Tim McGraw Says He Thought His Tour Was in Trouble Before Country Music Hall of Fame Call
“I was dreading the call actually because I thought something was bad news.”
Photo Courtesy of Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw was bracing for bad news when his team asked him to hop on a call about his tour. What he got instead was the biggest honor of his career, and a moment he admits he could hardly process.
Weeks before McGraw was revealed as one of the newest inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame, he was in New York with his wife, fellow superstar Faith Hill, supporting their youngest daughter, Audrey, who was playing a few gigs around the city. While there, his management team reached out and asked him to join a call about his upcoming tour. He immediately assumed the worst and began bracing for bad news.
“They told me that they needed a conference call about my tour. And of course, in my negative thinking way, the only thing I could think of was, ‘Well, the tour sales aren’t going very well, so they’re going to tell me I’m going to have to cancel some shows,’” McGraw recalled during an interview with Country Now moments after the Country Music Hall of Fame announcement.
He admitted things felt even more unusual when CMA CEO Sarah Trahern joined the call.
“And then Sarah got on the phone and I’m like, ‘Well, what’s Sarah Trahern doing on a call about my tour?’ And then my first thought was, ‘Oh, they’re going to want me to do a charity concert or a benefit concert for the Hall of Fame,’ which I would be happy to do. And then they told me what was going on and I had them stop and repeat.”
McGraw said he couldn’t comprehend what was happening, and once it finally clicked, his emotions completely took over.
“I said, ‘I really don’t understand what you’re saying right now.’ Then Sarah finally said, ‘Tim, you’re going into the Hall of Fame.’ And I just sort of fell apart. I just couldn’t believe it. I was walking around New York City with my earphones in talking to them. I had no idea. I was dreading the call actually because I thought something was bad news.”
While McGraw, who will be inducted into the Modern Era Artist category alongside Paul Overstreet (Songwriter category) and The Stanley Brothers (Veterans Era Artist category), has known about the honor for a few weeks, he admits it still hasn’t fully sunk in, as it’s something he never truly imagined for himself.
“Well, it’s the highest honor you can get. I think other than marrying my wife and having our three daughters, nothing beats this. I mean, this is something that I don’t even think you dare to dream about. And you certainly don’t think it’s going to … Even 10 years ago, I never thought that this would happen, certainly not in my lifetime,” he said.
The “Humble and Kind” singer will be formally inducted during the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Medallion Ceremony later this year. While he’s looking forward to that moment, he admits there’s one day he’s anticipating even more: when Hill joins him in the Hall of Fame.
“I was serious when I said, ‘The only day that can be better than this is when I’m sitting in the audience and Faith is standing up there giving her acceptance speech,’” he pointed out.
As he looks ahead, McGraw is also reflecting on the legacy he’ll now share with some of his biggest musical heroes, including Merle Haggard.
“The one that made me just stop and stare was Merle Haggard. When I saw Merle Haggard there and I just had to stop and stare at it for a minute because he’s my all-time number one favorite, ever. And when I saw his plaque, I just couldn’t believe that I’m actually going to be in the same room with Merle Haggard forever.”
McGraw told us the honor has only motivated him to keep pushing forward, revealing that he has “a lot of good stuff coming.”
“Some TV stuff coming up, some movie stuff coming up and tour coming up, new album coming up. Lots of things. I feel like now this gives me a boost to maybe jump a little higher,” he teased.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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