Tim McGraw
American country singer and actor (born 1967)
Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 16 studio albums (11 for Curb Records, five for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those albums have reached number one on the Top Country Albums charts, with his 1994 breakthrough album "Not a Moment Too Soon" being the top country album of 1994. In total, McGraw's albums have produced 65 singles, 25 of which have reached number one on the Hot Country Songs or Country Airplay charts.
Three of these singles – "It's Your Love", "Just to See You Smile", and "Live Like You Were Dying" – were respectively the top country songs of 1997, 1998, and 2004 according to "Billboard" Year-End. He has also won three Grammy Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music awards, 11 Country Music Association (CMA) awards, 10 American Music Awards, and three People's Choice Awards. His Soul2Soul II Tour, which was done in partnership with his wife, Faith Hill, is one of the highest-grossing tours in country music history, and one of the top five among all genres of music. He has sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
McGraw has ventured into acting, with supporting roles in "The Blind Side", "Friday Night Lights", "The Kingdom", "Tomorrowland", "Four Christmases", flashback scenes in 2 episodes of "Yellowstone", and "The Shack" as well as lead roles in "Flicka" (2006), "Country Strong" (2010), and "1883" (2021). He was a minority owner of the Arena Football League's Nashville Kats. McGraw has been married to singer Faith Hill since 1996 and is the eldest son of former MLB pitcher Tug McGraw.
Early life and education.
Samuel Timothy McGraw was born in Delhi, Louisiana, the only child of Elizabeth "Betty" Ann D'Agostino, a waitress from Jacksonville, Florida, and Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr., a pitcher for the minor league Jacksonville Suns and future star pitcher for the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1966, D'Agostino was a student at Terry Parker High School. She lived in the same apartment building as Tug McGraw, who was playing baseball for Jacksonville. When she became pregnant with McGraw as a teen, D'Agostino's parents sent her to Louisiana to live with relatives. Through his father, McGraw has two half-brothers, Mark and Matthew, and a half-sister named Cari. He also has two younger half-sisters, Tracey and Sandra, through his mother's marriage to Horace Smith.
McGraw grew up believing Smith was his father, and used this stepfather's surname until meeting Tug. At age 11, McGraw discovered his birth certificate while searching in his mother's closet to look for a picture for a school project. Following the discovery, he learned from her who his biological father was and she took him to meet the elder McGraw for the first time. Tug McGraw denied the parentage for seven years until Tim was 18 years old. After that time, the two formed a relationship and remained close until the former baseball star died in 2004.
As a child, McGraw played competitive sports, including baseball, even before the knowledge of who his father was and his professional baseball career. McGraw was also a member of the FFA in high school. Following high school graduation, he attended Northeast Louisiana University on a baseball scholarship, where he was a pre-law major and pledged as a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. A knee injury sustained while playing baseball for the college prevented him from pursuing a professional career in sports.
While in college, McGraw learned to play guitar and would frequently perform and sing for money. He has claimed his roommates often hid the guitar because he was so bad. McGraw followed his mother when she returned to Jacksonville, Florida, in 1987. After the move, he attended Florida Community College at Jacksonville for one term, and occasionally sat in with local bands. In 1989, on the day his hero Keith Whitley died, McGraw dropped out of college to head to Nashville and pursue a musical career.
Music career.
1990s.
"Tim McGraw".
McGraw came to the attention of Curb Records in 1990. After cutting a demo single, McGraw gave a copy to his father. A man who was friends with Curb Records executives heard the demo while driving with Tug 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. McGraw made his debut with the single "What Room Was the Holiday In", which was released on March 29, 1991, and did not enter the "Billboard" Hot Country Songs chart upon its release. In a 2001 retrospective on McGraw's career in "Billboard", a former program director for Nashville station WSM-FM said that he added the song to the station's playlist because it showed "undeniable promise", while another former program director at WXTU in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, recalled that McGraw's debut single was "terrible" but that he booked the singer to make an appearance at the station due to his father's fame.
Two years later in April 1993, McGraw released his debut album "Tim McGraw", which was commercially unsuccessful and did not sell well. This is his only studio album not to achieve a music recording sales certification or to enter the Top Country Albums charts. Three more singles were released from "Tim McGraw": "Welcome to the Club", "Memory Lane", and "Two Steppin' Mind". None made country Top 40 and the album itself did not chart. Both "Memory Lane" and "Tears in the Rain", another cut from the album, were co-written by Joe Diffie. "Memory Lane" had originally appeared on Keith Palmer's self-titled 1991 debut album.
"Not a Moment Too Soon".
McGraw's second album, entitled "Not a Moment Too Soon", was much more successful than his self-titled debut, and it was the best-selling country album of 1994. Its first single, "Indian Outlaw", sparked controversy, as critics argued that it presented Native Americans in a patronizing way. Some radio stations even chose not to play it. However, the controversy helped spur sales, and the song became McGraw's first Top 10 entry on the U.S. country charts after getting as high as number 8. The song also peaked at number 15 on the "Billboard" Hot 100.
The album's second single, "Don't Take the Girl", became McGraw's first number one on the U.S. country charts, in addition to peaking at number 17 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. The song also "helped cement his image as a ruggedly good-looking guy with a sensitive side." By year's end, the third single from the album, "Down on the Farm" peaked at number 2; after that, the album's fourth single, also its title track, became the singer's second number one song in early 1995. The fifth and final single "Refried Dreams" reached number 5. The album sold over 6 million copies, topping the "Billboard" 200 and Top Country Album charts. 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. "Billboard" named "Not a Moment Too Soon" as the top country album of 1994 on Billboard Year-End.
"All I Want".
