Tim and Faith Are 142 Million Dollar Couple

9/6/2007 Stephen L. Betts   Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s Soul2Soul Tour, presented by Jeep, wrapped in Anaheim, California, on Aug. 11 ending a two year run with a staggering total box office gross of $142 million.  According to Billboard, this establishes a new record for a multi-year tour in North America in country music history, surpassing Garth Brooks' three-year run in 1996-1998 totalling $105 million.  With two million fans attending 117 shows in 92 cities and two countries, the concerts set numerous local records for gross box office receipts, attendance and quick sell-outs. In 2006, Tim and Faith set a single year box office gross record. “Our fans have been amazing these past two years,” Tim and Faith said in a joint statement. “Together we have shared the best nights of our lives and made some history along the way.”  The Jeep Presents Soul2Soul Tour 2007 itinerary featured a benefit concert in Biloxi, Mississippi, miles from where Faith grew up, while in 2006 the New Orleans stop wrapped with a one million dollar donation from their Neighbor’s Keeper Foundation to the Community Initiative Foundation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Community Initiative Foundation runs children and young adult art therapy programs at the Renaissance Camp, the largest trailer city in Baton Rouge.  “It was really important to Tim and I that we give back to our home states of Mississippi and Louisiana,” says Faith. “We started our foundation with the philosophy of neighbors helping neighbors in their moment of need, and we are blessed to be able to help these areas.”  In addition, Jeep provided a special Soul 2 Soul Jeep Rubicon to their Neighbor’s Keeper Foundation which was auctioned off by eBay to raise more funds for the hard-hit Gulf Coast.  “We are very grateful to Jeep for stepping up to help the cause,” say tour representatives.  “And we had to laugh when we found out the winner was named ‘Tim Hill!’ ” Surprise highlights of the tour included:

• Tony Bennett singing “Cold Cold Heart” with Tim at Madison Square Garden
• Kenny Rogers performing “She Believes In Me” with Tim in Atlanta.
• Faith joined on stage during a four-day run by singer/songwriter Angie Aparo, writer of Faith's hit “Cry.”
• Faith's eight-minute standing ovation in Canada
• The couple performing at a private pre-show party at each show for a few lucky fans, offering a range of songs acoustically from “Happy Birthday” to “Suspicious Minds” to “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and some impromptu gospel songs.
• Several late night “Bread & Water” shows including a famous night at the House of Blues in Chicago where Tim and Faith performed hit songs and covers until the club closed down at 4:30 am the next day.
• Jim Belushi joining Tim and The Dancehall Doctors on stage for a couple of numbers that night and then bringing down the house with an awesome version of “Sweet Home Chicago” with Faith

In other Tim and Faith news: Tim will auction off items from his personal wardrobe on myQlu.com to benefit the Tug McGraw Foundation and the Neighbor’s Keeper Foundation. More than 140 items from Tim's wardrobe, including his Gucci suede jacket, signature stage cotton ribs and tee shirts, Calvin Klein and Versace dress shirts and more will be offered during the auction. QLu, a web-based, philanthropic organization, will present Tim with the tally of donations from the auction at the annual Denim & Diamonds Gala: An Evening With Tim McGraw and Friends on Nov. 2, in St. Louis.  And, on Wednesday (Sept. 5), during an appearance on  Ellen DeGeneres Show, Faith performed her new single, "Red Umbrella," and took the opportunity to set the record straight about the recent YouTube video that has brought national media attention to her and husband Tim. While Tim was greeting fans during a concert in Lafayette, La., in late July, an overly aggressive woman reached out and inappropriately grabbed Tim's crotch. Faith told the fan, in no uncertain terms, that her conduct was inappropriate. A video of the singer calling out the fan quickly made its way onto YouTube. Although Faith didn't witness the incident, she says that Tim, who was "livid ... red and fuming" found her underneath the stage and told her what had happened - and that he had dealt with the overzealous fan. "He basically just reprimanded her, so I thought, basically, she doesn't need any more attention and I'm going to not deal with it - so I decided to go about my business, and I'm here to have fun and give the fans a great show. But really, I'm from Mississippi, so what I really wanted to do is kick her you-know-what. You know what I'm saying? I mean, c'mon. I mean, how disrespectful! And plus, it's like sexual harassment." Although Ellen pointed out that there hasn't been any footage released of Tim reprimanding the overly eager fan, Faith told her that since there's all kinds of footage on the Internet, it's bound to turn up somewhere. Asked about her seemingly negative reaction to Carrie Underwood's Female Vocalist win during the CMA Awards last year, Faith told Ellen, "The joke was on me, I was making fun of myself - and no one got that. It's like I wasn't upset about it. Of course we all know she was going to win. I support her 100%. She has been phenomenally successful."