There was a time when Tim McGraw was living like he was dying. In a new interview with Apple Music 1 host Zane Lowe, the 56-year-old country music star opened up about his struggles with alcohol and how wife Faith Hill was the one to set him straight.

“She put up with it for a while because I was pretty sneaky about it for a while,” Tim said of his drinking. “But it was just overdoing stuff.”

The “Humble and Kind” singer realized he’d hit rock bottom when he was getting out of bed and heading straight for the liquor cabinet, taking a shot before waking up their daughters, Grace, 26, Maggie, 25 and Audrey, 21.

“I think when the kids got old enough that they could notice things is when [Faith] finally said, ‘You’ve got to figure this out,’” Tim recalled.

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill sit side by side on stage in front of audience
Rick Diamond/Getty Images

With her help, Tim got sober in 2008, and he couldn’t be more grateful. “I guarantee you, had I not gotten married to Faith at 29 years old, a) I probably would’ve ran my career into the ground, and b) I would’ve died already with my career into the ground,” said the three-time Grammy winner. “One or the other. And it wouldn’t have ever been where it’s at now.”