Tim and Faith Had a Huge Announcement to Make After Over 20 Years of Marriage
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are two of the biggest names in modern-day country music. The star-crossed lovers met in the early '90s and have pretty much been inseparable ever since. Country's most popular power couple may have been married for over two decades, but it's a wonder why it ever took them so long to surprise fans with an unexpected bit of news in 2017!
An Announcement After 22 Years
For over 20 years now, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have been country music's hottest power couple. In a world where celebrity marriages don't seem to last very long, McGraw and Hill have only proven everyone wrong.
The length of their relationship is enough of a reason to celebrate, but upon their 21st anniversary, they decided to celebrate in a very special way. Their latest bit of news took everyone by surprise, but first, let's look back at how it all began.
They Didn't See It Coming
Faith Hill and Tim McGraw were up and coming country music artists in the '90s. In 1994, they were invited to perform at the "New Faces" show during the annual Country Radio Seminar in Nashville.
Hill and McGraw then met for the first time, but if there were sparks, neither admitted it. At the time, Hill was in the midst of getting a divorce from her first husband Danial Hill, while McGraw was dating Kristine Donahue.
Faith Goes On Tour With Tim
Two years later, McGraw and Hill's career paths would cross again when she joined him on his "Spontaneous Combustion Tour" in 1996. McGraw had recently called off his engagement with Donahue at the time, but Hill was newly engaged to producer Scott Hicks.
It seemed that they weren't going to act on whatever sparks flew between them the first time they met. But on their first night on the road, something happened that would change everything.
Chemistry They Couldn't Act On
While on tour, McGraw and Hill undoubtedly spent a lot of time together. As two rising country music artists, they inevitably had a lot in common. Not only that, they were both incredibly talented at what they did.
There was undeniable chemistry between them both on and off the stage, but neither of them could act on it. After all, Hill was engaged to be married. But she felt something growing for McGraw deep down.
They Say She Was Being Un-Faith-ful
Eventually, their feelings couldn't be contained. One night on tour, Hill accepted McGraw's invitation to come back to his dressing room. It was then that McGraw decided to go for it and make his move.
The moment McGraw and Hill had their first kiss, they knew they had something special. Hill decided to call off her engagement. "I wasn't about to let Tim slip through my hands," Hill once told People magazine.
They Were Falling In Love
After Hilll called off her engagement, she and McGraw were free to explore their feelings for each other. With each passing day of the tour, they grew closer together and fell more in love.
Eventually, everyone was in on their new romance and country music fans couldn't get enough. After just a few months, they decided to put their relationship out there, making their first appearance as a couple at Andre Agassi's Grand Slam for Children in 1996.
They Were Unapologetic About It
With Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's relationship out in the open, details of how they came together also became public. Of course, there were people who were disturbed by the fact that Hill left her fiancé to be with McGraw.
"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 told People magazine, adding that she had enough self-respect to follow her heart.
An Unexpected Surprise
A few months after their relationship started, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw were hit with an unexpected surprise. In late 1996, Hill discovered that she was pregnant! The news was certainly a surprise, but the couple in love couldn't be more excited.
At the time, nobody knew about this development. For Hill's part, she might have been quite surprised to find out she was pregnant, but little did she know that an even bigger surprise was around the corner.
Tim Decided To Put A Ring On It
1996 was a whirlwind year for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. After getting together and getting pregnant, the next logical step was for McGraw to pop the question.
"It was raining and stuff and we'd been on tour for a while together, and I joked around with her about getting married," he recalled during a recent concert. He said that he asked her to marry him in between their sets and when he returned backstage, Hill replied "yes" on his mirror.
Their Families Didn't Know What They Were Walking Into
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill truly had an unforgettable wedding. They invited friends and family over to McGraw's hometown of Rayville, Louisiana under the guise of a softball game and a concert.
When guests arrived, they were actually attending a surprise wedding! Hill, who was three months pregnant, wore a slinky white gown and was barefoot, while McGraw wore a black jacket over some blue jeans. They tied the knot under a big oak tree.
An Ex Knew From The Start
McGraw knew that Hill's coming into his life was going to mean trouble. The minute he laid eyes on Hill, his girlfriend at the time immediately knew that she was on her way out of his life.
"For me, there was an intense physical attraction. I guess my girlfriend saw it in my eyes. She said, "I don't want you around her,'" he once recalled. At least everyone was aware of the chemistry between Hill and McGraw.
She'd Never Felt That Way Before
Faith Hill fans know that the singer was actually adopted at a young age. Hill has been pretty open about her experiences, especially the moment she met her biological mother. The experience made her feel unlike she ever has.
"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," she once said.
Her Adoption Was A Blessing
Not a lot of people take well to discovering that they were adopted, but Faith Hill couldn't be more blessed. She knows that her birth mom made a sacrifice that ultimately was for Hill's benefit.
Speaking on her birth mom giving her away, Hill once 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."
Newlywedded Faith Shows Off Her Bump
After getting married, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw appeared together at the 1997 American Music Awards. Hill was visibly pregnant at this point and people couldn't have been more excited for the couple, who was clearly in love.
