Country music fans surely know of the genre’s biggest power couple, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. After 21 years together, they recently made a shocking announcement.
Private Announcement
Over the last 21 years, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have been staples not only in country music but in each other’s lives. They just celebrated their anniversary and used the occasion to share some information on their relationship. Their relationship has never been ordinary, but their newest bit of news came unexpectedly. First, let’s look back at how it all started.
Fans Didn’t See It Coming
Before they took over country music, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill were just two musicians trying to make it in the business. They first met in 1994 at the New Faces Show in Nashville, Tennessee. At the time of their introduction, Faith was coming off her divorce from Daniel Hill, a music publishing executive. They had married six years earlier. Tim, on the other hand, was dating Kristine Donahue. They only met briefly, but it certainly left an impression on both of them.
Teaming Up On Tour
Two years went by since their first meeting, but they would soon spend plenty of time together. Hill and McGraw were the headliners on a joint tour titled ‘Spontaneous Combustion’ in 1996. The stars, however, were still not aligned. McGraw’s relationship with Kristine Donahue seemed strong, but he called off their engagement. Unfortunately, this time, Faith was engaged to Scott Hendricks, a record producer. It seemed like it wouldn’t work out, but something changed on the first night of the tour.
Sparks Fly
Predictably, the two charming individuals had undeniable chemistry. Anyone could see how well they interacted as they shared the stage. The time spent together on tour brought them closer, and things became more intense as the tour progressed. How could they deny their attraction to each other? Unfortunately, Faith was engaged which complicated things. 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
It did not take long for them to develop into a true power couple. Their relationship was getting stronger every day due to touring together, and their feelings for one another continued to develop. Soon enough fans would be in on the big secret, lapping up every second of their public romance. After a few months together, Faith and Tim made their first public appearance together at Andre Agassi’s Grand Slam for Children event in September 1996.
Unapologeticly In Love
Due to the way Faith had left her previous relationship for Tim, many fans treated her quite poorly. She received plenty of negative remarks from her fans putting their two cents into her love life. She openly responded, “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.” She added, “But I wasn’t about to let Tim slip through my hands. And I had more self-worth and self-respect to not.”
The Unexpected News
Their relationship was moving quickly, and the couple received some great news in late 1996 – Faith was pregnant and expecting a child. Her pregnancy came as a bit of a shock, especially to their fans. However, everyone loved catching a glimpse of the couple at red carpet events with Faith showing off her baby bump. Everyone expected Faith to be a great mom, but one thing was still missing. Tim wanted to make their love official and wanted to get married before they welcomed the child.
Popping The Question
McGraw knew he had to make Faith his wife. He told of the moment, “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.” When Tim came off stage, Faith had written ‘Yes!’ into the mirror.
The Wedding
Surprise celebrity weddings are all the hype now, but Faith and Tim were two of the earliest examples. They tricked their friends and family into coming to Tim’s hometown of Rayville, Louisiana for a softball game and a concert. Instead, they surprisingly arrived for Tim and Faith’s wedding ceremony. Faith was three months pregnant at the time and said ‘I Do’ to Tim under an oak tree while wearing a white dress and no shoes. Tim rocked a black coat and blue jeans.
Green Eyed Girlfriend
Even when McGraw was with somebody else, it was clear that his feelings for Hill were deep and serious. He knew that she was going to change his life forever. “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 had been open about the fact she was adopted at a young age, but later gave insights as to how she felt when meeting her biological mother. She said “The first time I met (my birth mother), I just stared at her. I’d never seen anyone that looked anything like me. It was the awe of seeing someone you came from. It fills something.” Although Faith was unsure how she would feel at the meeting, this emotion was unexpected for her.
Thankful For Adoption
Faith explained how she had an amazing relationship with her adopted parents, but couldn’t help but thank her birth mother 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
In 1997, Hill and McGraw appeared at the American Music Awards and amazingly, it was one of the first times they appeared in public together. Hill was heavily pregnant at the time and despite her white dress, there was an evident bump. One thing was for sure though, the couple was deeply in love and proud to share the news with the public. Also it was undeniable that they couldn’t wait to share their arrival with friends, family and the rest of the world.
Indescribable Feeling
It was only after their wedding that the couple made their feelings public. In short, they 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. Although there have been so many celebrity couples who haven’t lasted, these seem to break that mold, being renowned for being one of the most special couples out there, making what they had last up until the present day.