McGraw's third studio album, "All I Want", was released in 1995. Just like its predecessor, this album debuted at No. 1 on the country charts. The album even sold over 2 million copies in the United States and reached the Top 5 on the "Billboard" 200. The album's first single, "I Like It, I Love It", became McGraw's third number one on the American country charts and it also peaked at number 25 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. This song also eventually became the goal song for the Nashville Predators once they began their inaugural season and since then has been left unchanged. The album's next two singles, "Can't Be Really Gone" and "All I Want Is a Life" (its partial title track) both made the top 5 at numbers 2 and 5, respectively. The fourth single, "She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart", gave McGraw his fourth number one on the U.S. country charts in 1996. Finishing off the singles was "Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It", which peaked at number 4.
In 1996, McGraw headlined the most successful country tour of the year, The Spontaneous Combustion Tour, with Faith Hill as his supporting act. 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.
"Everywhere".
The singer's fourth album, "Everywhere" was released in 1997. It topped the country charts as well and reached No. 2 on the "Billboard" 200, selling 4 million copies. The album spawned six singles. Four of those singles - "It's Your Love" (a duet with Faith Hill), the title track, "Where the Green Grass Grows", and "Just to See You Smile" - reached number one on the country charts. The Country Music Association awarded "Everywhere" its Album of the Year award for 1997. At the 40th Grammy Awards, "It's Your Love" received two Grammy Award nominations for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals and Best Country Song. Both "It's Your Love" and "Just to See You Smile" were the number one country songs of 1997 and 1998 according to "Billboard" Year-End charts; "Just to See You Smile" also set a record for the longest run on the country charts at the time, at 42 weeks. The album's other two singles, "One of These Days" and "For a Little While" both peaked at number 2.
"A Place in the Sun".
McGraw's fifth album, "A Place in the Sun", continued his streak in 1999, debuting atop both the US country and pop album charts and selling 3 million copies. Over 251,000 of those copies were sold during its first week, making this the singer's first number 1 opener on the "Billboard" 200. It produced another four number one hits on the U.S. country charts with "Please Remember Me", "Something Like That", "My Best Friend", and "My Next Thirty Years". "Some Things Never Change" peaked at number 7 on the charts. McGraw also contributed a song for the Grammy-winning tribute album to Bob Wills entitled "Ride With Bob". A cover of "Milk Cow Blues", this song was recorded as a duet with Asleep at the Wheel, whom he had met while performing together at the George Strait Country Music Festival.
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", from her multi-platinum-certified 1998 album "Faith", reached the Top 5 of the US country charts. Her follow-up album, 1999's "Breathe", featured "Let's Make Love", which won a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Collaboration in 2000.
2000s.
"Greatest Hits".
In 2000, McGraw released his first "Greatest Hits" album, which topped the country albums charts for nine weeks and sold nearly 6 million copies, making this 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. The tour was one of the top tours of any genre in the U.S. It was also the leading country tour of 2000. 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.
"Set This Circus Down".
McGraw's sixth studio album, "Set This Circus Down", was released in April 2001. It even spawned four number one hits on the country charts as well, this time with "Grown Men Don't Cry", "Angry All the Time" (with Faith Hill), "The Cowboy in Me", and "Unbroken". The singer provided harmony vocals for Jo Dee Messina's song "Bring On the Rain", which he also produced. That song topped the country charts. 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.
"Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors".
In 2002, McGraw bucked country music traditions by recording his seventh studio 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. 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.
All of the Dancehall Doctors have worked with McGraw since at least 1996. Their lineup includes:
The album debuted at No. 2 on the country albums charts, Its fourth and fifth singles "Real Good Man" and "Watch the Wind Blow By" both climbed to number one on the U.S. "Billboard" Hot Country Songs chart. "She's My Kind of Rain" peaked at No. 2 in 2003, and "Red Rag Top" reached number 5. The album also features a cover of Elton John's early-1970s classic "Tiny Dancer," as well as duets with 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." "She's My Kind of Rain" also received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance-Male at the 46th Grammy Awards.
"Live Like You Were Dying".
His eighth album, 2004's "Live Like You Were Dying", continued the singer's record of commercial success. The album's first single and its title track was dedicated to his father Tug McGraw, who died of a brain tumor earlier in the year, was an ode to living life fully and in the moment. The second single "Back When" was a paean to an easy nostalgia. In December 2019, McGraw spoke on stage at the annual End Well Symposium about why he wrote "Live Like You Were Dying" and his struggles with caregiving for his dying father. "Live Like You Were Dying" spent seven non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on "Billboard" and went on to become the top country song of 2004 on the "Billboard" Year-End charts. It also became one of the most awarded records by winning ACM Single and Song of the Year, CMA Single and Song of the Year, and a Grammy. "Back When" went to number one on the country charts as well. The album produced three more singles with "Drugs or Jesus", "Do You Want Fries with That", and "My Old Friend". "Drugs or Jesus" became McGraw's first single since 1993 to not ever reach within the Top 10 on the U.S. country charts, while "Do You Want Fries with That" and "My Old Friend" peaked at numbers 5 and 6, respectively.
In late 2004, his unlikely duet with hip hop artist Nelly on "Over and Over" became a crossover hit, 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 R&B 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 hit single in Britain 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 10 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". 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.
