McGraw Says 2015 Oscar Performance of Glen Campbell Song Was Career High Point While Dealing With Health Issues

Tim McGraw opened up about one of the most emotional and challenging moments of his career — his performance of Glen Campbell's "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" at the 87th Academy Awards in 2015. The moving tribute was part of the documentary Glen Campbell... I'll Be Me, which chronicled Campbell's battle with Alzheimer's disease. McGraw, performing solo on a dimly lit stage in front of Hollywood's biggest names, called his Oscars appearance the most nerve-racking moment of his life.

"I've been so fortunate to be able to do a lot of cool things, you know, movies and TV shows. Probably the Oscars, the first time Faith was performing on the Oscars, then gettin' to perform the Glen Campbell song from the documentary on the Oscars was a big highlight, and probably the most nervous I've ever been in my life, on that stage by myself, lookin' out and seeing all those movie stars, and having to sing that song for Glen Campbell and his family was pretty nerve-racking. But it was also a highlight," McGraw shared.

McGraw emphasized the sincere emotional significance of paying tribute to Campbell, who was sick and could not attend the ceremony. The moment resonated for fans and provided a national spotlight for Alzheimer's, with comments that many had never seen McGraw be so sincere and vulnerable.

In 2025, McGraw continues to find audiences to connect with, including through his most recent collaboration with Parker McCollum for the single "Paper Umbrellas," which is being played on the radio. As happy as the singer is with the success of the album, he opened up about health struggles recently. The grueling touring schedule took a toll on his body, and ultimately, he developed knee and back problems that required him to have surgery and recover away from the road.

"The worst part for me is I'm terrible at sitting still. ... During the tour, the back started going cattywampus on me," McGraw stated. "And in about three weeks in the tour, my knees went out. So I had to do the whole tour with my knee shot, my back shot."

"That was the worst part was mentally," he says, adding that his doctors tried to warn him. "Everybody that gets these things, there's a depression that happens," he adds.