Baby On Board
The nine months had passed, and fans were just so excited to finally be introduced the Hill and McGraw’s bundle of joy. The time had finally come, and in May 1997, they welcomed their first child into the world, a little girl called Gracie Katherine. As a result, Hill took some much needed time off to focus on family life. However, it wouldn’t take long before the couple planned on having their second child. Not only was their family growing, but so was their love.
What Happens On Tour…
On a professional and a personal level, Hill and McGraw were inseparable. They spent all their time together both at home, in the studio and backstage. They got so comfortable being together all the time that they ended up calling their tour bus the love bus. “A lot goes on in that bus,” Hill cheekily said. But whatever happened on that bus was between Faith, Tim and no one else. Throughout their career, groupies haven’t been an option.
Protective Parent
Being a caregiver came very naturally to Faith. She treated her family life extremely seriously and was giving her daughter the best upbringing imaginable, despite her fame. She would always express her excitement as being a mother in interviews and she would be incredibly homesick whenever away from her family. “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
After four intense years on the road, Hill took a much needed three-year break from the music game, and also had her second child, Mary Elizabeth. However, her comeback ended up being a duet with her beloved husband, Tim. “It’s Your Love” was the name of the duet and was an instant smash. Their individual success simply meant that their work together could be even more successful. Alone they were strong, but together? They were even stronger.
Purpose
McGraw realized that even though he loved his family dearly, his life as a musician 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.” It was a sentiment that every loving dad and husband could relate to. It seemed like, after having children, Faith and Tim had so much more purpose in their lives.
Award Winning Couple
Their duet hit “It’s Your Love” was so successful that it stayed at number one for six straight weeks. Eventually, it even garnered awards, winning many at the Academy of Country Music Awards. But for Faith, it’s so much more than just a song, it means so much more. “It [doesn’t] feel like anybody else was really watching,” she said. One amazing pledge that the couple made was never to be away from each other for more than three days.
Working Marriage
Towards the turn of the millennium, Hill eventually returned to her solo career. She released a self-titled album and the record exhibited her raw singing talent, while at the same time creating a pop sound never usually associated with her. McGraw ended up on songs such as “Just To Hear You Say That You Love Me,” “Let Me Let Go,” and “The Secret of Life.” After the album struck a chord with many fans, the couple announced a new tour.
Expanding The Brood
With two busy careers to manage on top of their two children, many fans expected by 1999 that the couple would stop focusing on growing their family. Faith and Tim bucked all expectation when they shared their plans publicly. Tim told reporters, “Ideally, we’d love five kids.” Naturally, they followed up by asking if he wanted a son, to which he responded, “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
Prior to 2000, the two country stars had never headlined a tour together. They changed that with their Soul2Soul tour, and were accompanied by one of their daughters. The two enjoyed touring together, as they got to split the profits and didn’t have to take any time away from one another. Tim and Faith seemed to be happily in love throughout the tour, but that never stopped the rumor mill from constantly trying to suggest that they were days away from an imminent separation.
Hitting Back At Rumors
The constant fairytales the press would tell regarding instability in their marriage deeply upset the couple. Faith fired back, 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.” Celebrity marriages may be difficult to hold together, but this was not the case for Faith and Tim.
Faith’s Strength
Faith and Tim had such a strong relationship that in interview after interview they would talk about how wonderful the other was. Faith opened up in 2000 about just how much 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.” Their love resulted in another child, whom Faith gave birth to in 2001, who they named Audrey. They were on top of the world, but it couldn’t last.
Finding Comfort
Tim knew that he was a product of his father, Tug McGraw’s legacy, but he had never grappled with what that truly meant for his life before he knew Faith. Tim eventually opened up about his self doubts, sharing “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.” However, he needed her more than he knew.
Standing Up For Faith
Anyone who is in the public eye will be subject to bizarre or over the top criticism, and Faith Hill was not immune. Tim McGraw, however, is her biggest champion, always at the ready to defend her honor. Tim may even get more upset about the insults Faith receives than she is herself. 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 superstar country singers have never been shy about their love for their country, often displaying their patriotism publicly. They are also ardent supporters of the United States Armed Forces, so when they had the opportunity in 2003, they decided to perform at the Army base in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. After praising the troops, Tim told the audience of military personnel, “Faith is just cool, she’s really a smart, smart lady that has got everything together and knows her priorities.”