"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 roughly $89 million and sold approximately 1.1 million tickets, making it the top-grossing tour in the history of country music. It was also named "Major Tour of the Year" by "Pollstar", 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. 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 studio album, "Let It Go", on March 27, 2007. The album's first single, "Last Dollar (Fly Away)", peaked at number one on the Hot Country Songs chart. This marked McGraw's first No. 1 single since "Back When" in late 2004. The album debuted at No. 1 on both the "Billboard" 200 and Top Country Album charts, marking his fourth No. 1 album on the 200 charts and his ninth overall. 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 15, 2007, McGraw performed a song titled "If You're Reading This", which he co-wrote with The Warren Brothers. Several radio stations began to play the live recording of the song; as a result, it entered the U.S. "Billboard" Hot Country Songs chart at No. 35. 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 edition of January 18, 2008 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. At the 2007 50th Annual Grammy Awards, McGraw received 5 nominations including Best Country Album (for "Let It Go"), Best Country Song (both for "If You're Reading This" and "I Need You"), Best Country Collaboration with Vocals (with "I Need You"), and Best Male Country Vocal Performance (with "If You're Reading This"). 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 in his follow-up to "Let It Go" at the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California. In July 2008, the album's sixth single and its title track, "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 at the 2009 ACM Awards, but then canceled his performance; he was replaced by Blake Shelton, who sang "She Wouldn't Be Gone".
"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.
"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.
"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.
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. As of fall 2010, McGraw had finished work on the album "Emotional Traffic", his last album with Curb Records. On May 13, 2011, Curb Records filed a breach-of-contract suit against McGraw. The label alleged that McGraw recorded tracks for his "Emotional Traffic" album too early prior to its delivery to the label. Several days later, McGraw filed a counter suit against the label seeking advance payment and recording-fund reimbursement, unspecified damages, and a jury trial. A trial was scheduled to begin in July 2012. In November 2011, a judge granted McGraw permission to record music for another label, ending his relationship with Curb Records that began in 1990. A few hours after the ruling, Curb released "Better Than I Used to Be", the first single from "Emotional Traffic". The album was released on January 24, 2012.
"Two Lanes of Freedom".
In December 2011, McGraw released his first Christmas single, "Christmas All Over the World", on his own label StyleSonic Records. On May 21, 2012, however, he signed with Big Machine Records.
McGraw's debut album for Big Machine, entitled "Two Lanes of Freedom", was released on February 5, 2013. It debuted at number 2 on the charts by selling 108,000 copies. The album includes the singles "Truck Yeah", "One of Those Nights", "Highway Don't Care" (a duet with Taylor Swift which also features Keith Urban on lead guitar), and "Southern Girl". McGraw performed at the festival in London on March 16, 2013.
"Love Story" and "Sundown Heaven Town".
McGraw released a single titled "Lookin' for That Girl" in January 2014 as the lead-off single to his second album for Big Machine. It was followed immediately by the announcement of the Sundown Heaven Town Tour. The album, titled "Sundown Heaven Town", was released on September 16, 2014. Four months into its run, "Lookin' for That Girl" was withdrawn as a single and replaced with "Meanwhile, Back at Mama's", which features backing vocals from Hill. "Shotgun Rider" became the album's third single and a number 1 Country Airplay hit by the end of 2014. Following it was "Diamond Rings and Old Barstools", a duet with Catherine Dunn. McGraw's eighth greatest hits album, "Love Story", is a compilation of his twelve biggest love songs and two previously unreleased recordings. It was released exclusively through Walmart on February 4, 2014, by Curb Records.
"Damn Country Music".
On August 10, 2015, McGraw released a new single to digital retailers, titled "Top of the World", which was later released to radio on August 17, 2015, as the lead single to his third studio album for Big Machine Records. On September 17, McGraw announced that the album was titled "Damn Country Music", with a release date scheduled for November 6. The album's second single, "Humble and Kind", released to country radio on February 1, 2016, and went on to reach number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country charts. McGraw was selected as one of 30 artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mash-up track of Take Me Home, Country Roads, On the Road Again and I Will Always Love You which celebrates 50 years of the CMA Awards. The album's third single, "How I'll Always Be" released to country radio on July 11, 2016. It reached number 3 on the Country Airplay in January 2017.
"The Rest of Our Life".
On October 4, 2016, during a show at the Ryman Auditorium, McGraw and Hill announced that they would be going back on the road together again on the . The tour began on April 7, 2017, in New Orleans and will continue into 2018, incorporating the festival held in the UK and Ireland throughout March 2018.
Before the commencement of the tour, it was reported that McGraw, alongside Hill, had signed a new deal with Sony Music Nashville. The signing also indicated the release of a duet album between the couple, and that multiple solo recordings would be produced. The new record label signing also preceded the release of "Speak to a Girl", the lead single from the duet album, "The Rest of Our Life", which was released on November 17, 2017. The release of the album coincided with the opening of an exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum titled "Mississippi Woman, Louisiana Man", which celebrates the careers of both McGraw and Hill.
McGraw released two major best-selling books in 2019, with the first co-written with "Pulitzer Prize" winner Jon Meacham which reached No. 2 on the New York Times Bestsellers list. Songs of America: Patriotism, Protest, and the Music That Made a Nation. New York: Random House. 2019. . His second book, "Grit and Grace", also reached No. 2 on the New York Times Bestsellers list.
2020s.
"Here on Earth".
In February 2020, McGraw rejoined Big Machine Records, which he was previously signed to from 2011 to 2017. He released a new album, "Here on Earth", on August 21, 2020. The "Here on Earth Tour" was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2021, McGraw released the single "Undivided" with Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line, which was included on a deluxe edition of "Here on Earth" released later that year. On October 9, 2021, McGraw confronted a heckler at a performance at the Nugget Events Center in Sparks, Nevada, after he forgot the words to his song "Just to See You Smile." After removing the heckler, he explained that he had been filming a movie and had a lot on his mind, and asked for the audience's help in remembering the words.
"Standing Room Only" and "Poet's Resumé".
On August 25, 2023, McGraw released his sixteenth studio album, "Standing Room Only". The title track was released as the album's lead single on March 10, 2023. It reached number 2 on the U.S. Country Airplay chart. Three months after releasing "Standing Room Only", McGraw surprise-released a six-track EP, "Poet's Resumé" on November 21, 2023.
Production career.
