The numerous hit songs, the millions of albums sold, concerts all over the world, the truckload of awards. Make no mistake about it: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are bona fide superstars who possess immense talent. And yet you could argue the country music couple’s most impressive achievement has nothing to do with any of those songs, albums, concerts or awards.
Last autumn, McGraw and Hill celebrated 20 years of wedded bliss—otherwise known as an eternity when it comes to couples in the limelight, particularly in the music industry. Let’s put that number—20 years—into historical perspective:
McGraw and Hill were married the same year ER and Seinfeld were America’s top two television shows, and Independence Day and Twister finished No. 1 and No. 2 at the box office.
The same year Muhammad Ali lit the torch to officially kick off the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, the Dallas Cowboys won their last Super Bowl and the New York Yankees won their first of four World Series titles in a five-year span.
The same year Hootie & the Blowfish won the Grammy for Best New Artist, LeAnn Rimes won the Academy of Country Music award for New Female Vocalist of the Year, and the No. 1 album on the Billboard charts was Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill.
They were married five months before Carrie Underwood’s 14th birthday, two months before Swift celebrated her seventh birthday and one month before Bill Clinton won reelection.
Further perspective on the McGraw-Hill union: It’s lasted longer than the marriages of Ike and Tina Turner (16 years), Sonny and Cher (11 years), Carly Simon and James Taylor (11 years), Michelle and John Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas (eight years), George Jones and Tammy Wynette (six years) and Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert (four years).
And while some marvel at how long pop music’s reigning king and queen, Beyoncé and Jay Z, have remained hitched, the fact is Bey-Z will have to keep the knot tied until April 2028 to reach the 20-year marriage milestone.
To show that their love for their fans is nearly equal to their love for one another, McGraw and Hill commemorated their momentous anniversary by holding a secret show in Nashville, where they announced a revival of their record-breaking Soul2Soul Tour. Days before launching the 65-city engagement on April 7 in New Orleans, McGraw and Hill gave fans a treat by releasing their duet, “Speak to a Girl.” The new single is among several songs hubby and wife will perform in tandem onstage while likely gazing into each other’s eyes.
Should their love story last another 15 years, McGraw and Hill would reach a marital landmark established by two other country music legends: Johnny Cash and June Carter defied the odds with a 35-year marriage that ended in 2003 when they died four months apart.
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