Tim McGraw Says He Knew Taylor Swift Would Be the “Biggest Star in the World” After Touring with Her in 2006

Tim McGraw predicted that Taylor Swift would be a superstar in the early in her career. After releasing her debut self-titled album in 2006, Swift went on tour with McGraw and Faith Hill. After speaking with the young singer/songwriter, he said he knew she was going to do big things.

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McGraw recently appeared on Audacy’s Katie and Company. During his conversation with Katie Neal, he reflected on meeting Swift early in her career.

[RELATED: 5 Milestones in Taylor Swift’s Career]

McGraw and Hill’s massive 2006 Soul2Soul Tour featured Swift as an opener. As a result, the country star had several chances to speak with the then-rising star. “Taylor was one of our opening acts and it was just her and her acoustic guitar,” McGraw recalled. “We spent a lot of time talking to her in the dressing room and stuff before and after the shows. Faith and I both said, ‘This girl, she’s going to be the biggest star in the world.’”

“She’s just so curious, which is a sign of great intelligence,” he added. “We had no doubt that she was headed to big things.”

[RELATED: Behind the Musical Union of Faith Hill and Tim McGraw]

McGraw also revealed that he and his family attended The Eras Tour in Nashville. The show Swift put on blew him away, he said. Also, the quality of the show didn’t surprise him. “Taylor always blows me away with what she does. She’s so spot-on with what she does,” McGraw said. “She’s such a professional and she’s so smart at what she does. I’m so proud of her.”

He also revealed that he shares a professional connection with Swift. Her tour manager, Robert Allen, used to be McGraw’s tour manager. However, their connection goes a little deeper than that. McGraw partnered with Swift and Keith Urban for the 2013 chart-topper “Highway Don’t Care.”

Additionally, Swift released “Tim McGraw” as the lead single from her debut album in 2006. The song is about a relationship that comes to an abrupt end. Then, Swift asks her ex- to think about her every time he hears her favorite song by McGraw.

When he first heard the song, McGraw said, “I thought, ‘Damn, I’m getting old. Somebody is singing a song about me.’”

Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images

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