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Tim McGraw<\/a> is fully aware that he wouldn\u2019t be the country music legend he is today if it weren\u2019t for one person.<\/p>\n The \u201cHumble and Kind\u201d singer doesn\u2019t hesitate when asked what saved his career \u2014 and, more importantly, his life: Faith Hill<\/a>.<\/p>\n McGraw recently appeared on The Tim Ferriss Show<\/em><\/a>, reflecting on the early days of his success and how quickly things could have gone off the rails.<\/p>\n \u201cI was drinking a lot,\u201d he admitted. \u201cThat didn\u2019t stop after we got married, but she beat it out of me after a while.\u201d<\/p>\n Read More:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Here Are the 50 Greatest Country Love Songs Ever<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI was just doing everything,\u201d McGraw continued. \u201cI was a kid in a candy store \u2014 especially after I got successful.\u201d<\/p>\n McGraw has often spoken about growing up without money. So when fame and fortune arrived, they hit hard \u2014 and fast<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI had never had any money before, never been around any of that stuff before,\u201d he explained. \u201cThen all of a sudden, it became a tool that was useful \u2014 until it wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n By the time he met the \u201cBreathe\u201d singer, McGraw says he was \u201cburning it wide open.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s when Hill stepped in<\/a> and, as he puts it, \u201cstarted tapping the brakes.\u201d<\/p>\n Read More:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>13 Country Stars Who Are Better Because They Got Sober<\/a><\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t about control. It was about love. Over time, McGraw credits Hill with helping him slow down, refocus and ultimately build something that would last \u2014 not just a career, but a life.<\/p>\n McGraw and Hill married on Oct. 6, 1996, after falling in love on the Spontaneous Combustion<\/em><\/strong> tour.<\/p>\n Nearly three decades later, they share three daughters \u2014 Gracie, Maggie and Audrey \u2014 and a legacy that includes countless collaborations<\/a>, including their starring roles in 1883<\/em>.<\/p>\n But for McGraw, Hill\u2019s impact goes far beyond music.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s magic,\u201d he said. \u201cNot just her singing and her looks. Of course, that\u2019s all a bonus. But as a person, she\u2019s just magic. She just lights up a room, and she lit me up. And still does.\u201d<\/p>\n He doesn\u2019t mince words about what might have happened<\/a> without her.<\/p>\n \u201cI certainly wouldn\u2019t have the career that I\u2019ve had, had I not met her. I would have burned out really quickly, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n Nearly 30 years into their marriage, McGraw still gives his wife credit for helping him find balance \u2014 and for making sure the success he worked for didn\u2019t come at the cost of everything else.<\/p>\n For one of country music\u2019s most enduring couples<\/a>, the real story isn\u2019t just about fame. It\u2019s about timing, grace, and someone willing to tap the brakes when it mattered most.<\/p>\n Tim McGraw and Faith Hill sold their historic Southern manor home outside of Nashville for $15 million.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe Pitfalls of Fame<\/h3>\n
More Than a Power Couple<\/h3>\n
See Inside Tim McGraw + Faith Hill’s Historic Southern Manor Home<\/h2>\n