Not to be confused with husband and wife Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Type	Public
Traded as	NYSE: MHP S&P 500 Component
Industry	Publishing
Founded	1917
Headquarters	1221 Avenue of the Americas New York City, U.S.
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Harold W. McGraw III (Chairman, President and CEO)
Revenue	US$ 6.168 billion (2010)[1]
Operating income	US$ 1.421 billion (2010)[1]
Net income	US$ 828.1 million (2010)[1]
Total assets	US$ 7.047 billion (2010)[1]
Total equity	US$ 2.291 billion (2010)[1]
Employees	20,755 (December 2010)[1]
Subsidiaries	Standard & Poor's J.D. Power and Associates Platts Aviation Week McGraw-Hill Construction McGraw-Hill Education
Website	McGraw-Hill.com

1221 Avenue of the Americas, the headquarters of McGraw-Hill

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., (NYSE: MHP) is a publicly traded corporation headquartered in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Its primary areas of business are financial, education, publishing, and business services. It publishes numerous textbooks and magazines, including Architectural Record and Aviation Week, and is the parent company of Standard & Poor's, Platts, and J.D. Power and Associates. It is the majority owner of the Canadian publisher McGraw-Hill Ryerson (TSX). The company has its corporate headquarters in 1221 Avenue of the Americas, Midtown Manhattan, New York City.^[2]

Corporate history[link]

The McGraw-Hill Companies traces its history back to 1888 when James H. McGraw, co-founder of the company, purchased the American Journal of Railway Appliances. He continued to add further publications, eventually establishing The McGraw Publishing Company in 1899. His co-founder, John A. Hill, had also produced several technical and trade publications and in 1902 formed his own business, The Hill Publishing Company.

In 1909 both men, having known each others interests, agreed upon an alliance and combined the book departments of their publishing companies into The McGraw-Hill Book Company. John Hill served as President, with James McGraw as Vice-President. 1917 saw the merger of the remaining parts of each business into The McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, Inc.^[3] In 1986, McGraw-Hill bought out competitor The Economy Company, then the nation's largest publisher of educational material. The buyout made McGraw-Hill the largest educational publisher in the U.S.^[4]

McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, Inc became The McGraw-Hill Companies in 1995, as part of a corporate identity rebranding.^{[5][not in citation given]}

In a recent strategy move (2007), McGraw-Hill launched an online student study network, GradeGuru.com. This new offering gives McGraw-Hill an opportunity to connect directly with its end users, the students.

On October 3, 2011, McGraw-Hill announced it was selling its entire television station group to The E.W. Scripps Company for $212 million.^[6] The sale was completed on December 30, 2011. It had been involved in broadcasting since 1972, when it purchased four television stations from a division of Time Inc.

Corporate organization[link]

The McGraw-Hill Companies organizes its businesses around three segments, based upon the market they are involved in.

Education[link]

McGraw-Hill Education is a content, software and services-based education company that offers solutions for PreK through postgraduate education. The company also provides reference & trade publications for the medical, business and engineering professions.^[7]

Divisions of McGraw-Hill Education include:

• McGraw-Hill School Education
• McGraw-Hill Higher Education
• CTB/McGraw-Hill
• McGraw-Hill Professional
• McGraw-Hill International

McGraw-Hill Education is also established in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America (as McGraw-Hill Interamericana), Canada (as McGraw Hill Ryerson) and India (as Tata/McGraw-Hill).

Responding to the growing demand for technology in today’s K-12 and college classrooms, McGraw-Hill Education began shifting from a print-based business model to one that relies on digital products sold through subscriptions and other services in the late 2000s. This shift has accelerated in recent years with an increased focus on developing adaptive learning systems that enable classroom teaching to come closer to a one-to-one student-teacher interaction. These systems achieve personalized student learning by assessing each student's skill level and using data to determine how each can progress through lessons most effectively. The company’s two flagship adaptive learning products are the Power of U [1], for middle school math students, and LearnSmart [2], for the higher education market.

Financial services[link]

This division, Standard & Poor's, provides independent investment research including ratings on various investment instruments, as well as various indices that gauge financial markets, such as the widely tracked S&P 500.

Information and media[link]

• Platts
• Aviation Week Group
• J.D. Power and Associates
• McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of the McGraw-Hill companies, is a publisher of construction information in the United States and Canada. It publishes Architectural Record, GreenSource, Dodge, Engineering News-Record (ENR), Sweets and McGraw-Hill Construction Regionals.

Presidents of the company[link]

• James H. McGraw (1917 – 1928)
• Johnathan Heflin (1928 – 1948)
• James McGraw, Jr. (1948 – 1950)
• Curtis W. McGraw (1950 – 1953)
• Donald C. McGraw (1953 – 1968)
• Shelton Fisher (1968 – 1974)
• Harold McGraw, Jr. (1974 – 1983)
• Joseph Dionne (1983 – 1998)
• Harold W. McGraw III (1998 – present)

Acquisitions[link]

During the course of its history, the McGraw-Hill Companies has expanded significantly through acquisition, not just within the publishing industry but also into other areas such as financial services (the purchase of Standard & Poor's in 1966) and broadcasting (the 1972 acquisition of Time-Life Broadcasting).

Note that this list only includes acquisitions made by McGraw-Hill, not its subsidiaries. McGraw-Hill typically does not release financial information regarding its acquisitions or divestitures.

