Live stream will be available after this brief ad from our sponsors
Backstage Country

Tim McGraw Says Wife Faith Hill Helps Him Stay Sober

Tim McGraw wrote his thoughts on many subjects in an article Esquire‘s “What I’ve Learned” feature. Tim discusses his family, his early life, and the fact that his wife Faith Hill…

Tim McGraw Says Wife Faith Hill Helps Him Stay Sober
Joe Maher/Getty Images

Tim McGraw wrote his thoughts on many subjects in an article Esquire's "What I've Learned" feature. Tim discusses his family, his early life, and the fact that his wife Faith Hill helps him stay sober. McGraw quit drinking in 2008.

Tim says that people often ask him how he could have a relationship with his father, former pro baseball player Tug McGraw when he grew without the "millionaire baseball player." Tim didn't know his father until he was twelve when his mom first told him who his dad was. McGraw said. "When I found out Tug McGraw was my dad, it gave me something in my little town in Louisiana, something that I would have never reached for. How could I ever be angry?"

Tim said that he learned that money doesn't solve all problems and then admitted that he would "rather have problems than not have money. As bad as that sounds."

McGraw also recalled that his wife Faith Hill helped him stay away from alcohol when he quit drinking. He said, "I remember a moment when I was getting out of bed and going to the liquor cabinet and taking a big shot at 8:00 in the morning." He remembered that he went straight to my wife and said, "'This is where I'm at.' I was scared. She just grabbed me and hugged me and changed my life."

Tim also touched on anger and that "love is being angry." He noted that love is getting in "each other's face" and accepting when you are wrong. McGraw shared that most parents fight in front of their kids. He said in part, "Everybody fights in front of their kids. That's part of the deal."

He concluded the piece by saying, "My wife always says, 'You're not scared of anything. I say, 'Oh, one thing. I'm looking at it right now.'"

Being married in the entertainment industry is challenging, as many marriages end in divorce. It's even more difficult when you're a high profile celebrity. So to be married strong for a long time in country music is something to be celebrated. Fortunately, there are many country music couples that have stood the test of time.

As we gear up for the 2023 wedding season in May and June, we take a look at some strong holding country music marriages through the years.

Chris Stapleton and Morgane Hayes

GettyImages-1389377615.jpgAmy Sussman/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 03: (L-R) Morgane Stapleton and Chris Stapleton attend the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 03, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)


Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood

GettyImages-1434151680-2.jpgJason Kempin/Getty Images

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 16: Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood attend the class of 2022 Medallion Ceremony at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on October 16, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum)


George and Norma Strait

GettyImages-50792463.jpgMike Simons/Getty Images

LOUISVILLE, KY - MAY 1: George Strait and his wife Norma attend the 130th Running of the Kentucky Derby May 1, 2004 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Mike Simons/Getty Images)


Dolly Parton and Carl Dean

GettyImages-485564525.jpgTerry Wyatt/Getty Images

NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 18: Dolly Parton attends Stella Parton's Red Tent Women's Conference 2014 at the Doubletree Hotel Downtown on April 18, 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)


Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

GettyImages-814734066.jpgKevin Winter/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 14: Faith Hill (L) and Tim McGraw perform onstage during the "Soul2Soul" World Tour at Staples Center on July 14, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Nancy Brooks has been working in the country music industry for almost 30 years. She has interviewed pretty much any country star you can think of. In the late 1990s, she started working with Dolly Parton. And yes, Nancy reports that Parton is as sweet as you would think. She loves her life in country music and has been backstage at every CMA Awards show since the late 1990s. Many of her stories are from her one-on-one interviews. She was there at the beginning of the incredible careers of many music superstars today, including Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, and Blake Shelton, and has interviewed them multiple times throughout the years.