About I Called Mama

Tim McGraw's new song "I Called Mama" is a throwback to his years singing about barbecue stains and peanuts in the bottle. The unconditionally country ballad is every bit the warm hug he intended.

"She has nurtured me, lit my ass up when needed (a ton) and given me love, strength and encouragement when I had no more of my own," McGraw says of his mama, Betty Trimble. While he didn't write the lyrics to "I Called Mama," his performance is personal. Given his celebrity it's a bit hard to imagine him stopping at the Texaco for a Slim Jim without drawing attention, but the McGraw of old could have done it. The arrangement calls for distant memories, both his and our own.

Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American singer, actor, and record producer. McGraw has released fifteen studio albums (eleven for Curb Records, three for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those albums have reached number 1 on the Top Country Albums charts, with his 1994 breakthrough album Not a Moment Too Soon being the top country album of 1994. All of these albums have produced 65 singles, 25 of which have reached number 1 on the Hot Country Songs or Country Airplay charts. Three of these singles — "It's Your Love", "Just to See You Smile", and "Live Like You Were Dying" — were the top country songs of 1997, 1998, and 2004 according to Billboard Year-End. He has also won three Grammy Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music awards, 11 Country Music Association (CMA) awards, 10 American Music Awards, and three People's Choice Awards. His Soul2Soul II Tour is one of the highest-grossing tours in country music history, and one of the top 5 among all genres of music. He has sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.