Tim McGraw Takes Over a Hawk Sunday Night

Music stars come and go.  As hot as someone is today, it does not guarantee they will have a lasting career 5, 10 or (rarely) 20 years later.  Tim McGraw is one of those superstars that seems to get bigger every year.  And today's country stars may want to take a page (or chapter) out of the Tim McGraw playbook.

This weekend, the Hawk invites you to share 3 hours with Tim McGraw as he is our in-studio con-host for CMT Country Countdown USA, Sunday night from 7-10pm on 98.1 The Hawk, listen live at 981TheHawk.com or on free tablet and smartphone app RadioPup.

Tim McGraw is a busy guy right now.  He's on the road with his Shotgun Rider Tour, playing to the amazing crowd this month at the Hawk's Taste of Country Music Festival in Hunter, NY, he's finishing work on a new album, and in between all that, he's flying to Vancouver to work on a new movie.  But Tim has always said family comes first so that's where we begin.

Tim's oldest daughter Gracie turned 18 in May, and graduated from high school earlier this month.  He told Country Countdown USA's Lon Helton: "Gracie's last year at home was tough for me.  It was tough going to her graduation, it was pretty emotional. But I'm glad to see her achieve the things she wants to achieve, and get out the world. She's pretty excited."

Gracie will be majoring in music.  She plays guitar and sings.  In fact, Tim says she already has a band: "My garage has been taken over by Gracie and her band.  They got an all girl band.  They played their first gig, played for an hour, all stuff they wrote.  They did one cover, they did Jolene.  It's a real garage band!  She sings like her mom, that's the best part."

Tim's last movie, Tomorrowland, was released Memorial Day weekend.  A couple week's later, Tim began work on his next film, ironically in the same place he shot Tomorrowland: Vancouver.  The movie is called The Shack, based on the 2008 book by William P. White.

Then there's the new music: "We're putting the finishing touches right now."  Tim's last album, Sundown Heaven Town, was released last September.  Why release new music so soon? "I just feel like right now, I'm in the zone of making music, I love being in the studio, I love making records, and I'm ready to play new stuff." What's it sounding like? "I can't tell you too much.  The title of the album will lead you down the path of something special."  When can we expect it?  "Sometime before Christmas."

Tim's Shotgun Rider tour-mate is Billy Currington, and Tim says Billy is joining him in the pre-show work-out: "He's been out there doing some stuff with us.  He's kept up pretty good.  He's in pretty good shape."

Tim also has great stories this week about Little Big Town, Thomas Rhett, Eric Church, Chris Janson, Brad Paisley, and Luke Bryan.