Tim McGraw/Faith Hill: From Spontaneous Combustion to Soul2Soul 2017
in 1998 and Audrey Caroline in 2001.
Their first duet was “It’s Your Love,” a country chart-topper song that appeared on his 1997 album “Everywhere.” On June 6, 1999, while Mr. McGraw was doing his set at Straitfest at Three Rivers Stadium, Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel ran out wearing a wig, pretending to be Ms. Hill. Mr. McGraw ran the other way, and then the real Ms. Hill came out to do the song.
They’ve since released a half-dozen more duets, the biggest being “I Need You,” a love ballad that appeared on the McGraw album “Let It Go.” Where: When:
In 2000, four years after Spontaneous Combustion, they did their first joint tour, the 65-date Soul2Soul Tour, supporting his album “A Place In The Sun” and her album “Breathe.” It was the biggest-grossing tour of that year (nearly $50 million).
Reviewing the Mellon Arena show on Sept. 2, 2000, the late PG country critic Jerry Sharpe wrote, “Musically speaking, Hill isn’t country. She came to Nashville when a lot of producers wanted to swing country more toward pop. She has always been pop, since she hit with ‘Wild One’ several years ago. McGraw is more versatile, equally good at modern country, pop or country rock.”
If you go back now and listen to “Wild One,” it sounds pretty darn country by modern standards. Tickets: