On this day in 1967, Tim McGraw was born in Delhi, Louisiana. McGraw was the only child of Elizabeth “Betty” Ann D’Agostino and Frank Edwin “Tug” McGraw Jr. Tug was a star pitcher for the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies.

McGraw grew up believing his stepfather, Horace Smith, was his father. From the time of his mother’s marriage until the time he met his biological father, his last name was Smith. Tim was 18 years old when Tug first realized how much Tim looked like him at that age, and he acknowledged paternity. They remained close until Tug’s death in 2004.

Tug gave Tim’s demo to a friend at Curb Records and the rest was history.