"This has been the best time of my life. It's been a time for me to really evaluate where I'm going and what I'm doing -- to focus my direction. When you have a family, that changes your whole perspective on what you do and what you want to get out of what you do." 

The past few years have heralded great change for Tim McGraw. The singer who made his debut in 1992 has consistently released No. 1 singles and multi-platinum albums. He concluded 1996 with a top-selling tour and a ring on his finger -- courtesy of fellow country superstar Faith Hill. 

His fifth album for Curb Records, A Place in the Sun, sold 4 million copies and garnered the coveted Album of the Year trophy at the 1999 Country Music Association Awards show and contains, at this point, three No. 1 hits. 

"I have learned over the making of the first four albums how important it is to give yourself the time to make a record. With all the commitments an artist has, you can't just wait until the last minute. We started looking for songs right away," McGraw says. "Although I do write, it's not where I spend my time. I either want to be producing, playing or hanging out with my family and friends. I leave it to the folks who are great at it." 

But McGraw, who has earned a reputation in Nashville as an artist with a great song sense, is actively involved in the song search. "A lot of songs we find aren't necessarily new songs -- sometimes they are ones that have been around for a while," claims McGraw. "I'm always looking for something a little different. We dig deep to find the material. And I try to find songs that fit me. I have passed on hits, but they are hits for other singers, not me." 

The team around McGraw aids in the song search. Producer Byron Gallimore and his wife Missi are the clearinghouse for most songs. "I have a team that works. We know each other so well, personally and professionally. They work really hard with all the publishers and writers to find what's right for me," states McGraw. 

During McGraw's years in country music, he has continually reinvented himself -- taking fans on a roller coaster ride of emotions. He made his mark with the No. 1 smash, "Indian Outlaw," but the dance club favorite was soon eclipsed by the heart-wrenching ballad, "Don't Take the Girl," another No. 1 hit that pushed Not A Moment Too Soon to sales of five million. Not A Moment Too Soon closed out '94 as the best-selling country album (the fifth best-selling album in any genre), and its success cemented McGraw's status as a true superstar. At the Academy of Country Music Awards McGraw took home trophies for Top New Male Vocalist and Album of the Year. Billboard named him Best New Artist for the year, and he also took home honors from CMT (Male Video Artist of the Year) and Blockbuster Entertainment (Favorite CD). 

Challenged with the task of topping a great year and a huge album, McGraw proved his staying power with the release of All I Want, his third album on Curb Records. The lead off single, "I Like It, I Love It," would spend five weeks at No. 1, tieing a record held by only four other acts. "Can't Be Really Gone" would follow its predecessor to the top of the charts a mere eight weeks after its release. Then, in the summer of '96, McGraw would turn the hat trick with "She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart" -- yet another No. 1 single from All I Want. 

Meanwhile, the 1996 Spontaneous Combustion Tour brought McGraw's music to the people in a big way. With sold-out shows across the nation, the tour would be one of the Top Five grossing tours of the year. It would also change Tim McGraw's life. "We fell in love on that tour," McGraw says of his touring mate Hill, who became his wife midway through the year when the two married in McGraw's hometown in Louisiana. Later, daughters Gracie (1997) and Maggie (1998) enriched and altered their lives forever. 

With his personal life in order, McGraw recorded Everywhere with producers Gallimore and James Stroud. McGraw began to win awards. CMA Vocal Event of the Year. Four ACM awards. CMA Album of the Year. Everywhere became the first Album of the Year two years running in Radio and Records magazine. The lead-off single, "It's Your Love," became the first single to spend 6 weeks at No. 1 in Billboard, and was declared Single of the Year in 1997. "Just to See You Smile" accomplished the same feat -- 6 weeks at No. 1 and another Single of the Year in 1998. 

And the roll continued. A major tour sponsorship from Bud Light and success as a co-producer of Jo Dee Messina. Her second album, I'm Alright, was nominated for Album of the Year from the ACM. "I love producing," says McGraw. "I try to bring an artist and fan perspective to the studio. But I really rely on Byron Gallimore. He and James Stroud have been my teachers in the studio. Any success I have as a producer, I owe to them." 

The beginning of 2000 brought the filming of his fifth national TV commercial for tour sponsor Bud Light. This time his father, Tug McGraw, co-starred in the clip with him. McGraw has also participated in the third Nokia Present the George Strait Chevy Truck Country Music Festival. He and wife Hill are planning a 40-plus city tour, The Soul2Soul 2000 Tour. "Something our fans have been asking for," says McGraw. He's currently in the studio working on his sixth album, due out later this year. 

Source: sing365.com