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As well-known as it is, Tim McGraw is even more famous for his undying devotion to Faith Hill and their daughters, than he is for his preferred Resistol black straw hat. Without dispute, the It’s Your Love, Shotgun Rider, and My Little Girl artist creates pure poetry to rival any of his hits with anniversary tributes and birthday salutes to each of his daughters yearly.
Of course, Tim McGraw’s heartfelt words only prove how deeply he knows each of the precious ladies in his family. That said, it comes as no surprise that the doting megastar dad made it possible for another dad with stage IV cancer to have his dream become a reality, as People, Yahoo, and Parade per MSN relate. Have tissues handy– Tim McGraw always takes caring to the next level and this one’s a heart-tugger.
Michael Hugo had a mission Tim McGraw understands
Almost a year ago, in April of 2022, 37-year-old Florida dad, Michael Hugo, received news much like that reflected in Tim McGraw’s Live Like You Were Dying. Michael had stage IV brain cancer. The persistent parent from Wellington, Florida reached out to his local ABC affiliate in his effort to get the attention of the star who really understands the stakes of cancer. As it happens, Hugo’s heart’s desire was to record My Little Girl for the weddings of his young daughters, Bridget, 6, and Brooke, 7.
Country Music Alley probed into the true story behind Live Like You Were Dying in June of 2021. Fatefully, the heart-wrenchingly honest ballad struck the chords of worldwide hearts in June of 2004, only months after the death of Phillies great, Tug McGraw, in January. While no one likely reveres the sentiment or the message of the song like Tim McGraw, he chose never to play it for his father. Understandably, he feared the senior McGraw might feel played upon by the timing of the song.
In Michael Hugo’s desperate but determined situation, however, his timing seems by divine intervention.
The message meant for Tim McGraw’s eyes
Surely, Michael Hugo and Tim McGraw share an understanding that tomorrow is never promised. The statistics for the survival of glioblastoma patients give pause simply by the facts. The median survival rate is just 14 months, meaning that half of the patients pass away by that point. Tragically, five-year survival rates stand in the low single digits, 4 to 5%.
To the joy of his girls, Hugo was the perfect date for his local daddy-daughter dance. The “awesome” event resonated with how deeply Michael wanted to leave a keepsake memory for Bridget and Brooke. Over and over, his conviction of “Man, I want to dance with my kids at their wedding” ran through his being.
Earnestly, Michael Hugo issued a Facebook plea through a friend on February 9, asking anyone with connections to Tim McGraw to help put the dream request in front of the right eyes.
Late on March 9, Tim McGraw confirmed on his social media that Papa’s plea for a legacy wedding song was in process. The Humble and Kind singer, known for making his songs into social movements, assures that they are “gonna make this happen” for the “amazing” family.
Much more than a song
In another sign of divine Providence, the head of the Tug McGraw Foundation, established by Tim in honor of his father, became the driving force to put the video in front of Tim McGraw. Like many country luminaries, Tim McGraw receives countless worthy requests. This one, however, truly couldn’t wait.
Naturally, moments matter in the high-paced world of Tim McGraw, but according to Michael Hugo’s wife, Vanessa, the megastar made certain that the family left Music City with more than a song from their visit. A camera crew captured Michael dancing with his girls at the Grand Ole Opry. Michael got a fun session of vocal coaching, along with some private talk with Tim. As an added treat, a personal version of I Called Mama became a treasure for Michael’s mom.
‘Standing Room Only’ resounds with all that matters
“What a special thing to be part of,” Tim McGraw echoes of his time with the Hugo family. Undeniably, every Tim McGraw song speaks in some way to the certainty and finality that every second, much less minute, is a gift, never to be retrieved. His latest song, Standing Room Only, is about much more than packing a crowd in for a funeral.
In talking with Taste of Country Night’s Evan Paul, McGraw describes the ballad as “an affirmation of life,” along with the understanding that human beings fail “from the first step I take,” as Tim McGraw reflects in a Taste of Country feature.
Furthermore, Tim McGraw praises how rare it is “to find a song with that much meaning in it, and every word means something and every phrase means something. There’s not a wasted line or a lyric anywhere in the song,” he reiterates.
For the moment, Michael Hugo is stable after surgery and radiation. That’s the best he can hope for, along with memories of cherished moments creating a duet for his daughters with Tim McGraw. Both fathers know there’s not a breath, a note, or a single moment to waste.
Keep up with Tim McGraw on Country Music Alley.