Country icon Tim McGraw made history Saturday, Aug, 30, with the first-ever concert at the legendary Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa. But for McGraw, the night was more than just a milestone. It was deeply personal.
“Would’ve been my dad’s 81st birthday,” McGraw shared on Instagram. “I’m gonna be looking at the cornfield out there and seeing if Tug and Hank walk out and say hello tonight.”
The crowd joined McGraw in singing “Happy Birthday” to his late father, Tug McGraw — the legendary MLB pitcher who passed away in 2004 at age 59. The “Hank” McGraw mentioned is his Uncle Hank (Henry Thomas McGraw), Tug’s older brother and a former ballplayer himself, who passed away in July 2024.
“This weekend we lost the patriarch of the McGraw family,” Tim McGraw wrote at the time. “Our beloved ‘Uncle Hank.’ He was just an incredible man.”
McGraw didn’t know Tug was his father until he was 11. Their bond grew later in life, and Tug spent his final months at Tim’s Tennessee home with Tim’s wife, Faith Hill. Just months after Tug’s passing, McGraw released “Live Like You Were Dying,” a song that captured the emotional journey of embracing life — and loss.
As Tim McGraw wrote in the lyrics: “I was finally the husband that most the time I wasn’t/ And I became a friend a friend would like to have/ And all of a sudden goin’ fishin’ wasn’t such an imposition/ And I went three times that year I lost my dad.”
The music video ends with Tug’s iconic final strike in the 1980 World Series.
In a 2021 podcast episode with Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey, McGraw recalled recording the song during Tug’s battle with brain cancer:
“My Uncle Hank was there… I looked around at the band. I said, ‘I think it’s time to do this song.’ … My uncle collapsed on a couch crying every time we did a pass of it.”
The Field of Dreams site — built for the 1989 film starring Kevin Costner — is steeped in father-son symbolism. In the movie, Costner’s character gets a chance to “have a catch” with his late dad. On Saturday, McGraw got his own version of that moment.
“Iowa!! You guys brought it last night!” McGraw posted. “First ever concert @thefieldofdreamsmoviesite and on Tug’s birthday too! Hard to top that!!”
When will Major League Baseball return to the Field of Dreams?
Major League Baseball will return to the Field of Dreams in August 2026 with a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins — but McGraw’s night under the lights and cornfields may be the most unforgettable play yet.
What songs did Tim McGraw perform at the Field of Dreams?
“Truck Yeah”
“Southern Voice”
“All I Want Is a Life”
“Everywhere”
“Happy Birthday to You” (Mildred J. Hill & Patty Hill cover) (Happy 81st birthday to his dad Tug McGraw)
“How Bad Do You Want It”
“Last Dollar (Fly Away)”
“One Bad Habit”
“Paper Umbrellas” (Guest vocals from Timothy Wayne)
“Something Like That”
“Down on the Farm”
“King Rodeo”
“I Like It, I Love It”
“Real Good Man”
“The Cowboy in Me”
“Humble and Kind” (Lori McKenna cover)
“Live Like You Were Dying”
Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: ‘Hard to top that!’ Tim McGraw’s emotional tribute at first-ever Field of Dreams show
Reporting by Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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