Country iconTim McGrawpaid tribute to his famous dadTug McGrawwhile making history. The "Something Like That" singer honored his father – the legendary MLB pitcher who died in 2004 at age 59 – Saturday, Aug. 30, with the first-ever concert at the legendaryField of Dreamsin Dyersville, Iowa. "Would've been my dad's 81st birthday," McGrawshared on Instagram. "I'm going to 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 dad. The "Hank" McGraw mentioned is his Uncle Hank (Henry Thomas McGraw), Tug's older brother and a former ballplayer himself, who died in July 2024. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tim McGraw (@thetimmcgraw) 'These guys are magicians': Meet thebrothers behind the corn at the 'Field of Dreams' site "This weekend we lost the patriarch of the McGraw family,"Tim McGraw wroteat 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 McGraw spent his final months at his son's Tennessee home with Tim's wife, Faith Hill. Just months after Tug's death, the country star 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. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tim McGraw (@thetimmcgraw) In a 2021podcast episode with Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey, McGraw recalled recording the song during his dad'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!!" This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tim McGraw honors dad Tug McGraw at Field of Dreams concert
