Tim McGraw “seriously contemplated” quitting music after a series of surgeries.
The 58-year-old country music star has undergone four back operations and a double knee replacement over the “last couple of years”, and after his latest back surgery, “things were getting really bad”, and he thought he would have to step back from his career.
Speaking to the crowd at his concert at the Yaamava’ Theater in Highland, California, recently, he took a moment to thank the medical professionals in the crowd who looked after him and his wife, Faith Hill, 58, who has also had her fair share of surgeries.
He said: “Dr. Chen, where you at? There he is!”
Tim went on: “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.”
After huge applause for the doctors, Tim opened up about how his bout of bad health took its toll on his mental health.
He explained: “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.”
Encouraging the audience to clap again, he continued: “[They] took care of us for a long, long time.
“Give these guys a hand. They got us back up on our feet. That’s the reason we’re here tonight.”
Admitting he nearly called it quits, Tim added: “After going through all of that a couple of years ago, getting depressed over it and all those things, stuff not working right, this spring, before I had my final back surgery, things were getting really bad.
“I seriously contemplated and tried to figure out how to walk away. I didn’t want to, but I didn’t think it was going to get better.”
He concluded that, thankfully, things got “better”.