McGraw has occasionally served as a record producer in collaboration with Byron Gallimore, who has co-produced all of his albums. The two co-produced Jo Dee Messina's self-titled debut, as well as her next two albums, "I'm Alright" and "Burn". McGraw and Gallimore also produced the only album released by The Clark Family Experience in 2000, and Halfway to Hazard's 2007 self-titled debut album.
Acting career.
McGraw's first acting appearance came in a 1997 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 running back "Donald Billingsley" 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". The movie went on to gross over $60 million worldwide at the box office, 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. McGraw again achieved critical acclaim for his acting. Shortly before "Flicka" opened, McGraw received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is located at 6901 Hollywood Boulevard near stars 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". 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"). 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.
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". 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. 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). In addition to his appearance in the film, McGraw's song "Me and Tennessee", a duet with Paltrow, was played during the closing credits and appears on the film's soundtrack. In 2015, McGraw appeared in Brad Bird's "Tomorrowland" as Eddie Newton, a NASA engineer, and Casey Newton's (played by Britt Robertson) father.
"1883", a spinoff prequel to Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone television series was released in late 2021 and stars McGraw, Faith Hill, and Sam Elliott.
Charitable efforts.
In 1994, when McGraw first reached fame, he established the 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.
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.
McGraw designed a charity T-shirt sold through Angelwear to benefit MusiCares. MusiCares supports musicians in times of need. His charity focuses particularly on health issues. The Tim McGraw Foundation raises funds to enhance the quality of life of children and adults with brain tumors. He supports the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center, the David Foster Foundation, which helps families of children in need of organ transplants, and Musicians on Call, which brings music to hospital patients' bedsides. He also performs during dinners and auctions to benefit children with disabilities. Hill and McGraw gave the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society $375,000 (the entire gate receipts from one of their concerts) to assist the families of 17 sailors following the terrorist attack on , the guided-missile destroyer that suffered significant damage in the Gulf of Aden, Yemen on October 12, 2000.
In the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina, McGraw 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. 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.
McGraw has helped out with charity events held by Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre. The Brett Favre Fourward Foundation has featured McGraw performing concerts during dinners and auctions that benefit children with disabilities in Wisconsin and Mississippi. One instance is recorded on Favre's official website.
On July 12, 2007, it was made public that McGraw while in Grand Rapids, Michigan for a performance, donated $5,000 to Kailey Kozminski, the 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.
In April 2023, McGraw surprised rising country star Brandon Davis, whom he previously brought on tour with him in 2022, with a new guitar after all of his gear was stolen earlier in the month.
Personal politics.
In a 2006 interview with "Esquire" magazine, McGraw stated he would like to run for public office as a Democratic Party candidate, possibly for United States Senate or Governor of Tennessee—his home state. In the same interview, he praised Bill Clinton.
In a 2008 interview with "People" magazine, McGraw referred to himself as a "Blue Dog Democrat" and stated that he and his family support Barack Obama.
In January 2021, McGraw performed on the "Celebrating America" inaugural special, a primetime virtual concert celebrating the inauguration of Joe Biden.
Personal life.
McGraw married fellow country singer Faith Hill in 1996, and they have three daughters. He and Hill own Goat Cay, which they unofficially named L'île d'Anges, a private island in the Bahamas.
In 2000, Kenny Chesney and McGraw became involved in a scuffle with police officers in Buffalo, New York, after Chesney was riding a State Police horse and refused to get off the horse. McGraw came to Chesney's aid after police officers nearby believed the horse was being stolen. The two were arrested and charged, Chesney for disorderly conduct and McGraw for assault, but were acquitted in 2001.
McGraw holds a private pilot license and owns a single-engine Cirrus SR22.
In 2015, "Forbes" estimated McGraw's annual income at $38 million.
McGraw is the godfather to the son of Garrett Hedlund and Emma Roberts. He and Hedlund became friends after co-starring in "Friday Night Lights" and "Country Strong".
In acknowledgment 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.
McGraw's Bracco Italiano named Lepshi won Best of Breed at the 2023 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The McGraw-Hill family also has two other Bracco Italianos, Caesar and Stromboli.
Tours.
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If You're Reading This
"If You're Reading This" is a song performed by American country music artist Tim McGraw. The song was first performed at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) awards, which were held in Las Vegas, Nevada and aired May 15, 2007 on CBS. Shortly after McGraw's live performance, several radio stations began playing a telecast of the song, boosting it to a debut at No. 35 on the "Billboard" Hot Country Songs charts from unsolicited airplay. A remixed version of the live recording was later released to radio as a single, overlapping McGraw's then-current single, "I Need You", a duet with wife Faith Hill.
"If You're Reading This" eventually peaked at No. 3 on the "Billboard" country charts in October 2007, becoming McGraw's forty-second Top Ten country hit overall. The song also peaked at No. 41 on the ""Billboard" Hot 100".
About the song.
"If You're Reading This" is a tribute to the families of soldiers who have died. Its lyrics take the form of a letter written from a soldier to his family — a letter that is intended to be sent only if the soldier dies ("If you're reading this / I'm already home").
McGraw co-wrote the song, with Brad and Brett Warren of country duo The Warren Brothers, approximately three weeks before the ACM awards aired. The three were inspired by reading a magazine article on war casualties.
When McGraw performed the song at the ACM telecast, one hundred relatives of soldiers joined him onstage, under a banner that read "Families of Fallen Heroes". After performing the song, he received a standing ovation.
Chart performance.
Despite the lack of a studio recording, the song received airplay on country radio after several stations began playing the CBS telecast of McGraw's live performance. As a result, it entered "Billboard"'s Hot Country Songs chart at number 35. Scott Siman, McGraw's manager, had been working with both the label (Curb Records) and radio stations to "address the fact that we don't have a studio recorded version of this song". A remixed version (with most of the audience noise removed, except for applause at the end) was released to radio in June 2007, while McGraw's then-current single "I Need You" (a Faith Hill duet) was also climbing the charts. This remix was added to later presses of his then current album "Let It Go", and Curb began promoting the song as a single in place of "I Need You".