Partnerships[link]

McGraw-Hill has partnered with five other higher-education publishers to create CourseSmart, a company developed to sell college textbooks in eTextbook format on a common platform.^[16]

The McGraw-Hill Building[link]

• The McGraw-Hill Building in New York City has received prominent attention. In April 2008, surveillance camera footage was released of Nicholas White, a production manager for BusinessWeek (then published by McGraw-Hill) who was trapped in the building's elevator for 41 hours in October 1999.^[17]

Connection to the family of George W. Bush[link]

The families of the McGraws and President Bush have a long relationship. No Child Left Behind was highly profitable to McGraw-Hill and the implication is that federal education policy was influenced by the familiar relationship. ^[18] According to McGraw-Hill, Barbara Bush is a member of their advisory board. ^[19]

McGraw-Hill Federal Credit Union[link]

[3] McGraw-Hill Federal Credit Union was established in 1935, originally to serve employees of the McGraw-Hill Companies in New York City only. The credit union moved from its location inside the McGraw-Hill building to its current location in East Windsor, New Jersey in 2005. Its accounts are insured by the National Credit Union Administration.

It provides savings, checking accounts, CDs, money market accounts, IRAs, credit cards, auto loans, and home mortgages.

Awards[link]

In 1999, the National Building Museum presented the McGraw-Hill Companies with its annual Honor Award for the corporation's contributions to the built environment. ^[20]

References[link]

• "Platts History". Retrieved April 30, 2010

External links[link]

	New York City portal
	Companies portal

• Official website
• Transcripts of The McGraw-Hill Companies' Quarterly Conference Calls
• Digital Engineering Library (Book List at 29Dec07 Book List at 25Feb08)
• Platts Energy, Metals & Petrochemicals Data
• McGraw-Hill Construction

Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw performing for the United States Air Force in 2003
Background information
Birth name	Samuel Timothy McGraw
Born	(1967-05-01) May 1, 1967 (age 45) Delhi, Louisiana, U.S.
Origin	Start, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres	Country
Occupations	Musician, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Curb Big Machine
Associated acts	Faith Hill, The Dancehall Doctors, Nelly, Taylor Swift, Def Leppard, Mindy McCready, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lionel Richie
Website	timmcgraw.com

Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the Soundscan era.^[1] He is married to country singer Faith Hill and is the son of former baseball player Tug McGraw.

McGraw had 11 consecutive albums debut at Number One on the Billboard albums charts. Twenty-one singles hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. He has won 3 Grammys, 14 Academy of Country Music awards, 11 Country Music Association (CMA) awards, 10 American Music Awards, and 3 People's Choice Awards. His Soul2Soul II Tour with Faith Hill is the highest grossing tour in country music history, and one of the top five among all genres of music.^[2]

McGraw has ventured into acting, with supporting roles in The Blind Side (with Sandra Bullock), Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom, and Four Christmases (with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon), and lead roles in Flicka (2006) and Country Strong (2010). He was a minority owner of the Arena Football League's Nashville Kats. Taylor Swift's debut single, "Tim McGraw", refers to him and his song, "Can't Tell Me Nothin'".^[3]

In acknowledgement of his grandfather's Italian heritage, McGraw was honored by the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) in 2004, receiving the NIAF Special Achievement Award in Music during the Foundation's 29th Anniversary Gala.

Early life[link]

McGraw was born Samuel Timothy McGraw in Delhi, Louisiana, to Elizabeth "Betty" Ann D'Agostino, a waitress, and Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr., who later became a relief pitcher for the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. McGraw is of Italian and some Irish descent on his mother's side, and of Scots-Irish and distant German descent on his father's side.^[4][5] In 1966, Tug was a pitcher for the Jacksonville Suns, and he lived in an apartment above Betty D'Agostino, who attended Terry Parker High School. The pair had a relationship, and when Betty became pregnant, her parents sent her to Louisiana to live with relatives and to have the baby.^[6]

Start, Louisiana, welcome sign notes that McGraw once resided there.

Reared by his mother in Start, also in Richland Parish, east of Monroe, McGraw grew up believing his stepfather, Horace Smith, was his father. From the time of his mother's marriage until the time he met his biological father, his last name was Smith. At age 11, McGraw discovered his birth certificate while searching his mother's closet to find pictures for a school project. After his discovery, his mother revealed that his biological father was Tug McGraw, and took Tim to meet him for the first time.^[5] For seven years, Tug denied being Tim's father. Tim was 18 years old when Tug first realized how much Tim looked like him at that age, and he acknowledged paternity. They remained close until Tug's death in 2004.

As a child, McGraw loved to play competitive sports, including baseball, even though he did not know his natural father was a professional athlete.^[5] He attended Northeast Louisiana University, now the University of Louisiana at Monroe, on a baseball scholarship,^[7] and became a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.^[8] During his college period, he learned to play guitar, and would frequently perform and sing for tips, although he claims that his roommates often hid the guitar because he was so bad.

His mother, Betty, returned to Jacksonville, Florida in 1987, and McGraw followed. He attended Florida Community College at Jacksonville for one term, and occasionally sat in with local bands.^[6] In 1989, on the day his hero Keith Whitley died,^[7] McGraw dropped out of college to head to Nashville and pursue a musical career.^[5]

1990s[link]

[edit] Tim McGraw

Tim McGraw's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

McGraw came to the attention of Curb Records in 1990. After cutting a demo single, McGraw gave a copy to his father, Tug McGraw. A man who was friends with Curb Records executives heard the demo while driving with Tug McGraw one day and recommended that Curb contact the young singer. Several weeks later, he was able to play his tape for Curb executives, after which they signed him to a recording contract.^[5] Two years later, in 1992, he had his first minor hit with "Welcome to the Club" off his self-titled debut album. Although the album failed to make much of a dent on the charts, McGraw did have two other minor hits from it in 1993: "Memory Lane" and "Two Steppin Mind".^[7]

