Editor's Picks

McGraw's time away from the spotlight includes hobbies, business ventures and family bonding, making him as well-rounded as the characters in the Louisiana native's best-loved songs.

"Live Like You Were Dying” stands out as a 21st century country song that's unlikely to lose its emotional sting in our ever-changing world.

Learn the story behind "Desperate Man" via an exclusive excerpt Church contributed to a new book about the legacy of his co-writer, Ray Wylie Hubbard.

"Deluxe / 22% tipper / Buffet dinner on a date night just because..."

" I didn't have any choice. I didn't really have a backup plan ..."

"But a fresh new start will warm your heart / Like the sun breaking through a cloudy sky ..."

"Everything seemed to be going my way while I was writing it, and still does ..."

"To have people from the outside looking in be like, 'Man, I wish we had something like that. I wish we had that sense of community,' it just makes us feel really glad to be here ..."

What would y'all add?

"I wanted to make sure that I didn’t screw [singing in Spanish] up ... I would have never lived it down."