"If You're Reading This" is the second song in McGraw's career that has charted due to a live performance. In 2001, "unknown fans" taped McGraw's performance of the song "Things Change" during the CMA awards, and posted the recording to Napster; as a result, several stations downloaded and played the live telecast of that song.
References.
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If (If album)
If, often referred to as If 1, is the eponymous debut album by English jazz rock band If. It was released in October 1970 on the Island Records label in the UK and Capitol Records in the US. The original artwork and the if logo, which was an award-winning design, were by CCS Advertising Associates.
It was re-issued as a CD first in 1995 by an obscure label (OSA), then in 1997 by Island and finally in 2006 on Repertoire Records with two bonus tracks and liner notes by UK music critic Chris Welch.
References.
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I Can't Read You
2003 single by Daniel Bedingfield
"I Can't Read You" is the fourth single from New Zealand-British singer Daniel Bedingfield's debut studio album, "Gotta Get thru This". It was released on 7 April 2003 and peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart, number 34 in Ireland, and number 93 in the Netherlands.
Track listings.
UK CD single
UK cassette single
Credits and personnel.
Credits are lifted from the "Gotta Get Thru This" album booklet.
Studio
Personnel
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If You're Reading This It's Too Late
If You're Reading This It's Too Late is the fourth mixtape by Canadian rapper Drake, released on February 13, 2015 without prior announcement by OVO Sound, Young Money, Cash Money and Republic Records. The mixtape was produced by Drake's longtime collaborators 40 and Boi-1da, as well as labelmate PartyNextDoor, among others. Features include PartyNextDoor, Travis Scott, and Lil Wayne.
"If You're Reading This It's Too Late" received positive reviews and debuted atop the US "Billboard" 200, moving 535,000 album-equivalent units its first week. This achievement marked Drake's fourth time at the top of the chart. The mixtape also broke Spotify's first-week streaming record with over 17.3 million streams in the first three days. It was previously held by Drake himself, with his album "Nothing Was the Same" (2013), with 15.146 million streams in the first week. The album was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2016 Grammy Awards. In 2020, the album was ranked 367th on "Rolling Stone"'s updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Background.
In July 2014, Drake announced the title of his fourth studio album to be "Views from the 6", upon which recording had reportedly not begun. In November 2014, in an interview, Toronto Raptors basketball player DeMar DeRozan mentioned that Drake was intending to release a mixtape in January 2015. On February 12, 2015, Drake released a short film titled "Jungle", which featured snippets of new songs such as "Know Yourself" and "Jungle".
In an interview with "HipHopDX", DatPiff founder Kyle Reilly revealed that Drake was initially in talks to release "If You're Reading This It's Too Late" as a free download on DatPiff hosted by DJ Drama, before Cash Money Records intervened. Due to its release via digital download outlets such as iTunes and Amazon Music as well as physically in vinyl and CD formats, contractually it is considered his fourth studio album for Cash Money Records. The album's cover art was done by Canadian artist Jim Joe.
Release and promotion.
On February 12, 2015, the album was posted as an iTunes link from Drake's Facebook. It also was uploaded to OVO Sound's official SoundCloud account, but was quickly removed. It was released onto the iTunes Store on February 13, 2015, by Cash Money Records.
Drake hinted on his Instagram account of an alternate version of the project by DJ Candlestick and hosted by OG Ron C, titled "If You're Choppin' This It's Too Late". This version was later released on April 14. The physical version of the album was also released on April 21, with two bonus tracks "How About Now" and "My Side" in stores as "collector's edition".
Critical reception.
"If You're Reading This It's Too Late" was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the mixtape received an average score of 78, based on 33 reviews. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.
Tim Sendra of AllMusic said, "It makes for an album that's hard to love right away, but if you stick with it, is a rewarding listen." Evan Rytlewski of "The A.V. Club" said, "Drake may not have an hour's worth of great songs here, but he does have an hour's worth of thoughts he needs to get off his chest." Neil McCormick of "The Daily Telegraph" said, "Drake is amongst the most musically and lyrical progressive proponents of his chosen medium, bringing a level of educated artiness and psychological self-awareness to a genre too often reliant on big beats and braggadocio." Kyle Anderson of "Entertainment Weekly" said, ""Late" is hardly a throwaway. In fact, it might be his most consistently rewarding full-length yet." Eric Zaworski of "Exclaim!" praised the release's production, writing that it "revels in the hazy drone of the 'Toronto Sound' that OVO's 40 and Boi-1da helped define, with offerings from up-and-comers like Brampton's WondaGurl and PRIME's Eric Dingus rounding it out." Paul Lester of "The Guardian" said, "the former child TV star comes out fighting, amid machinegun fire, complaining about everyone from his peers to his family – but he convinces more as the original sad rapper."
Randall Roberts of "Los Angeles Times" said, "The 17 tracks read like a fed-up farewell note penned in Drake's typically introspective, first-person style. It's so fresh the ink's still wet: bracingly honest and filled with observations about the darkness just outside the circle of the spotlight." Kevin Ritchie of "Now" said, "Drake is increasingly astute at reframing hip-hop braggadocio about wealth and competition as a kind of existential crisis through telling--but now familiar--details about his life ("I got two mortgages $30 million in total") and subtle uses of melody and atmosphere." Craig Jenkins of "Pitchfork" said, "On "If You're Reading This", all of this chest beating is delivered over the most darkly hypnotic beats Drake's graced since So Far Gone." Simon Vozick-Levinson of "Rolling Stone" said, "For the first time in his career, Drake doesn't sound like he wants to be remembered as one of the greats. This time, he just is." Andrew Unterberger of "Spin" said, ""Too Late" definitely scans as a transitional work, a transfixing moment-in-time sort of recording that sees an unprecedentedly fortified Drake firing off paranoid and power-drunk thoughts from his basement, sounding even lonelier than he does than when he specifically talks about feeling lonely."
