When Tim McGraw debuted in the early '90s, few would have predicted that he would eventually take over Garth Brooks' position as the most popular male singer in country music. Yet that's exactly what Tim McGraw did, thanks to a string of multi-platinum albums, a high-profile marriage to fellow superstar Faith Hill, and Brooks' own inevitable decline. Tim McGraw's sound epitomized the strain of commercial country that dominated his era: updated honky tonk and Southern-fried country-rock on the up-tempo tunes, well-polished, adult contemporary-tinged pop on the ballads. Helped out early in Tim McGraw's career by several jokey novelty items, Tim McGraw simply wound up cranking out hookier hits on a more consistent basis than any of his peers. By the late '90s, Tim McGraw was not only a superstar among country fans, but a mainstream celebrity with a large female following.

Sports and music competed for Tim McGraw's attention growing up, but by the time he was in college, he had chosen music. Tim McGraw played solo in regional nightspots, then headed to Nashville, where he joined the throng of young hopefuls vying for attention. His on-stage charisma helped land him a record deal, and his debut album hit the stores in April 1993. He and his band--many of whom are still with him--took to the road to hone the sound that continues to make Tim McGraw's concerts among the industry's most exciting. With "Indian Outlaw," the hits started coming, spawning multi-platinum albums and sell-out concerts.

In 1996, Tim McGraw's Spontaneous Combustion tour found him paired with Faith Hill, whom he married before the year was out. Together and separately they have remained among the most successful artists in every genre ever since, and to this day, Tim plans his tours around family life and school schedules. For all the success and accolades that have come his way, you can hear in his voice that this is the key to real happiness in his life.