Tim McGraw sobriety: The country singer speaks about his decision to stop drinking
Tim McGraw talked about his decision to embrace sobriety in an interview with People. Tim McGraw said sobriety was something he felt he needed to pursue.
Tim McGraw embraced sobriety five years ago, said the singer. Here, he performs at the Country Music Awards on Nov. 1, 2012.
Wade Payne/Invision/AP
In a recent interview with People, country star Tim McGraw spoke about his decision to stop drinking and how that had positively impacted his life.
“I drank a lot from my point of view and I needed to stop," McGraw said. "I felt quitting was something I needed to do. I didn't feel I had any moral high ground with my kids in the long run.”
McGraw is married to fellow country singer Faith Hill and has three daughters, who range in age from 15 to 11.
The singer said he stopped drinking five years ago and started a demanding new exercise routine that included lifting weights.
“Working out is a great way to go out on stage," the country star said. "When I hit the stage, my adrenaline is going and I'm ready.”
McGraw is the son of Tug McGraw, a baseball player who played for the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies and was a member of the World Series-winning 1980 team. According to an interview McGraw did with Larry King, the singer got his start after McGraw gave a copy of his demo single to his father and an acquaintance of music executives at Curb Records heard the music in Tug's car. The man told the staff at Curb Records that they should talk with McGraw.
The singer has since released 11 albums, not counting compilations, and his most recent, titled “Two Lanes of Freedom,” will come out Feb. 5.
McGraw has also acted in films, including the 2009 Oscar-nominated movie “The Blind Side,” in which he played fast food franchise owner Sean Tuohy. Actress Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for Best Actress for playing Sean’s wife Leigh Ann Tuohy. The singer also acted in the 2004 film version of “Friday Night Lights,” the 2006 movie “Flicka,” for which he performed a song titled “My Little Girl,” and the 2010 movie “Country Strong,” in which he played manager James Canter, husband of country star Kelly Canter (Gwyneth Paltrow).