nothing is perfect. They sang in their duet lyrics “I know that sometimes you hate me/We spend most of our days together with you trying to change me.”

Fans were surprised, and perhaps even slightly reassured to learn that not even this extremely talented and good looking power couple is perfect.  Faith chimed in “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

Every couple has their issues, and Tim and Faith aren’t immune to that. Tim shared that the couple doesn’t actually argue about major things. When they do fight, which is pretty rare, it’s about something inconsequential.

Tim said “I think the last thing we got, I didn’t load the dishwasher or something.” The couple seems to have a very loving relationship if they choose to overlook a lot of things. Plus minor arguments are negligible.

Healthy Hill?

In 2017, Faith started to lose a lot of weight and fans were concerned, especially when they watched their favorite country singer up on stage.

Doctors explained her shrinking figure by her chaotic schedule, heart problems and major dehydration. Those close to the star argued that her suggested that she often skips meals due to her hectic life and has also been spending more time in the gym.

The Best Memories

Faith and Tim have been together for two decades, and yet they manage to maintain the heat and infatuation in one another and in their performances.

Tim said, ”The memories we have created every time we have gone out have been the best memories of our career, and we have two kids in college, what else are we gonna do?” It is touching to hear that they still appreciate one another as much, if not more, than day one.

Making It Last

Recently, the couple promoted their joint album The Rest Of Our Life. They were asked what they do to keep their relationship strong and keep the flame alive. “Well, she tolerates a lot, I think that’s probably the main reason.”

Hill’s reply to her husband was “You tolerate a lot too. I’m not the easiest person.” However, the stunning country singer did share how they have made their 21-year relationship last. Faith insisted, “We do actually like one another.”

Number One

In the end of November in 2017, Faith and Tim’s album titled The Rest of Our Lives once again debuted at number one in the Top Country Albums chart. It was the couple’s first collaborative LP.

They were exceptionally appreciative, stating “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.”

Inspirations

Faith doesn’t only get her inspiration from her husband, as adorable as that is. What other artist does she admire?Like many others, Beyoncé.

While their music style is completely different, they share a lot of other things in common. They are both raising families as award winning musicians who are in the public eye. Oh, and they are each drop dead gorgeous!

Cooking From The Heart

In an interview with Southern Living Magazine, Faith shared how Tim tried to win her over at the start of their relationship. “[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 has shared that he also made her cornbread. As a southern belle who surely appreciates home cooking, Tim knew that she would see his effort as a show of appreciation.

Out Of Place

One thing that Tim and Faith shared in common was their childhood. Faith was adopted as an infant and grew up with a feeling that she didn’t belong.

She told Southern Living “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….I’m a gypsy at heart. I had a spirit that was completely outside what my family was.”

Declined By Reba

Faith’s vocal abilities were evident early on and she used to make her rounds at churches, performing.

At age 17, she formed a band that played on local rodeos. At the age of 19, she quit college to move to Nashville and pursue her dreams of being a country singer. She auditioned to be a backup singer for Reba Mcentire but didn’t make the cut. But Faith didn’t give up just then.

Shattering Her World

Faith hasn’t spoke much about her marriage to Daniel Hill, whom she met after moving to Nashville. After opening up a bit, Faith confessed that meeting her birth mother for the first time was a shattering experience that shook her world.

It caused her to want a clean slate in everything, including romance. “I was going through so much. I was like a flower trying to bud. Marriage wasn’t what I needed. It was a disguise.”

Tim's First Hit

In 1994, Tim McGraw had his first hit called “Indian Outlaw.” The lyrics were written by Tommy Barnes and “Jumpin’ “ Gene Simmons (singer of the Halloween favorite “Haunted House”) and included John D. Loudermilk’s song “Indian Reservation.”

The song came from his second album, “Not a Moment Too Soon,” which also featured the subsequent top 10 country hits “Don’t Take the Girl” (his first No. 1), “Down on the Farm,” “Refried Dreams” and the album’s title cut.

Hill's  First Hit

Hill’s first single, “Wild One,” in 1993 went to No. 1 and she later released a second No. 1, a vivacious remake of the Jerry Ragovoy song “Piece of My Heart,” best known at that time as performed by Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company.

Both songs appeared on Hill’s debut album, “Take Me As I Am,” the title cut of which went to No. 2.

Return To Tour

Faith and Tim made a huge announcement in 2017, exciting fans all around that they would be returning to tour together once again on their second Soul2Soul tour.

The couple was also very excited to once again be on tour together. Tim raved about Faith’s talent “when I’m on stage with her, it’s like NASCAR trying to keep up with an Indy car. She’s just that good. So, to watch her sing and see what she does is pretty inspiring.”

The two released a long-awaited duet album

Finally, after years of performances together, the country superstars released a duet album titled “The Rest of our Life.”

Released in November 2017, the album made it to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and unsurprisingly topped the country charts. The first week of album sales saw 98,000 copies flying off the music store shelves, a number that more than doubled itself by October of 2018.

An exhibit opened in their honor

Along with the release of their first album together, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville opened an exhibit which honored and showcased their lives and careers.

The exhibit included personal and professional memorabilia. The exhibit was called “Tim McGraw & Faith Hill: Mississippi Woman, Louisiana Man.”

Spill Secrets Behind Their Healthy Marriage

The lovebirds were featured on the cover of an issue of People Magazine. They were asked how they make their relationship work.

It’s such a rare thing to be able to experience what we do for a living, and to do it together, really feels like all of the moments are special.” Hill enthused, “I watch him perform and still to this day I’m awed by it.” The “This Kiss” singer admits that much has changed since their love story began in 1996, but their dedication and loyalty to one another has remained the same. Despite hectic professional schedules, they still make time for each other.

Less extravagant romantic celebrations

They value their alone time when needed. Faith said “We both have our daily routines and we have our own dressing rooms. We each have our own space to retreat to so we do get time to ourselves.”

They celebrate just by being with one another, nothing too extravagant like they did in the beginning of their relationship. McGraw shared, “Funny, as we get older it’s less about the big gestures and more about just spending time together at home.”

10 Times Tim and Faith Made Us Believe in Love...

When They Announced Their Tour By Performing At The Ryman

When They Both Received Stars On The Music City Walk Of Fame

Tim and Faith received their stars together on the Music City Walk of fame on October 5, 2016.

The following day they celebrated their 20th anniversary. What a great present.

When They Share The Red Carpet

Tim and Faith are frequently seen hand in hand on the red carpet.

As is obvious in this picture from the 48th Annual CMA Awards, Tim’s eyes spend a lot of time on his wife rather than the camera.

When They're Showing Onstage Affection

After 22 years of marriage, you’d think the two would get a little less affectionate, at least some of the time. But the couple is very into each other and we love it.

They have switched up their style multiple times and further tested their love for one another, i.e Faith still standing by Tim’s side after he sported this outfit.

When All Of Team McGraw Attended The Time 100 Gala

Tim was recognized as one of 2015’s most influential people, and his whole family would never have missed being there to honor their father.

Tim and Faith's daughters have grown up so quickly, Gracie Katherine McGraw (20), Maggie Elizabeth McGraw (19), and Audrey Caroline McGraw (16) .

When They Win Awards Together

What could be better than winning a music award? When you and your partner both win them. They each took home a number of awards from the 34th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards in May 1999. They won a vocal collaboration award for “Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me.”

The two couldn’t get any closer as they shared a microphone during their performance of “I Need You” at the 2008 CMT Music Awards. Apart from being accomplished singers, the two have also done some acting. Here they are at Faith’s Dixieland premiere during the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.