Claire Lobenfeld of "Fact" said, ""It's Too Late" is a woozy, scattershot thing--Late Night Drake, if you will." Jim Farber of "New York Daily News" said, "The album ends up seeming more like a stop-gap than a surge ahead. For the first two-thirds, Drake relies on his usual sing-song style, stoking interest only with his inventive stretches in phrasing... Otherwise, cooler hooks, melodic flashes of R&B, or great variation can be hard to find." Alex Denney of "NME" said, "For all the music's cagey intelligence, Drake sounds like the kind of guy who comes sauntering out the traps in a 100m race and immediately breaks out into a victory lap, pausing only to remonstrate with hecklers." Steve "Flash" Juon of "RapReviews" said, ""If You're Reading This It's Too Late" isn't that good... There are definitely some songs that have commercial potential that I don't hate, and though I'd rather hear Drake rapping than singing, "Jungle" seems like the kind of track that with a few choice edits could get radio play."
Commercial performance.
"If You're Reading This It's Too Late" debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 37,000 copies in its first week. The mixtape also debuted at number one on the US "Billboard" 200, selling 535,000 album-equivalent units, 495,000 of which consisted of traditional whole album sales. The mixtape was also streamed 17.3 million times on Spotify, breaking Drake's own record that was made with "Nothing Was the Same"'s debut week. Because of the mixtape, Drake also became the first rapper to top the US "Billboard" Artist 100. As of December 2015, the mixtape has sold 1.1 million copies in the United States. On October 27, 2023, the mixtape was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over four million units.
Track listing.
Credits were adapted from the mixtape's liner notes.
Notes
Sample credits
Personnel.
Musicians
Technical
Charts.
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Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
Reading, Writing and Arithmetic is the debut studio album by English alternative rock band the Sundays. It was released in 1990 on Rough Trade Records in the United Kingdom, and on DGC Records in the United States. The album's title is a reference to the band's hometown, Reading, Berkshire.
Critical reception.
The "Toronto Star" compared lead vocalist Harriet Wheeler to Edie Brickell, noting that "the two bring the same trippy sense of coquettish, off-the-cuff muse to a foundation of quirky, guitar-based arrangements." The "Los Angeles Times" determined that the album "carries just enough mystery and grace to recall the early promise of 10,000 Maniacs".
The album has appeared on many best album lists, "Pitchfork" ranked "Reading, Writing and Arithmetic" at number 15 on its list of "The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums". The website also listed the record as one of "The 25 Best Indie Pop Albums of the '90s", commenting, "Even if the Sundays hadn't named their debut "Reading, Writing and Arithmetic", its bookish nature would've been apparent. Harriet Wheeler sings like she's trying to get the librarian's attention without disturbing others, and guitarist David Gavurin strums with a studied focus." Ira Robbins of "Rolling Stone" called it "a collection of uncommonly good songs graced by Harriet Wheeler's wondrous singing", finding that "Wheeler brings an exceptionally expressive voice to bear on the rich melodies and homely lyrics that offer offbeat thoughts about life, love and the English climate." In 2024, "Uncut" ranked "Reading, Writing and Arithmetic" at No. 134 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1990s".
References.
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If 4
If 4 is the fourth album released by the English jazz rock band If. It was first issued in 1972 and the last album to feature the original recording line-up. Capitol Records, the band's U.S. label, declined to issue this fourth album. Most of the tracks on this album were issued in the U.S. on "Waterfall", in a slightly different form (and with a new line-up), by Metromedia Records.
If 4 was reissued in CD by Repertoire in 2007.

If You Wait
If You Wait is the debut studio album by English indie pop band London Grammar, released on 6 September 2013 by Metal & Dust Recordings and Ministry of Sound. Seven singles were released from the album: "Metal & Dust", "Wasting My Young Years", "Strong", "Nightcall", "Hey Now", "Sights" and "If You Wait". The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 33,130 copies.
Background.
After signing with Ministry of Sound and Big Life Management, the band began the first sessions of the album in early 2012 with Cam Blackwood. Later that year he was replaced by Tim Bran and Roy Kerr. Hannah Reid commented on the collaboration, saying, "Tim is amazing at recording, of finding the best way of recording a guitar or my vocal. Roy had the strongest relationship with Dot and they worked on production together."
The album's lyrics are mainly based upon vocalist Hannah Reid's personal life, in particular her troubled teenage years, prompting "The Guardian" to suggest that this was "the first quarter-life-crisis album."
Critical reception.
"If You Wait" received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 75, based on 19 reviews.
Andy Gill of "The Independent" summarised the album's production and instrumentation as "all beautifully sketched to evoke the crepuscular intimacies of the songs."
A large quantity of praise went to the vocal ability of Reid, whose husky contralto vocals have been described as "defining and soulful" by "Clash" magazine and "emotive" and "folky" by Drowned in Sound. Her voice has been compared to artists like Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine, Annie Lennox, and Julee Cruise. Benji Taylor of Pretty Much Amazing wrote a favourable review of the album, calling it "an enthralling, stunning, deeply emotive album that perfectly marries understated electronica to sublime vocals and melodies." Vocalist Hannah Reid's voice was particularly praised: "underscored by an enduring brittle beauty and an underlying otherworldliness, as if she honed her craft singing amidst the gardens of Lothlorien, or some far-flung corner of Westeros."
Commercial performance.
