Tim McGraw’s latest single, “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools” was written by three of Nashville’s best songwriters, Jonathan Singleton, Barry Dean and Luke Laird. While Tim would love to be able to write every song he records, he says the fact is he is very critical of his own writing and how it stacks up against songs written by other writers. He always tries to write two or three songs for each of his albums, but Tim says, “I’m an artist and what I have to do is I have to lead with my heart and with my soul and I have to go with the best songs that I think that are out there for me, cause at the end of the day it doesn’t matter if you have a five-year career, a 30-year career, at the end of the day the artists are gonna come and go. It’s the songs that are gonna stay and the songs that are gonna be remembered.”

Often times Tim will have a few songs he’s written ready to record but he has no problem bumping them off the project if he finds other songs written by other people that he thinks are better. Tim has just begun the process of working on the follow-up to his Shotgun Rider album.

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Tim McGraw – writing for albums :41
“I’m always trying to write two or three things for every project, but I’m really hard on myself. Every now and then I’ve written something that I’ve recorded, you know, and I’ve always had a few things ready that I wanted to record, but at the last minute I think, ‘Ah, the other song’s better, the other song’s better,’ and look, whether I’m harder on my stuff and maybe it could be on the records more I don’t know, but at the end of the day, I’m an artist and what I have to do is I have to lead with my heart and with my soul and I have to go with the best songs that I think that are out there for me, cause at the end of the day it doesn’t matter if you have a five-year career, a 30-year career, at the end of the day the artists are gonna come and go. It’s the songs that are gonna stay and the songs that are gonna be remembered.”

WHAT HE’S DOING THIS WEEK – JULY 6, 2015 – MONDAY 

 Tim McGraw is playing a full weekend of shows on his “Shotgun Rider 15 Tour” with dates in Raleigh (7/10) and Charlotte (7/11), North Carolina after enjoying the holiday weekend off. His latest single “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools” moves up to number six on the country charts this week.

TIM MCGRAW – JUST THE FACTS

BIRTH DATE: May 1, 1967 (He’s 48)

HOMETOWN: Start, Louisiana

WIFE: Faith Hill – Married on October 6, 1996

CHILDREN: Gracie, Maggie and Audrey (all three teenagers)

DEBUT ALBUM: 1993′s Tim McGraw

CURRENT ALBUM: – Sundown Heaven Town – 

CURRENT SINGLE: “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools”- a duet with Catherine Dunn, which sits at number 6 on Mediabase / Country Aircheck chart this week.

LATEST MUSIC VIDEO – 2015 – “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools”

TOUR: “Shotgun Rider Tour ’15”

RECENT TWEETS:

Tim McGraw ‏@TheTimMcGraw Jull 4
Thankful for the heroes who’ve fought for our FREEDOM. Happy 4th of July!! #ThankAVeteran http://bit.ly/McGrawOPH

Tim McGraw ‏@TheTimMcGraw July 3
Band and crew on vacation this weekend. Wishing you a happy 4th – wherever you are!

Tim McGraw ‏@TheTimMcGraw July 2
Where are your #TwoLanesOfFreedom carrying you this #4thofJuly weekend? #TBT

TIM MCGRAW – AWARD WINS

1994 – Country Music Television – Male Video Artist of the Year

1994 – American Music Awards – Album of the Year – Not a Moment Too Soon

1994 – American Music Awards – Top New Male Vocalist

1994 – Billboard Awards – Top New Country Artist

1994 – Billboard Magazine – Top New Country Album – Not a Moment Too Soon

1995 – American Music Awards – Favorite Country New Artist

1997 – Billboard Magazine – Single of the Year – “It’s Your Love” (with Faith Hill)

1997 – Country Music Television – Video of the Year – “It’s Your Love” (with Faith Hill)

1997 – Country Music Television – Male Artist of the Year

1997 – Playgirl Magazine – Top Ten, Sexiest Men of the Year

1997 – CMA – Vocal Event – “It’s Your Love” (with Faith Hill)

1998 – Billboard Awards – Country Single of the Year – “Just to See You Smile”

1998 – CMA – Album of the Year – Everywhere

1998 – Academy of Country Music – Single of the Year – “It’s Your Love” (with Faith Hill)

1998 – Academy of Country Music – Song of the Year – “It’s Your Love” (with Faith Hill)

1998 – Academy of Country Music – Video of the Year – “It’s Your Love” (with Faith Hill)

1998 – Academy of Country Music – Top Vocal Event – “It’s Your Love” (with Faith Hill)

1999 – Academy of Country Music – Male Vocalist

1999 – Academy of Country Music -Vocal Collaboration – “Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me” (with Faith Hill)

1999 – CMA – Male Vocalist

1999 – CMA – Album of the Year – A Place in the Sun

2000 – CMA – Male Vocalist

2000 – National Fatherhood Initiative – Father of the Year

2000 – Academy of Country Music – Male Vocalist

2000 – Billboard Awards – Male Artist of the Year

2001 – American Music Awards – Favorite Male Country Artist

2001 – Grammy Awards – Vocal Collaboration – “Let’s Make Love” (with Faith Hill)

2001 – CMA – Entertainer of the Year

2001 – Billboard Awards – Country Artist

2001 – Billboard Awards – Male Country Artist

2001 – Billboard Awards – Country Albums Artist

2001 – Billboard Awards – Country Single Artist

2001 – Billboard Awards – Country Album – Greatest Hits

2002 – American Music Awards – Best Country Album – Set This Circus Down

2002 – American Music Awards – Favorite Male Country Artist

2003 – American Music Awards – Favorite Country Male Artist

2003 – Radio Music Awards – Country Male Artist

2003 – American Music Awards – Favorite Country Male Artist

2004 – People’s Choice Awards – Favorite Country Male Artist

2004 – Radio Music Awards – Country Male Artist

2004 – CMA – Single of the Year – “Live Like You Were Dying”

2005 – American Music Awards – Album of the Year -Live Like You Were Dying

2005 – American Music Awards – Best Male Country Artist

2005 – Academy of Country Music – Song of the Year -”Live Like You Were Dying”

2005 – Academy of Country Music – Single of the Year -”Live Like You Were Dying”

2005 – People’s Choice Awards – Favorite Country Male Artist

2005 – Grammy Award – Best Male Country Vocal Performance – “Live Like You Were Dying”

2005 – Country Music Television – Most Inspiring Video – “Live Like You Were Dying”

2006 – People’s Choice Awards – Top Male Performer

2006 – Grammy Award Country – Vocal Collaboration – “Like We Never Loved At All” (with Faith Hill)

2012 – CMA – Musical Event of the Year – “Feel Like a Rock Star” (with Kenny Chesney)

2013 – CMA – Music Video of the Year – “Highway Don’t Care” Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift & Keith Urban

2013 – CMA – Musical Event of the Year – “Highway Don’t Care” Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift & Keith Urban

2014 – People’s Choice Awards – Country Music Icon

2015 – Time – 100 Most Influential People