Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
“I was actually nervous about the call, thinking it might bring bad news.”
Weeks before Tim McGraw was announced 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 performing a few shows around the city. During that trip, his management team contacted him about an upcoming tour, and he immediately assumed the call would bring bad news.
“They told me they needed a conference call about my tour. And, in my negative-thinking way, I immediately thought, ‘Tour sales must be slow—they’re going to tell me to cancel some shows,’” McGraw recalled in an interview with Country Now shortly after the Hall of Fame announcement.
He added, “Then Sarah got on the phone, and I thought, ‘Why is Sarah Trahern involved in a call about my tour?’ My first thought was maybe they wanted me to do a charity or benefit concert for the Hall of Fame, which I’d happily do. But then they told me what was happening, and I had them repeat it.”
The moment it fully sank in, McGraw said he was overwhelmed with emotion. “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.’ I just kind of fell apart. I couldn’t believe it. I was walking around New York City with earphones in, talking to them, thinking it was bad news.”
McGraw, who will be inducted in the Modern Era Artist category alongside Paul Overstreet (Songwriter category) and The Stanley Brothers (Veterans Era Artist category), said that even though he’s known about the honor for a few weeks, it still feels surreal. “It’s the highest honor you can receive. Aside from marrying my wife and having our three daughters, nothing compares. This is something I never imagined for myself. Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have even dared to dream this would happen in my lifetime,” he reflected.
The “Humble and Kind” singer will be formally inducted at the Hall of Fame’s Medallion Ceremony later this year. While McGraw is looking forward to that milestone, he admits the moment he’s anticipating even more is when Hill joins him in the Hall of Fame.