"If You Wait" entered the UK Albums Chart at number two, selling 33,130 copies in its first week. As of June 2017, it had sold 642,301 copies in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the album debuted at number 91 on the "Billboard" 200 with 4,000 copies sold.
Track listing.
All tracks produced by Tim Bran, Roy Kerr and London Grammar, except where noted.
Personnel.
Credits adapted from the liner notes of "If You Wait".
Additional musicians.
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Geoff Reading
American drummer (born 1968)
Geoff Reading (born February 23, 1968) is an American drummer. In his career, he has been a member of a number of groups, including Loaded (the group formed and fronted by Duff McKagan of Velvet Revolver, formerly of Guns N' Roses), Green Apple Quick Step, New American Shame, The Disciples (which featured Christian Martucci, Todd Youth and Howie Pyro and later changed their name to The Chelsea Smiles) and Top Heavy Crush while he also recorded with The Pin-Ups (founded by former members of Green Apple Quick Step and The Presidents of the United States of America).
Currently, Reading performs, on occasion, with Green Apple Quick Step, and is a columnist for WeeklyVolcano.com.
Biography.
Personal life.
Geoff Reading was born on February 23, 1968, in Rochester, New York and was raised in both Huntington Beach, California and Edmonds, Washington before eventually settling in Seattle, Washington. Reading, recently engaged, currently resides in Tacoma, Washington where he's raising his son, having moved from Los Angeles, California, and writes a column for WeeklyVolcano.com. Reading was previously diagnosed with colorectal cancer but successfully underwent treatment and chemotherapy.
Early music career (1989–1997).
Reading first starting playing drums in his early teens and was taught by neighborhood friend Mike Mongrain. Years later, Mongrain recommended to his former bandmate, local guitarist Scott Wade, that he invite Reading to join his band Sledge to which Wade responded by visiting Reading on his 21st birthday. He played with Sledge between 1989 and 1991, during which time they did only two recordings and shared a couple of bills with Inspector Luv and the Ride Me Babys, the group featuring the future members of Green Apple Quick Step.
Green Apple Quick Step (1997–1998, 2010).
In 1997, Reading joined the post-grunge group Green Apple Quick Step, replacing previous drummer Dain Hudson. Prior to joining, the group had recorded a new album with Columbia Records however it remains unreleased. He played at numerous shows with the group, including a show in Seattle where front man Tyler Willman destroyed various equipment on stage, before the group disbanded.
On March 26, 2010, Reading performed with Green Apple Quick Step, whose lineup consisted of members Tyler Willman, Dana Turner along with singer Christa Wells and Reading's former Loaded bandmate Mike Squires, at the "Hell's Kitchen" in Tacoma, Washington.
New American Shame (1999–2000).
Following the departure of previous drummer Jack Stringham, Reading joined New American Shame who went on the sign a major-label deal with Atlantic Records. After some adjustments, as well as some new drum tracks by Reading, Atlantic re-released the self-titled album, previously released on Will Records, in 1999. The first single from the record was "Under it All", which peaked at number 35 on the Mainstream Rock Chart, and a tour of the US, with The Cult, and Japan followed however the single did not perform well on rock and alternative radio stations.
Loaded (2001–2002, 2008–2009).
In late 1999, early 2000, McKagan decided to form a new project, with no title at this point, with drummer Geoff Reading, formerly of Green Apple Quick Step and New American Shame, and singer Mark Lanegan, formerly of the Screaming Trees. They recorded a number of songs before Lanegan left to join Queens of the Stone Age. After being convinced by Reading to take over lead vocals, McKagan and Reading continued to write and record new material. With nearly an album's worth of material recorded, they decided to re-record some of the songs from "Beautiful Disease" to add to the material they already had. Also for recording, they brought in guitarist Dave Dederer formerly of The Presidents of the United States of America, producer Martin Feveyear, who also performed keyboards on the album, and they recorded the album at Jupiter Studios in Seattle, Washington. McKagan performed the bass on all tracks as well as guitar and the piano on the song "Misery". Former Nevada Bachelors and Harvey Danger guitarist Mike Squires was also invited to record additional guitar parts on the album. In June 2001, McKagan announced that the album would be titled "Dark Days" and that it would be released under the moniker Loaded rather than using his own name for the project. According to drummer Geoff Reading, the band initially did not have a name and settled on Loaded when it came close to their first show:
Dark Days was released in the US and Japan in July 2001. It was later released in Europe in July 2002. Loaded announced three dates at the House of Blues taking place in Anaheim, California, Las Vegas, Nevada and West Hollywood, California in November. Before these shows, Squires officially the group as lead guitarist and was joined by Alien Crime Syndicate bassist Jeff Rouse. In January 2002, Loaded announced a string of dates in the US and Japan. During one of the shows, in Los Angeles, Loaded were joined onstage by The Cult duo Billy Duffy and Matt Sorum, also formerly of Guns N' Roses. After these shows, Squires left Loaded to join bandmate Jeff in Alien Crime Syndicate and was replaced by former Wasted Youth and Electric Love Hogs guitarist Dave Kushner. When Loaded went on a semi-hiatus, still playing shows occasionally, following the formation of Velvet Revolver both Squires and Jeff returned to the group.
In December 2006, the group reunited for a special benefit show for Jerry Allen's Cancer Fund. Supporting Loaded that night were Top Heavy Crush and Jeff Angell of Post Stardom Depression.
