
DATE: Thursday, July 10, 1997               TAG: 9707100066

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   63 lines

MCGRAW FOUND THAT FAITH AND HARMONY GO HAND AND HAND

TIM McGRAW married Faith Hill. They begat a baby and a hit record.

The baby is Gracie Katherine, the record is the appropriately titled ``It's Your Love,'' a warm, bill-and-coo song that began, like McGraw, as a single.

``The song was brought to our attention - we heard it, we loved it,'' he said during a phone interview from his Nashville home. ``Faith cried once she heard it. We knew it would be a hit.''

You will hear that hit, and multitudinous others, at Harbor Park on Saturday when Tim McGraw performs.

``After I heard the song, I began doing it in concert,'' he said. ``A week after I recorded it, I felt it needed a female voice for harmony. Gee - where could I get a good partner?''

Of course, he had faith in Faith, and even though she was seven months pregnant ``and out of breath, she put magic to the record,'' he said.

A hit is important, because, McGraw said, ``we have kids to feed.''

Kids?

``Well, one now,'' he said, ``but we plan on a big family - no set number.''

McGraw does settle for the No. 1 as far as hits are concerned. For starters, there was ``Indian Outlaw.'' That was followed by ``Don't Take the Girl,'' ``I Like It, I Love It'' and ``Don't Let It Go to Her Heart.''

Any future collaborations?

``Who knows? We each have independent careers and we want to do well with those,'' said McGraw, who turned 30 on May Day. ``But we spend a lot of time together, and if something comes along that we love, we wouldn't be opposed to another duet.''

The current duet is No. 1 on the country charts and has crossed over to the pop charts, where it is No. 6.

``It's Your Love'' is featured in the ``Everywhere'' album, which should spawn another hit or two, or three.

``Finding great songs is the key,'' said superstar McGraw, whose ``Not a Moment Too Soon'' album went quintuple platinum. ``I like to think - if you hear one of my records, you know that it's me. That kind of identification is not easy these days,''

Now, he is trying to get others on the charts. He co-produced ``Everywhere'' and is producing an album for Jo Dee Messina.

``Producing is a different creative outlet. You get a different viewpoint on what you do as an artist,'' McGraw said. ``You come up with ideas to help somebody do their vocals - right now, it's Jo Dee Messina - and you learn what to do on your own.''

Tim McGraw - singer, producer, husband of Faith Hill and master of understatement, added, ``I'm a lucky man.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Country star Tim McGraw...

Graphic

WANT TO GO?

What: Tim McGraw

When: 3 p.m. Saturday. Gates open at 2 p.m.

Where: Harbor Park, 301 Park St., Norfolk

Tickets: $25 and $22.50, available from Ticketmaster, CI Travel

and Harbor Park box office

Call: 622-2222 KEYWORDS: INTERVIEW