Country singer Tim McGraw has been around a long time, releasing his first album back in 1993. But after the 47-year-old appeared on Oprah’s Master Class this past weekend, we learned a few new things about the guitar-toting star!

Scroll down for seven revelations from the talented musician:

  • He first saw wife Faith Hill in a magazine: Tim was in his manager’s office when he saw the beauty’s photo in a Billboard magazine. He soon asked, “Who the hell is this?”
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  • Hauling cotton seed made a profound impact on him: “As a country music artist, there’s not a better foundation than haulin’ cotton seed across Louisiana and Texas in an 18-wheeler listening to eight-tracks of George Jones and Merle Haggard,” the star said of the times he rode around with his stepfather.

  • He’s a cryer: When talking about how lucky his daughters are to have Faith as their mom, he couldn’t keep the tears from flowing.

  • His drinking problem began with little seven-ounce Miller beers: “You can come up with a million excuses why you drink too much. It got to the point where I knew I drank too much. It was turning me into a person I didn’t want to be,” said Tim, who admits quitting was one of the toughest things he’s ever done.

  • His film Friday Night Lights holds a special place in his heart: During the movie, Tim’s character presents his son with his football state championship ring, which mimics a special moment in the singer’s own life. His biological father, Tug McGraw, gave Tim his national league championship ring when he was 20-years-old. “It’s still one of the things about that movie that I’ll never forget,” he said.

tim mcgraw

Tim in 2004’s “Friday Night Lights”
  • He almost became a lawyer: The Louisiana-native went to college to study pre-law but got hooked on music after his freshman year. When he decided to move to Nashville, he sold everything he owned. “I got on a Greyhound bus and never looked back.”

  • His mentor was his history teacher: Coach Butler not only served as Tim’s basketball and baseball coach, but was also his history teacher and the assistant principal. “The male role model situation around our home wasn’t exactly great, so it was really awesome to have somebody like coach Butler — somebody you could observe and learn how you should carry yourself.”