In 1989, Universal Pictures teamed up with Kevin Costner to create the iconic film Field of Dreams. Capturing the heart of baseball, the film surrounded Costner’s character building a baseball field to attract the ghosts of famous players like Shoeless Joe Jackson. Thanks to the praise surrounding the film, the field remained a historic site in Dyersville, Iowa. And when getting the chance to perform the first-ever concert at the Field of Dreams, Tim McGraw used the moment to honor the legacy of his father and former MLB player, Tug McGraw.
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Having performed all over the United States throughout his career, McGraw found himself in a unique position on Saturday. Taking the stage at the Field of Dreams, the singer carried a great deal of emotion with him. With his father passing away back in 2004, McGraw always held his memory close. Throughout Tug’s career on the field, he played as a relief pitcher for both the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Outside of sharing a love for baseball, McGraw revealed it would have been his father’s 81st birthday. With over 20,000 fans in attendance, the entire crowd helped the country star sing “Happy Birthday” to his late father. And to make the night even better, McGraw decided to cover his hit song “Live Like You Were Dying.”
Tim McGraw Thanks Fans For Celebrating His Late Father’s Legacy
The song held a special place in McGraw’s heart as he recorded the hit while his father battled brain cancer. Recalling being in the studio, he said, “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.”
With Field of Dreams surrounding Costner’s character getting the chance to play ball with his father one last time, the concert appeared nothing short of a perfect moment in McGraw’s career. He thanked fans in an Instagram post, reading, “Iowa!! You guys brought it last night!” McGraw posted. “First ever concert the field of Dreams movie site and on Tug’s birthday too! Hard to top that!!”
For McGraw, the night was more than a concert – it was a full-circle tribute that forever tied his music, his father’s legacy, and the magic of baseball together.
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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