Tim McGraw, Faith Hill Added to Music City Walk of Fame [PICTURES]
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are the two newest inductees into the Music City Walk of Fame. The husband and wife received their stars on Wednesday (Oct. 5), surrounded by hundreds of fans who were undeterred by the sweltering Nashville heat; both artists were honored during the induction ceremony by their good friend Reba McEntire.
"She’s taken care of all of us here in Nashville with her beautiful voice and her great heart, her literacy programs," McEntire boasted of Hill. "She’s just been giving so much, and in the meantime, she raised three beautiful girls, took care of Tim and has time to be a friend and just a wonderful person."
"We are a small community, yes, but we are growing," Hill said after taking the stage. "But we will always remain -- and the people that live around this place will always remain -- good old-fashioned folk that welcome people from around the globe, and that’s what makes me so proud to be a Nashvillian. That is what makes me so proud, Tim and I both, to raise our children here."
The country star became emotional upon looking into the crowd and seeing her friends and family among those assembled.
"There’s so many people out here that are more responsible for all of my success than I am," Hill said through tears. "Thank you all so much; I love every single one of you. To the fans, know that nothing would be possible without you, truthfully. To our family, thank you; I love you so much. My big brother [Steve], thank you -- he used to buy my clothes for me when I would sing back in Mississippi, [at] rodeos, fairs, rest homes, prisons ... Thank you."
Following Hill's words, McEntire returned to the stage, this time to introduce McGraw.
"I just want to say that I love Tim with all my heart," McEntire gushed. "Tim and Faith have done so much for Nashville. They’ve done so much for me, because friendship in this business is the No. 1 thing. You fans see how well we all get along. That’s very special for us that you all see that, that we like each other. Yes, we compete, but we’re always pulling for each other also. That’s what kind of great business the country music business is."
As McGraw took the stage, he joked that he preferred to let his wife do the talking, but then launched into a heartfelt speech that expressed his gratitude for the longevity of his career, including its numerous twists and turns.
"I can’t look at my mom right now," he said, tears in his eyes. "I love this city. I knew that when I moved here, I’d either be toting somebody’s guitar case, or I was going to be pushing a road case around, but this is what I was going to be doing for the rest of my life, and this was where I was going to live. Fortunately for me, I have a lot of great people around me.
"I had the support of my family, for sure," he added. "When I told them I was going to quit college and move to Nashville, they said, ‘Go ahead. Go do it.’ I’ve had so many wonderful friends -- so many people who stood beside me, so many people who supported me, so many people who had my back at times when maybe I didn’t deserve it. And I want you all to know that I appreciate that."
McGraw also spoke lovingly about his wife; the couple celebrates their 20th anniversary on Thursday (Oct. 6).
"The best thing that happened to me was in 1996, I went on a tour called [the] Spontaneous Combustion Tour," McGraw said, referring to the trek on which he and Hill fell in love. "I had a really hot chick along with me, and I fought and I fought and I fought to stay away from her as long as I could ... I’m not going to go into detail, but it was a great tour, I can tell you that. And out of that ... comes 20 years of marriage and three beautiful, well-established, opinionated, strong young women who live in my house. And it’s not because of anything I did; it’s because they have a great role model in their mom.
"I’m proud to be here with my wife, to share this moment, and be here with my family, who I love so much," he concluded. "My fans, who mean everything to me, who have also stood beside me at times when maybe they shouldn’t have, and I appreciate that just as much."
McGraw and Hill received stars 73 and 74 on the Music City Walk of Fame. During a sold-out "surprise" concert at the Ryman Auditorium on Tuesday night (Oct. 4), the couple announced that they will be hitting the road in 2017 for a co-headlining tour.
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