[edit] Not a Moment Too Soon

His second album, Not a Moment Too Soon, was much more successful, becoming the best-selling country album in 1994. The first single, "Indian Outlaw", caused considerable controversy, as critics argued that it presented Native Americans in a patronizing way.^[7] Some radio stations refused to play it,^[9] but the controversy helped spur sales, and the song became McGraw's first top-ten country single (getting as high as No. 8), and reaching No. 15 on the pop chart.^[10]

The second single from the album, "Don't Take the Girl", became McGraw's first No. 1 country hit, and "helped cement his image as a ruggedly good-looking guy with a sensitive side".^[9] The following year, the album's title track became a No. 1 country single, while "Down on the Farm" reached No. 2, and "Refried Dreams" reached the top 5. The album sold over 6 million copies, topping the Billboard 200 as well as the country album charts.^[7] On the strength of this success, McGraw won Academy of Country Music awards for Album of the Year and Top New Male Vocalist in 1994.^[11]

[edit] All I Want

All I Want, released in 1995, continued his run of success, debuting at No. 1 on the country charts. The album sold over 2 million copies and reached the top 5 on the Billboard 200. "I Like It, I Love It" reached No. 1 on the country charts as the lead-off single, while "She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart" also went to No. 1 in 1996. "Can't Be Really Gone", "All I Want Is a Life", and "Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It" were all top 5 hits.^[7]

In 1996, McGraw headlined the most successful country tour of the year, The Spontaneous Combustion Tour, with Faith Hill as his supporting act. Faith Hill broke off her engagement to her former producer Scott Hendricks so that she and McGraw could start dating each other; they then married on October 6, 1996. The couple have since had three daughters: Gracie Katherine (born May 1997), Maggie Elizabeth (born August 1998), and Audrey Caroline (born December 2001).^[12]

[edit] Everywhere

McGraw's next album, 1997's Everywhere, again topped the country charts and reached No. 2 on the album charts, selling 4 million copies.^[7] Four singles ("It's Your Love", "Everywhere", "Where the Green Grass Grows", and "Just to See You Smile") reached the top of the country charts from the album, with the last of these setting a new record by spending 42 weeks on the Billboard charts.^[13] The Country Music Association awarded Everywhere its Album of the Year award for 1997.

[edit] A Place in the Sun

A Place in the Sun in 1999 continued McGraw's streak, debuting atop both the US pop and country album charts^[11] and selling 3 million albums. It featured another four chart-topping singles on the country charts including "Please Remember Me", "Something Like That", "My Best Friend", and "My Next Thirty Years". "Some Things Never Change" reached No. 7 on the country chart.^[7] He also contributed a song for the Grammy-winning tribute album to Bob Wills: Ride With Bob. His song, a cover of "Milk Cow Blues", was recorded as a duet with Asleep at the Wheel, whom he had met while performing together at the George Strait Country Music Festival.^[11]

McGraw recorded two more duets with his wife in the late 1990s, both of which appeared on her albums. "Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me", off of her multi-platinum 1998 album Faith, reached the top five of the US country charts,^[7] while her follow-up and 1999 album Breathe featured "Let's Make Love", which would win a Grammy Award in 2000 for Best Country Vocal Collaboration.^[11]

2000s[link]

[edit] Greatest Hits

In 2000, McGraw released his Greatest Hits album, which topped the charts for nine weeks and sold almost 6 million copies, making it one of the biggest-selling albums in the modern country market. In the latter half of the year, he and Hill went out on the Soul2Soul Tour, playing to sellout crowds in 64 venues, including Madison Square Garden. It was one of the top tours of any genre in the US, and the leading country tour during 2000.^[13]

While in Buffalo, New York, McGraw and Kenny Chesney became involved in a scuffle with police officers after Chesney attempted to ride a police horse. McGraw came to Chesney's aid after police officers nearby believed the horse was being stolen and tried to arrest him. The two were arrested and charged with assault, but were later cleared. During a concert with the George Strait Country Music Festival several weeks later, Hill, dressed as a police officer, made an unscheduled appearance at the end of McGraw's set and led him off the stage.^[14]

[edit] Set This Circus Down

McGraw's next album, Set This Circus Down, was released in April 2001, and spawned four number-one country hits: "Grown Men Don't Cry", "Angry All the Time" (with Faith Hill), "The Cowboy in Me", and "Unbroken". He provided harmony vocals for the Jo Dee Messina song "Bring On the Rain", which he also produced. The song topped the country charts.^[11]

Hungry for more of his music, fans downloaded a version of his performance of the song "Things Change" from his appearance at the Country Music Association Awards Show. The song was played extensively on radio, becoming the first country song to appear on the charts from a fully downloaded version.^[13]

[edit] Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors

In 2002, McGraw bucked country music traditions by recording his album Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors with his tour band The Dancehall Doctors. Unlike rock music, where it is commonplace for touring bands to provide the music on albums recorded by the artist they support, country albums are typically recorded with session musicians.^[15] McGraw chose to use his own touring band, in order to recognize their part in his success, and to capture some of the feel of a real band.^[13]

All of the Dancehall Doctors have worked with McGraw since at least 1996. They include:

• Darran Smith – lead guitar, acoustic guitar
• Bob Minner – rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin
• Denny Hemingson – steel guitar, electric, baritone, and slide guitars, dobro
• John Marcus – bass guitar
• Dean Brown – fiddle, mandolin
• Jeff McMahon – piano, organ, synthesizer, keyboards
• Billy Mason – drums
• David Dunkley – percussion^[13]

The album debuted at No. 2 on the country albums charts,^[5] with the single "Real Good Man" reaching No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. "She's My Kind of Rain" reached No. 2 in 2003, and "Red Ragtop" reached the top 5. The album also featured a cover version of Elton John's early 1970s classic "Tiny Dancer", as well as appearances by Kim Carnes on "Comfort Me" (a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks) and Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles on "Illegal".