Throughout her pregnancy, Hill's fans loved seeing her with her baby bump. For their part, the couple was incredibly excited to share the news of their upcoming bundle of joy with the world.
They Welcomed A Baby Girl
Finally, their first born arrived in 1997. In May of that year, Hill and McGraw welcomed a baby girl named Gracie Katherine. At that time, it was only right that Hill took a brief break from her career to find her way as a new mother.
It seemed that motherhood and married life worked out just fine for Hill, who was able to continue with her career. But it wasn't long before Hill and McGraw were expecting again!
Being A Parent Has Changed Her
Being a caregiver to her family came second nature to Faith Hill. She learned to balance her fame and her family life, making sure that her family came first every single time. Even while she was touring, the moment she got off stage she went back into mom mode.
"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," Hill once said.
Their First Song Together Was A Smash
The same month that Gracie was born, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw released their first single together. "It's Your Love" was the first original duet they performed together and it appeared on McGraw's album Everywhere.
The song became the couple's first top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for two Grammy Awards. It also won four awards at the Academy of Country Music Awards, including Song of the Year.
Tim Found A New Purpose
Once Tim McGraw became a family man, he too felt like his life's purpose had changed drastically. Having children and being a husband has put a whole new perspective on his career as a musician.
"It gives everything a focus. 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," he once said. McGraw and Hill fit right in as parents.
They Wanted To Grow Their Family And Careers
Shortly after Gracie was born, Hill and McGraw had another baby, a girl named Maggie in 1998. With two young kids at the height of their careers, fans expected the couple to slow their lives down.
Instead, McGraw told reporters they wanted five kids. When asked if he wanted one to be a boy, McGraw said, "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."
The Soul2Soul Tour Was A Huge Deal In 2000
When the new millennium came around, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw were at the top of their careers. It was only right that in 2000 they embarked together on the Soul2Soul Tour, their first co-headlining tour.
They played to sellout crowds all across the country, hitting up 64 venues including Madison Square Garden. It was the perfect career opportunity for the growing family. They not only split the profits but they also got to stay together.
They Wouldn't Take The Rumors
While the Soul2Soul Tour was in full swing, the tabloids insisted that the couple were moments from splitting up. Eventually, it just became ridiculous.
Faith Hill shot back at the rumors: "I've had an affair with my makeup artists, 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."
She Had A Lot Of Faith In Her Relationship
Fans of the couple knew how strong their love was just based off the way they gushed about each other. Hill once said of her husband, "Tim has given me confidence and strength and my foundation. He makes me feel like I can conquer the world."
It wasn't long before they welcomed their third child, another daughter named Audrey in 2001. Things seemed perfect, but there came a time where it didn't look like things would last.
Perhaps Tim Needed Faith More Than She Knew
Tim McGraw knew deep down that there were broken parts of his soul. He didn't know who his real father was until his late teens, when he found it was former MLB player Tug McGraw.
Because of that, he once said, "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."
Tim Says Faith Makes Him A Better Man
Even the most unsuspecting people deal with some dark demons on their own. In 2008, Tim McGraw came clean about his drinking problems, saying that he was unable to perform without having a couple drinks first.
He credits his wife with helping him: "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."
Tim Worked On His Drinking And His Marriage
Eventually, Faith Hill gave Tim McGraw an ultimatum. If he didn't clean up his act, she'd leave him and take their three daughters with her. McGraw reportedly turned to martial arts to help him recover.
He also knew the best ways to work on his marriage. He once said, "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."
Tim Fit Perfectly In The Family Man Role
As Hill and McGraw's marriage grew stronger, so did their careers. This was marked by McGraw's role in The Blind Side, in which he played father figure, Sean Tuohy. For this family man, the role really hit close to home.
"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," he once said.
People Started Making Up Stories Again
Just when things were working out, it wasn't long before the rumor mill picked back up. In 2013, McGraw released a new album called Two Lanes of Freedom, which led many to assume that their marriage was on the rocks again.
"We've been married 17 years, and since the first week we were married those things were out, we don't even think about it," McGraw said at the time. Hill was equally frustrated by the rumors.
Faith Had Actual Family Drama To Worry About
The same year that marriage rumors flared up again, Faith Hill was actually going through real family drama. At the time, Hill spoke publicly of her brother Zachary White's substance abuse issues in the past.
Later, White said of his sister: "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."
They Finally Made An Album Together
In 2017, Hill and McGraw finally did something they've surprisingly never done before. After years working on their solo albums and touring together, the couple finally released a collaborative album for the first time.
Titled The Rest of Our Life, the album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and contains the single "Speak to a Girl." It was before this album's release that Hill and McGraw made an announcement that drove their fans wild.
The Announcement That Drove Everyone Wild
Faith Hill and Tim McGraw generally kept their careers solo for the better part of their marriage. But in 2017, the couple announced that they would be returning to the stage together for the first time in over 15 years on the "Soul2Soul: The World Tour."
They were happy to bring their shared love and talent to the stage again. McGraw said of performing with his wife, "When I'm on stage with her, it's like NASCAR trying to keep up with an Indy car."