In February 2008, while on tour with Velvet Revolver, McKagan announced that Loaded were planning on releasing a new album in the summer. During the United Kingdom leg of Velvet Revolver's tour in April, McKagan stated that Loaded were to enter the studio in late April. After a few jam sessions, Loaded began recording what would become "Sick" with "Dark Days" producer Martin Feveyear at Jupiter Studios in Seattle. They released a series of Webisodes during this time featuring footage from the recording sessions for the group's new album which was completed in less than 2 weeks. After signing a deal with Century Media, the band changed their moniker to Duff McKagan's Loaded to help promote the band further and an EP, "Wasted Heart", was released September 22, 2008, to coincide with their European Tour. "Sick" was released on March 20, 2009, in Europe and April 7, 2009, in the United States where it placed at number 43 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart selling 1,400 copies. Loaded toured in support of "Sick" playing dates in the United States and appearing at several European festivals such as Download in the United Kingdom, Rock AM/IM in Germany and they also supported Mötley Crüe on their European tour.
In September 2009, Reading announced his departure from the band and at the same time he informed everyone that his replacement was Isaac Carpenter formerly of Loudermilk, Gosling and The Exies:
Other projects.
In 2002, Reading formed the group The Disciples, that later went on to become The Chelsea Smiles, that signed to Capitol Records. The group's lineup was rounded up by Christian Martucci, formerly of Dee Dee Ramone's band, Todd Youth, formerly of Danzig and Howie Pyro who had also played with Danzig and D Generation. They toured Japan before securing the deal with Capitol, and played a show at the Viper Room in Hollywood, California supporting the group Metal Shop, who have since changed their name and are now known as Steel Panther. During the show, Reading met Tony Alva. Reading also performed in former Beautiful Creatures guitarist DJ Ashba's solo band as well as some session work for the group Black Chihua Hua, whose record was produced by Joey Santiago. In 2000, Reading contributed drums and backing vocals to The Pin-Ups, the group featuring former members of Green Apple Quick Step and The Presidents of the United States of America, debut album Backseat Memoirs.
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John Dawson Read
John Dawson Read is an English singer-songwriter.
Born in Wokingham, Berkshire, England, Read first came to prominence in 1975 with his debut album "A Friend of Mine Is Going Blind", released on Chrysalis Records. The album's title song was written by Read for a friend of his who suffered from muscular dystrophy. Read credits his friend with having been a writing inspiration for years, as well as being responsible for his debut album, having sent Read's songs to publishers.
Read's second album, "Read On", was released in 1976, again on Chrysalis. Around this time, his song "Such Is the Mystery" was featured on Cliff Richard's acclaimed album I'm Nearly Famous. After this release Read seemed to disappear from the music business. Fans had little success finding information on Read until singer-songwriter Michael Johnson put an MP3 of "A Friend of Mine Is Going Blind" on his website. Many Read fans began communicating through the site, and this was one factor which encouraged Read to re-enter the music world after spending most of the time between 1976 and 2005 in a business partnership in marketing.
Read credits his discovery of Pristine Audio as being "the second most influential factor in ‘getting back into it.’" Andrew Rose of Pristine Audio remastered "A Friend of Mine Is Going Blind" and "Read On".
In 2005, Read released his third CD after a nearly 30-year absence from the music world. This CD, entitled "Now...Where Were We?" begins with "Days of Sweet Remembrance (reprise)" from the album "Read On".
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The Reads
The Reads are an alternative rock band from North Wales and Chester, England. Their debut studio album, "Stories from the Border", was released in 2011. Their follow up album "Lost at Sea" was released in 2014. Their third album "Crossfire" was released on 3 April 2020 as the UK went into lockdown. The pandemic delayed the album launch party by 18 months. Their music has been played on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Merseyside, XFM and Amazing Radio, amongst others. The track "Scarlet" featured on BBC 2's "Our Coast" in February, 2020. They list Doves, Elbow, Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Pink Floyd, Boards of Canada, The Flaming Lips, The Beatles, The Bluetones, The Stone Roses, Aphex Twin, Spiritualized, Father John Misty, John Grant amongst their influences. High-profile fans include Jeremy Vine, Adrian Chiles, Janice Long and TV Chef, Bryn Williams.
History.
An early version of the band was formed in 2000 when school mates Marcel Delrue and Jamie Russell were introduced by a mutual friend to Stuart Bennett and Clare Stevenson who worked together at a local HMV store. They began playing together putting music to poems that Clare had written. In time brothers Matty Goddard and Chris Goddard parted ways with a previous band and joined The Reads. Throughout these early years the band played at local and city venues all over the North West and North Wales.
In March 2010, the band was approached by a friend who offered to fund the cost of recording their first studio album. Music Producer Jim Spencer, known for his work with Oasis, Doves and The Charlatans was enlisted to record and mix the album. The project was later joined by Joe Duddell who took time out from working with Mercury Prize winning band Elbow to come up with string and brass arrangements for five of the 12 songs. The album was mastered by Frank Arkwright who has worked with bands such as Arcade Fire, The Smiths and Gomez.
The album was played live for the first time at Telford's Warehouse a music venue in Chester to a sell out crowd.
Positive local reviews of the album attracted attention of BBC Radio Wales, leading to the song "Orange Days" being Single of the Week from 16 May 2011 and the band playing a Live In Session at the BBC studios in Cardiff on 27 June 2011. Their first single, "Good Omens" is also set to be Single of the Week from 1 August 2011. Further BBC radio airplay was gained through Jeremy Vine on The Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2.
They released their second album "Lost at Sea" in 2014 which featured singles played by BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Merseyside. Once again, it was produced and mixed by Jim Spencer and mastered by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios.
There followed a period of inactivity with only a handful of gigs, before the band began work on a new album in spring 2018. This was recorded at Hope Mill Recording Studios, Manchester and EVE Studio, Stockport and was mixed and produced by Jim Spencer. Again, it was mastered by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios. "Crossfire" was released on 3 April 2020.
References.
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This Is Not What You Had Planned
This Is Not What You Had Planned is the 2nd mini-album from Reading singer-songwriter Ben Marwood, released on 4 August 2008 via Broken Tail Records. In November 2008, "Five Little Secrets" was selected as Times Online