[edit] Live Like You Were Dying

2004's Live Like You Were Dying continued McGraw's record of commercial success. The title track, dedicated to his father Tug McGraw, who died of a brain tumor earlier in the year, was a soaring ode to living life fully and in the moment,^[16] while the second single "Back When" was a paean to an easy nostalgia. Live Like You Were Dying spent seven non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard (10 weeks on Radio & Records), and went on to become the biggest hit single of the year. It also became one of the most awarded songs/records by winning ACM Single and Song of the Year, CMA Single and Song of the Year, and a Grammy.

In late 2004, his unlikely duet with hip-hop artist Nelly on "Over and Over", a soft ballad of lost love, became a crossover hit,^[17] spending 10 weeks atop the Top 40 chart. "Over and Over" brought McGraw a success he had never previously experienced on contemporary hit radio or rap radio, and brought both artists success neither had previously experienced in the hot adult contemporary market. The song also spent a week at the top of the charts in the United Kingdom, becoming McGraw's first British hit single and Nelly's third number one hit in the country after Dilemma and My Place. 'Over and Over' also reached the top of the charts in Australia, New Zealand and the Republic of Ireland, and the top ten in Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Romania and Switzerland.

Throughout the 2005 NFL season, McGraw sang an alternate version of "I Like It, I Love It" every week during the season. The alternate lyrics, which changed each week, would make reference to plays during Sunday's games, and the song would be played alongside video highlights during halftime on Monday Night Football.^[18] Later in the year, McGraw became a minority owner of the Arena Football League's Nashville Kats when majority owner Bud Adams (owner of the NFL's Tennessee Titans) was awarded the expansion franchise.^[19]

[edit] Let It Go

In April 2006, McGraw and Hill began their 73-concert 55-city Soul2Soul II Tour, again to strong commercial acceptance. The tour grossed nearly $89 million and sold almost 1.1 million tickets, making it the top grossing tour in the history of country music.^[20] It was named "Major Tour of the Year" by the prestigious Pollstar Magazine, beating out such heavyweights as Madonna and the Rolling Stones. In a special gesture, the couple donated all of the profits from their performance in New Orleans to Hurricane Katrina relief.^[21]

McGraw, along with Kenny Chesney, contributed to a version of Tracy Lawrence's song "Find Out Who Your Friends Are", which can be found on Lawrence's album For the Love. Although the official single version features only Lawrence's vocals, many stations have opted to play the version with McGraw and Chesney instead.

McGraw released his eleventh album, Let It Go, on March 27, 2007. The album's debut single, "Last Dollar (Fly Away)", reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, marking McGraw's first No. 1 single since "Back When" in late 2004. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart and No. 1 on the Billboard Country Album chart, marking his fourth No. 1 top 200 album and ninth No. 1 country album.^[22] His daughters can be heard singing the chorus during the last few seconds of the song on the video.

During the Academy of Country Music awards show on May 21, 2007, McGraw performed a song titled "If You're Reading This", which he co-wrote with The Warren Brothers.^[23] Several radio stations began to play the live recording of the song; as a result, it entered the Hot Country Songs chart at No. 35.^[24]

McGraw also produced the debut album of country music duo Halfway to Hazard. The duo's first single, "Daisy", peaked at No. 39 on the country charts in the summer of 2007.

In the summer of 2007, McGraw and Hill toured together once again in the Soul2Soul 2007 tour.

In the January 18, 2008 edition of the USA Today newspaper, McGraw was stated to be featured on the Def Leppard album Songs from the Sparkle Lounge, having also co-written the first single, "Nine Lives", with Def Leppard band members Joe Elliott, Phil Collen, and Rick Savage. The unusual pairing goes back to 2006 when McGraw joined Def Leppard onstage for the song "Pour Some Sugar On Me", and then collaborated on the song "Nine Lives" afterward. The album was released on April 25, 2008.

In May 2008, he hit the road with the Live Your Voice tour. The mainly-outdoor arena concert tour was his first solo outing in nearly three years. Also in May 2008, he debuted a new song off of his follow-up to Let It Go at the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California.

In July 2008, McGraw's sixth single, and the title track of his album, "Let It Go", was released to country radio. Following that, a seventh single, "Nothin' to Die For", entered the Country charts at No. 57 in late December. McGraw released his third greatest-hits package, Greatest Hits 3 on October 7, 2008. The album features 12 tracks. McGraw was set to debut a new song on the 2009 ACM Awards, but then cancelled his performance; he was replaced by Blake Shelton, who sang "She Wouldn't Be Gone".

[edit] Southern Voice

McGraw's twelfth studio album, Southern Voice, was released October 20, 2009, and led by the single "It's A Business Doing Pleasure With You", which was shipped to radio outlets in late June 2009.^[25] Southern Voice was argued to be McGraw's last album for Curb Records, following the dispute over releasing his third Greatest Hits collection back in October 2008 without his permission. McGraw did not approve of the release. On November 30, 2010, Curb Records released his fourth greatest hits compilation, Number One Hits.

