Tim McGraw had no idea what was happening when he hopped on a phone call while in New York City, but he didn’t think it was good. McGraw reveals that he and his wife, Faith Hill, were in New York City to see their daughter Audre perform, when his team said they needed to get on a phone call with him about his tour.
“They told me that they needed a conference call about my tour,” McGraw tells Country Now. “And of course, in my negative thinking way, the only thing I could think of was, ‘Well, the tour sales aren’t going very well, so they’re going to tell me I’m going to have to cancel some shows.'”
Instead, McGraw found out he was invited to join the Country Music Hall of Fame, an invitation that blew him away. He was invited by the Country Music Association’s CEO, Sarah Trahern.
“And then Sarah got on the phone,” McGraw recalls. “And I’m like, ‘Well, what’s Sarah Trahern doing on a call about my tour?’ And then my first thought was, ‘Oh, they’re going to want me to do a charity concert, or a benefit concert for the Hall of Fame,’ which I would be happy to do. And then they told me what was going on, and I had them stop and repeat.”
How Tim McGraw Responded to Finding Out He Was Joining the Country Music Hall of Fame
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McGraw was understandably shocked by the news that his biggest career dream would come true in 2026.
“I said, ‘I really don’t understand what you’re saying right now,'” McGraw remembers. “Then Sarah finally said, ‘Tim, you’re going into the Hall of Fame.’ And I just sort of fell apart. I just couldn’t believe it. I was walking around New York City with my earphones in, talking to them. I had no idea. I was dreading the call actually, because I thought something was bad news.”
For McGraw, nothing will likely ever top him being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
“Well, it’s the highest honor you can get,” McGraw maintains. “I think other than marrying my wife and having our three daughters, nothing beats this. I mean, this is something that I don’t even think you dare to dream about. And you certainly don’t think it’s going to … Even ten years ago, I never thought that this would happen, certainly not in my lifetime.”
After the news was announced, McGraw shared his thoughts about becoming a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame on social media.
“I’m not sure it’s really sunk in yet,” he writes. “But I’ve been blown away by all the messages from friends, family, fans, and other artists. Thank you all, and a huge thank you to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Can’t wait for October!”
McGraw will be inducted along with songwriter Paul Overstreet and bluegrass pioneers, The Stanley Brothers. A date for McGraw’s induction has yet to be revealed.