Tim McGraw, 56, and Faith Hill, 56, are veterans in the music industry. And now, Tim is opening up about advice he and his wife imparted to then up-and-coming superstar Taylor Swift during her teen years. “We had long conversations with her in Faith’s dressing room about always being open to listening, but always know that you’re the leader, that you’re the one making decisions, that you will know what song is going to work or not and that you are the captain of your ship,” Tim told PEOPLE for an interview published December 5.
The conversations took place when Taylor opened for the iconic country star’s Soul2Soul tour over a decade and a half ago. The dad of three also recalled being impressed with the young star. “I remember thinking this girl has so much talent and so much moxie, and she’s so curious,” he remarked. “We both absolutely fell in love with her instantly, as an artist and as a person — just a fellow professional that you realize totally knows what they are doing.”
As for that bit about the current frenzy surrounding Taylor’s epic romance with NFL star Travis Kelce amid her massive career, Tim says she can handle it. “She knows when, where, how to promote [her work], but she also knows when, where, how to be normal and be a human just living her life,” he explained. “I think she has brilliantly navigated that line.”
This isn’t the first time Tim has opened up about having Taylor on tour. In November, he divulged that even years ago, he and Faith knew Taylor was destined for superstardom. “Faith and I both said, ‘This girl, she’s going to be the biggest star in the world,'” he told Audacy’s Katie Neal. “She’s just so curious, which is a sign of great intelligence. We had no doubt she was headed to do big things.”