2010s[link]

[edit] Emotional Traffic and Curb Records lawsuit

On January 2, 2011, McGraw announced plans for his Emotional Traffic Tour featuring opening acts Luke Bryan and The Band Perry.^[26] Sirius XM announced on March 30, 2011 that they would be launching Tim McGraw radio, a commercial-free music channel devoted to McGraw's music, and featuring an in depth interview with McGraw as well.^[27]

McGraw has also finished work on a new album, also entitled Emotional Traffic, his last album with Curb Records.^[28] On May 13, 2011, Curb Records filed a breach-of-contract suit against McGraw.^[29] The label alleged that McGraw recorded tracks for his Emotional Traffic album too early prior to its delivery to the label.^[29] Several days later, McGraw filed a counter suit against the label seeking advance payment and recording-fund reimbursement, unspecified damages, and a jury trial.^[30] A trial is scheduled to begin in July 2012.^[31][32]

In November 2011, a judge granted McGraw permission to record music for another label, ending his relationship with Curb Records that began in 1990.^[31][32] A few hours after the ruling, Curb released "Better Than I Used to Be", the second single from Emotional Traffic.^[33][34] The album was released on January 24, 2012.^[34]

In December 2011, McGraw released his first Christmas single, "Christmas All Over the World", on his own label StyleSonic records. He is also said to be recording his debut album for the label. On May 21, 2012, he signed with Big Machine Records.^[35]

Acting[link]

McGraw's first acting appearance came in a 1995 episode of The Jeff Foxworthy Show, where he played Foxworthy's rival.

In 2004, McGraw played a sheriff in Rick Schroder's independent release Black Cloud. Later in the same year, McGraw received critical acclaim as the overbearing father of a running back in the major studio Texas high school football drama Friday Night Lights. The Dallas Observer said the role was "played with unexpected ferocity by country singer Tim McGraw".^[36] The movie went on to gross over $60 million dollars worldwide at the box office,^[37] and sold millions in the DVD market. Most recently, it was named one of the Top 50 High School Movies of All Time (No. 37) by Entertainment Weekly.

McGraw's first lead role was in the 2006 film Flicka, which was released in theaters October 20, 2006. In the remake of the classic book My Friend Flicka, McGraw played the father, Rob, costarring with Alison Lohman and Maria Bello. The family-friendly movie debuted in the top 10 list and has grossed over $25 million at the box office.^[38] McGraw again achieved critical acclaim for his acting.^[39][40]

Shortly before Flicka opened, McGraw received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is located at 6901 Hollywood Blvd. near stars in the sidewalk honoring Julie Andrews, William Shatner, and the late Greta Garbo. One of his Flicka co-stars, Alison Lohman, attended the ceremony that included comments from Billy Bob Thornton, McGraw's co-star in the film Friday Night Lights.^[41]

In addition to acting in Flicka, McGraw served as executive producer of the soundtrack album, which was released by his record label, StyleSonic Records, in association with Curb Records and Fox 2000 films. It featured the closing credit song "My Little Girl", one of the first two songs that McGraw recorded that he also co-wrote (the other being "I've Got Friends That Do", both of which were included on Greatest Hits Vol. 2).^[42] The song was nominated by the Broadcast Film Critics for "Best Song" in a film, and the movie was nominated in the category "Best Family Film (Live Action)". The movie proved to be another success in the DVD market, and has sold over a million copies, debuting at No. 3 on the DVD sales chart.^[38]

McGraw also had a small part in the Michael Mann–produced 2007 film The Kingdom, reuniting him with Friday Night Lights director Peter Berg. McGraw played a bitter, angered widower whose wife was killed in the terrorist attack that is the centerpiece of the movie.

On November 22, 2008, McGraw made his first appearance on Saturday Night Live. He also played "Dallas McVie" in Four Christmases.

His house appeared in an episode of CSI with special guest Taylor Swift.

McGraw appeared in the 2009 film The Blind Side as Sean Tuohy, husband of Sandra Bullock’s character, Leigh Anne Tuohy. The Blind Side is based on the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in and adopted by the Tuohys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. In addition to his appearance in the film, McGraw's hit song "Southern Voice" was played during the closing credits of the film.

He is among the stars of Dirty Girl, a film that premiered on September 12, 2010, at the Toronto Film Festival, along with Juno Temple, Milla Jovovich, William H. Macy and Dwight Yoakam.

Also in 2010, McGraw starred in Country Strong as James Canter, the husband and manager of the fictional country singer Kelly Canter (portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow).^[43]

Charitable efforts[link]

As his success has grown, McGraw has become increasingly interested in giving back to the community. When McGraw first reached fame in 1994, he established his annual Swampstock event. It began as a charity softball game to raise money for hometown little league programs; the event now includes a celebrity softball game and a multi-artist concert that attracts over 11,000 fans per year. The combined events have funded new Little League parks and equipment, and have established college scholarship funds for students in the northeast Louisiana area.^[44]

From 1996 to 1999, McGraw hosted an annual New Year's Eve concert in Nashville with special guests including Jeff Foxworthy, the Dixie Chicks, and Martina McBride. The 1997 show raised over $100,000 for the Country Music Foundation Hall of Fame and Museum. Beginning in 1999, McGraw would pick select cities on each tour, and the night before he was scheduled to perform, would choose a local club and host a quickly-organized show. This tour-within-a-tour became known as "The Bread and Water Tour", and all proceeds from the show would go to a charity from that community.^[44]

In the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina, McGraw and his wife, who was raised in Mississippi, joined groups taking supplies to Gulfport, Mississippi. The two also hosted several charity concerts to benefit those who were displaced by the storm.^[45] Later in the year, the couple established the Neighbor's Keeper Foundation, which provides funding for community charities to assist with basic humanitarian services, in the event of a natural disaster, or for desperate personal circumstances.

