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Tim McGraw knew he wanted to pursue a career in law since he was about 12 years old — or so he thought. It wasn’t until the started his pre-law education that he started playing music, and then his goals changed.
McGraw, who is now embarking on his latest tour after about three decades of recording hit music, recently recalled his mother’s reaction to his decision to move to Nashville to play music. Though the “Humble And Kind” singer admitted he delayed the conversation, he said his mom responded with one of the most meaningful words of advice she could give. McGraw said in a statement shared by his record label:
“I knew how hard my mom wanted me to work through high school and how bad she wanted me to go to college. And you know, I’d wanted to be a lawyer since I was probably 12 years old, and I was gonna go to school to be a lawyer. I started out in pre-law and was doing all that, and then I started playing music. And I remember having to make the phone call to mom and tell her that I was gonna drop outta school and move to Nashville and play music. And when I did, she said, ‘I’m surprised you haven’t done it already. And if you don’t try you’ll never know.’ When you’re a musician and you think that you’re gonna go try to make a livin’ at it, it’s like jumpin’ off a cliff at midnight not knowing what’s below you. And to have some affirmation from your mom that she thinks you should try it and she thinks that you can do it, there’s no more confidence than that that you can get.”