After 10 years, McGraw's hits show no signs of stopping

His latest single has spent eight weeks at No. 1 this summer.
By JOHN GEROME
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The din of guitars and drums echo from a sound check while stagehands mill around and a helicopter whips the tree tops.
"I guarantee that's Big & amp; Rich," says country singer Tim McGraw, turning to see his opening act buzzing the amphitheater in a helicopter. "Usually, it's a limo every day. Now they're in helicopters. Lord, if they go double-platinum there's no telling what they'll do."
McGraw, 37, seems to enjoy the backstage commotion. He yells to friends, stops for interviews, poses for pictures and smiles a lot.
Tim McGraw is delighted to be, well, Tim McGraw. Ten years after his breakthrough, his hits remain consistent in an inconsistent, fickle business.
He has the biggest hit of his career this summer with "Live Like You Were Dying," which has spent eight weeks at No. 1.
There's also a 63-city tour, a role opposite Billy Bob Thornton in the upcoming movie "Friday Night Lights," and a high-profile marriage to fellow superstar Faith Hill.
"Five years ago, if you'd told me it would have gotten bigger, I wouldn't have believed you," he says.
Remembering his dad
This latest song, about living life to its fullest, is special for McGraw, who lost his father, former Mets and Phillies relief pitcher Tug McGraw, to cancer in January. (He would have turned 60 Monday.)
The lyrics tell of a man in his early 40s who learned he doesn't have long to live and is asked how he handled the news:
"I went skydiving / I went Rocky Mountain climbing / I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Foo Man Chu," McGraw sings in the chorus. "Someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying."
"My dad was sick when I heard the song, and that definitely had a big influence on me," McGraw says. "I knew instantly it was going to be my first single."
"Live Like You Were Dying" is also the title track of McGraw's new album, released this week. While he prefers to keep private his final conversations with his father, McGraw says none contained advice as specific as in the song.
"The bottom line is that it's uplifting," he says. "It's more an affirmation of life than it is about death."
No. 1 hits
Since becoming a star with the novelty hit "Indian Outlaw" in 1994, McGraw and producer Byron Gallimore have recorded 23 No. 1s, including "Where the Green Grass Grows," "Angry All the Time" and "Real Good Man." All told, he's sold 30 million records.
At its best, McGraw's music incorporates elements of pop, rock and R & amp;B. And while he's certainly a good singer, he's not a great one. Many say his real talent is his ability to hear a hit, much like one of his musical heroes, George Strait.
"It's a combination of two things," said Tonya Campos, music director at Los Angeles country station KZLA. "The guy is loaded with sex appeal, and he knows how to pick a song. I compared him once to Paul Newman. If you watch Paul Newman act, he makes it looks effortless, like there's not even a script. If you listen to Tim sing, that's how it sounds -- effortless."