McGraw is also a member of the American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet, to which various celebrities donate their time, skills, and fame, to help the Red Cross highlight important initiatives and response efforts.^[46]

McGraw has helped out with charity events held by Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre. The Brett Favre Fourward Foundation has featured McGraw (and at other times Faith Hill) performing concerts during dinners and auctions that benefit children with disabilities in Wisconsin and Mississippi. One instance is recorded on Favre's official website.^[47]

On July 12, 2007, it was made public that McGraw and his wife Faith Hill, while in Grand Rapids, Michigan for a performance, donated $5000 to Kailey Kozminski, 3-year-old daughter of Officer Robert Kozminski, a Grand Rapids police officer who was killed on July 8, 2007 while responding to a domestic disturbance.^[48]

In June 2010, McGraw and his wife Faith Hill organized Nashville Rising, a benefit concert aimed to raise $2 million for The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee in response to the flood in early May that killed 22 people and caused $2 billion in damage.^[49]

Politics[link]

Tim McGraw poses for a sailor at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida on May 5, 2010, before performing at the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass military appreciation day.

McGraw, a Democrat, has stated that he would like to run for public office in the future, possibly for Senate or Governor of Tennessee, his home state.^[50][51] In the same interview, he praised former President Bill Clinton.^[51] He has referred to himself as a "Blue Dog Democrat" and stated that he supported presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008.^[52]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• Tim McGraw (1993)
• Not a Moment Too Soon (1994)
• All I Want (1995)
• Everywhere (1997)
• A Place in the Sun (1999)
• Set This Circus Down (2001)
• Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors (2002)
• Live Like You Were Dying (2004)
• Let It Go (2007)
• Southern Voice (2009)
• Emotional Traffic (2012)

Compilation albums[link]

• Greatest Hits (2000)
• Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (2006)
• Greatest Hits: Limited Edition (2008)
• Collector's Edition (2008)
• Greatest Hits 3 (2008)
• Limited Edition: Greatest Hits: Volumes 1, 2 & 3 (2008)
• Number One Hits (2010)

Filmography[link]

Awards[link]

^[53]

Further reading[link]

• Brown, Jim; Sparrow, Susan. Faith Hill & Tim McGraw: Soul 2 Soul. Quarry Music Books, 2002. ISBN 1-55082-293-4
• Gray, Scott. Perfect Harmony: the Faith Hill & Tim McGraw Story. 1st ed. Ballantine Books, 1999. ISBN 0-345-43412-9
• McGraw, Tim. Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors: This is Ours. Atria Books, 2002. ISBN 0-7434-6706-X
• Nichols, Tim, and Craig Wiseman. Live Like You Were Dying. Rutledge Hill P, 2004. ISBN 1-4016-0212-6
• Trimble, Betty "McMom". A Mother's Story. D'Agostino/Dahlhauser/Ditmore Pub, 1996. ISBN 1-886371-32-6

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tim McGraw

• Official website
• Tim McGraw at Allmusic
• Tim McGraw at Country Music Television
• Tim McGraw at the Internet Movie Database
• Tim McGraw at People.com

Faith Hill
Singing in a tribute concert for America's armed forces for ABC's Good Morning America
Background information
Birth name	Audrey Faith Perry
Born	(1967-09-21) September 21, 1967 (age 44) Ridgeland, Mississippi, U.S.
Genres	Country, country pop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, producer, actress
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Warner Bros. Nashville
Associated acts	Tim McGraw, Josh Groban, Tony Bennett
Website	www.faithhill.com

Faith Hill (born Audrey Faith Perry; September 21, 1967) is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S. Country charts.

Hill has been honored by the Grammy Awards, the Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Association, the American Music Awards and the People's Choice Awards. Her Soul2Soul II Tour 2006 with McGraw became the highest-grossing country tour of all time.^[1] In 2001, she was named one of the "30 Most Powerful Women in America" by Ladies Home Journal. In 2008, Hill released her first Christmas album, titled Joy to the World. In 2009 Billboard named her as the #1 Adult Contemporary artist of the decade 2000-2009. Hill was ranked the 39th best artist of the 2000-10 decade by Billboard.^[2]

Early life and career start[link]

Hill was born in Ridgeland, Mississippi, north of Jackson, Mississippi. She was adopted as an infant, and named Audrey Faith Perry. She was raised in the nearby town of Star, 25 miles outside of Jackson, Mississippi.^[3] Her adoptive parents raised their two biological sons along with Hill in a devout Christian environment.^[4]

Hill's vocal talent was apparent early, and she had her first public performance, a 4-H luncheon, when she was seven.^[5] In 1976, a few days before her 9th birthday, she attended a concert by Elvis Presley at the State Fair Coliseum, in Jackson, which impressed her deeply. By the time she was a teenager, Hill was a regular performer at area churches, even those not in her own Baptist denomination.^[6] At 17, Hill formed a band that played in local rodeos. She briefly attended college at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Mississippi,where she served with a group called the Hinds Connection (a student recruiting and public relations group). At times, she sang for prisoners at the Hinds County Jail, her song of choice being "Amazing Grace.".^[7] At age 19 she quit school to move to Nashville and pursue her dream of being a country singer. In her early days in Nashville, Hill auditioned to be a backup singer for Reba McEntire, but failed to secure the job.^[4] After a stint selling T-shirts, Hill became a secretary at a music publishing firm.^[5] She also worked at McDonald's but it didn't go well. "Fries, burgers, cash register - I did it all, I hated it," she has said.^[8]

In 1988 she married music publishing executive Daniel Hill, who is not to be confused with Canadian musician Dan Hill.^[9]

Two years later, she began a search for her biological mother, whom she eventually met and with whom she corresponded until her mother's death.^[10]

A co-worker heard Hill singing to herself one day, and soon the head of her music publishing company was encouraging her to become a demo singer for the firm.^[5] She supplemented this work by singing backup vocals for songwriter Gary Burr, who often performed his new songs at Nashville's Bluebird Cafe. During one of those performances, Bob Saporiti, an executive from Warner Bros. Records was in the audience, and, impressed with Hill's voice, began the process of signing her to a recording contract.^[4]

Shortly after the release of her album, Hill found her marriage falling apart. She and Daniel Hill divorced in 1994.^[10]

Music career[link]

1993–1997: Country success[link]

Hill's debut album was Take Me as I Am (1993); sales were strong, buoyed by the chart success of "Wild One". Hill became the first female country singer in 30 years to hold Billboard's number one position for four consecutive weeks when "Wild One" managed the feat in 1994.^[11] Her version of "Piece of My Heart", also went to the top of the country charts in 1994.^[5] The album sold a total of 3 million copies.^[5] Other singles from the album include "Take Me as I Am".

