HIGHLAND, California – Tim McGraw opened up about nearly quitting his career after dealing with a series of health setbacks.
The country star, 58, got candid about his struggles during his Saturday tour stop in Highland, California, at the Yaamava’ Theater.
“I’ve had four back surgeries and double knee replacements, just in the last couple of years,” McGraw, who is married to fellow artist Faith Hill, said on stage.
The “Blind Side” actor said right before his most recent back surgery this past spring, “Things were getting really bad,” with the star “getting depressed over it,” which made him consider walking away from his career.
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“The doctor who did my double knee replacement is here tonight,” McGraw said.
The “Humble and Kind” singer asked his doctor to stand up for applause. “Dr. Chen, where you at? There he is!”
“And my wife has been going through quite a bit of surgeries – she’s had five neck surgeries, and she’s had a couple of hand surgeries. Her hand surgeon, Dr. Rose, is here tonight,” also asking him to stand up for applause.
“So, part one of that story. The reason I wanted to tell that part is because the doctors are here. The second part of that story, is, after going through all of that for a couple of years and getting depressed over it and all of those things — stuff not going right,” he explained.
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“And this spring, before I had my final back surgery, things were getting really bad, so I was seriously contemplating and figuring out how to walk away. I didn’t want to, but I didn’t think it was going to get better,” the artist shared on stage.
“But it’s gotten better. So, during that process, I had this idea for this song that sort of dealt with facing age and facing all that stuff that comes along with it,” before singing the song he mentioned, called “King Rodeo.”
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Lyrics of the song include: “Hey, King Rodeo, You’re lookin’ lonely, Like you’ve lost you’re one and only, Adoring crowds are not around you, Whispers and shadows, they surround you.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to a rep for McGraw for comment.
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McGraw is set to hit the stage on Nov. 1 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and perform three nights in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace in December.
In January 2025, McGraw stepped down from a Netflix rodeo series he was set to star and produce in, according to Deadline.
The “1883” actor reportedly needed back surgery and needed to recover, the outlet’s source reported at the time.
He was supposed to play a bull rider, a physically demanding role.
McGraw is no stranger to overcoming obstacles.
The “Live Like You Were Dying” singer has been sober since 2008, after battling alcohol addiction.
He credited Hill, whom he has been married to since 1996, for helping him overcome his addiction.
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In 2021, McGraw told Esquire that he realized he needed help when he drank alcohol first thing in the morning.
“I remember a moment when I was getting out of bed and going to the liquor cabinet and taking a big shot at 8:00 in the morning and thinking, ‘I have to wake up the kids.'”
McGraw and Hill, who most recently celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary, share three daughters: Gracie, Maggie and Audrey.
“I went straight to my wife and said, ‘This is where I’m at.’ I was scared. She just grabbed me and hugged me and changed my life,” he recalled.
The country sensation said she told him: “‘You’re not scared of anything,'” to which he said, “‘Ehhh, one thing – I’m looking right at it now,'” referring to his wife.
McGraw and Hill first met when she opened for his 1996 Spontaneous Combustion Tour.
The couple married in October 1996 and have collaborated on songs and tours together.
They most recently starred together in the “Yellowstone” prequel series, “1883,” as James and Margaret Dutton — the great-grandparents of the Dutton family.
The series aired from 2021 to 2022.