The recording of Faith's second album was delayed by surgery to repair a ruptured blood vessel on her vocal cords. It Matters to Me finally appeared in 1995 and was another success, with the title track becoming her fourth number-one country single. Several other top 10 singles followed, and more than 3 million copies of the album were sold.^[5] The fifth single from the album, "I Can't Do That Anymore", was written by country music artist Alan Jackson. Other singles from the album include "You Can't Lose Me", "Someone Else's Dream", and "Let's Go to Vegas"

In spring 1996, Hill began the Spontaneous Combustion Tour with country singer Tim McGraw. At that time, Hill had recently become engaged to her former producer, Scott Hendricks, and McGraw had recently broken an engagement. McGraw and Hill were quickly attracted to each other and began an affair. After discovering that Hill was pregnant with their first child, the couple married on October 6, 1996. The couple have three daughters together: Gracie Katherine (b. 1997), Maggie Elizabeth (b. 1998) and Audrey Caroline (b. 2001). Since their marriage, Hill and McGraw have endeavored never to be apart for more than three consecutive days.^[4]

After the release of It Matters to Me, Hill took a three-year break from recording to give herself a rest from four years of touring and to begin a family with McGraw. During her break, she joined forces with her husband for their first duet, "It's Your Love".^[12] The song stayed at number one for six weeks,^[5] and won awards from both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. Hill has remarked that sometimes when they perform the song together, "it [doesn't] feel like anybody else was really watching."^[12]

1998–2003: Pop crossover breakthrough[link]

She reentered the music business in 1998 with Faith.^[12] The album showcased her progression toward a more mainstream, pop-oriented sound, although it retained some country sound. "This Kiss" became a number one country hit, and was the first of her singles to place on the pop charts, peaking at number seven. More than six million copies of the album were sold. The album also delivered several other hits including another duet with McGraw, "Just To Hear You Say That You Love Me", "Let Me Let Go" and "The Secret Of Life".^[5]

To follow up this newfound success, Hill immediately released Breathe, which debuted at the top of the Billboard Country and all genre charts, ahead of albums by Mariah Carey and Savage Garden.^[13] Although the album had few overt country sounds, it "complement[ed] her vocal strengths."^[14] For the first time, the album consisted solely of songs about love and did not venture into the more somber territory that her previous albums had touched.^[14] The title track, "Breathe", reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[13] "The Way You Love Me" hit the top 10 as well, topping out at number six on the charts. The album won Hill three Grammy Awards including Best Country Album, Best Country Collaboration With Vocals for "Let's Make Love" featuring Tim McGraw and Best Country Female Vocal Performance for "Breathe."^[15] It also marked a step away from her girl-next-door image, as the videos and promotional pictures all portrayed a much sexier image. Breathe has sold almost 10 million copies worldwide.^[16]

2000 was an especially busy year for Hill. Besides a successful tour with her husband, Hill was featured in a CBS television special, VH1's Behind the Music, VH1 Divas 2000, and the Lifetime cable channel's Intimate Portraits series.^[13] She signed an endorsement deal with CoverGirl makeup,^[5] performed at the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards, appeared on the cover of numerous magazines, and performed the national anthem at the Super Bowl.^[13] Hill was also named to Mr. Blackwell's 10-best dressed women of 2000, the only singer listed among actresses and other celebrities. Hill and McGraw also embarked on their first Soul2Soul tour, the "Soul2Soul Tour 2000."^[17]

Musically, in 2000 Hill recorded a song for the movie Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, entitled "Where Are You Christmas." The song also appeared on the pop and country charts. Hill's success on the pop charts disturbed some country music insiders, who questioned whether she was trying to dismiss her country roots and move into the pop genre. Despite the grumbling, Hill won the CMA Female Vocalist of The Year Award, and in her acceptance speech announced, "I love this business and I love this industry... and my heart is here."^[13]

In 2001, Hill recorded a song for the Pearl Harbor soundtrack. "There You'll Be" also appeared on the album There You'll Be: The Best Of Faith Hill, an international greatest hits album. The album featured dance mixes of "Breathe" and "The Way You Love Me" along with alternate versions of "Piece Of My Heart" and "Let Me Let Go."

In 2002, Hill released her new album with a more pop-oriented sound, Cry. The album "spotlight[ed] her impressive set of pipes," but also marked the completion of her "transformation into a pop diva," containing few nods to her country roots. Though the album debuted at number one on Billboard magazine's pop and country album charts,^[5] and Hill made her debut as musical guest on Saturday Night Live, the album's singles (including the title track "Cry", written and originally performed by Angie Aparo) received much less radio airplay than her previous smashes.^[18] The album however, did win a Grammy Award and 3.7 million copies have been sold worldwide.^[15]

Hill's 2002 song "Baby You Belong" off her Cry album was used as the theme song for the movie Lilo & Stitch. The music video featured clips from the movie as well as performance clips.

2005–2006: Return to country[link]

In concert in Dallas on the Soul2Soul II Tour, July 29, 2006.

In 2005, Hill returned with her new country album, Fireflies. The CD debuted on top of the Billboard Country and all genre album charts, placing her among only a handful of artists to have three consecutive albums debut at number one on both charts.^[19] The debut single, "Mississippi Girl", became Hill's highest-debuting single. The song was written specifically for her by John Rich (of Big and Rich) and Adam Shoenfield of MuzikMafia, and tells the abbreviated story of her life. Hill recorded two other songs by Rich, "Sunshine and Summertime" and "Like We Never Loved at All", both of which became successful singles.^[20] The title track, "Stealing Kisses" and "If You Ask" were written by artist Lori McKenna and also appear on McKenna's albums. The album marked a return to Hill's country roots and succeeded in reestablishing her place on country radio.^[21]

In 2006, after a six-year break from touring following the birth of her youngest daughter,^[4] Hill and husband Tim McGraw embarked on their Soul2Soul II Tour 2006. The tour became the highest grossing country music tour ever with a gross of $90 million.^[1][22] It was named "Major Tour of the Year" by the prestigious Pollstar, beating out such heavyweights as Madonna and the Rolling Stones.

2007–present: The Hits, Joy to the World and future projects[link]

In 2007, Hill started work on her first domestic greatest hits package, titled The Hits, which was released on October 2. It contains two new tracks, "Lost" and "Red Umbrella", as well as 13 additional tracks. The album also features hits covering her entire career from 1993–2005. Included with the 2-Disc Special-Edition of The Hits is a DVD of 11 of Hill's music videos. The DVD substitutes the Tim McGraw duet "Just To Hear You Say That You Love Me" for their "I Need You" duet on the CD.^[23]

She's also featured on husband Tim McGraw's 2007 album Let It Go. She sings two duets with him, "I Need You" and "Shotgun Rider." Both songs were sung at the couple's critically acclaimed Soul2Soul II Tour 2006. She and Tim also did an encore of their Soul2Soul II Tour; Soul2Soul 2007 began in June and ran through August. The song I Need You has been nominated twice at the 2008 Grammy Awards for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals and Best Country Song. The show took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 10, 2008 but the song didn't win.

In 2007 Hill took over as the signature voice of NFL on NBC's Sunday Night Football, singing the theme song about which the show's producer said:^[24]

It's not often that you get the opportunity to have a mega-star like Faith Hill perform the signature open to your show.

—NBC Sunday Night Football producer Fred Gaudelli, MSNBC

In September 2008, Hill issued her first Christmas album, titled Joy to the World. The compilation was given positive reviews, including about.com, which gave the album four and a half out of five stars, calling the album, "a great collection of classic Christmas songs." Hill continually worked on the album two years prior to its official release. The album included one new track, "A Baby Changes Everything", which was released as the album's only single in late 2008.^[25] The song debuted at #24 on Billboard's AC chart, and quickly rose to #1, becoming Hill's fourth number one on that chart.

On February 1, 2009 Hill performed "America the Beautiful" at the Super Bowl XLIII pregame show. The other performers at the pregame show were Jennifer Hudson and Journey, and Bruce Springsteen performed at the Halftime show.^[26]

In October 2010, Hill contributed to the Country Strong soundtrack. On it, she recorded a song titled 'Give In To Me'. Hill also appears on Coal Miner's Daughter: A Tribute To Loretta Lynn, on which she performs "Love Is The Foundation." Hill also contributed her vocals on the Ryan Tedder penned song "All I Ever Wanted" for the 2010 feature film Life As We Know It . The song was used in trailers to promote the film and also appeared during the end credits of the film.

Brendan O'Brien, known for producing projects for Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, and Rage Against the Machine, is working with Hill and producing her next album, set for release in 2011.^[27] Hill will also be entering the studio with pop producer Brian Kennedy in January 2011 to complete the album.

In March 2011 Hill returned to the studio for another round of recording. "I would like to have a record out," Hill tells Billboard.com, "but it hasn't been the right thing yet. I don't want it to be just another record. It's a lot of work to support a record, so I just want it to be... really great. I want it to represent where I am as a woman. I don't want it to be fake. I want it to be authentic and real."^[28] In mid-2011 Hill recorded a duet with George Strait on the song A Showman’s Life which can be heard on Strait's new album Here For A Good Time.

Hill performed her new single "Come Home", on the CMA Awards on November 9, 2011. Faith's seventh album, rumored to be titled "Illusion" is set for release in the fall of 2012. Tracks confirmed for the album include, "Illusion", "Flower" and "600 Years".

Acting career[link]

In 1995 Hill guest starred in an episode of Touched by an Angel,.^[29] Hill won the role of Julia Compton Moore, the wife of LTC Hal Moore, played by Mel Gibson, in the 2002 movie "We Were Soldiers" but ultimately left the film, giving the role to Madeline Stowe.^[8] Her film debut was in the summer of 2004, when Hill co-starred with Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick and Glenn Close in director Frank Oz's remake of the 1975 thriller The Stepford Wives.^[30] Although the film earned over $101 million, it was savaged by critics^{[31] [32][33]} and Hill has not made another acting appearance since. While hers was a small part, she provided one of the more talked about scenes with a scream that made Tim McGraw proud.^[8]

Fragrance[link]

In October 2009, Hill released her first fragrance titled Faith Hill Parfums. The fragrance is a blend of Southern Magnolia, Jasmine and Peach Pears. In 2010, Hill released her second fragrance, titled True.

Philanthropy[link]

Hill used her 1999 tour to support a national children's book drive, The Faith Hill Family Literacy Project. The charity was inspired by Faith's father, who faced challenges with literacy. Fans who donated books at one of her concerts were entered into a drawing to meet her personally after the show.^[34] The effort resulted in the donation of 35,000 children's books, which were distributed to hospitals, schools, libraries, and daycare centers in 40 cities across the United States.^[35]