Random Things About '90s Country Stars (13 items)

(#5) Kenny Chesney
- Country
In June 2000, Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney headlined the George Strait Country Music Festival in New York. Chesney started talking to the daughter of a state sheriff, then asked her if he could ride her father's police horse. She said sure, so he hopped on and took the horse for a joyride, ignoring all orders to stop.

When nearby police officers attempted to apprehend Chesney, McGraw and his road manager jumped in to help out their buddy. A scuffle ensued, and the two stars were detained.

Chesney was charged with disorderly conduct, a relatively minor charge, but McGraw was charged with assaulting a police officer, a potential felony. Both were acquitted of all charges and claim the whole thing was a big misunderstanding.
(#7) Tim McGraw
- Country, Southern rock
Growing up, Tim McGraw didn't know who his father was. In fact, he went by Tim Smith after his mother married Horace Smith. But when he found out his dad was famous baseball player Tug McGraw after coming across his birth certificate when he was 11 years old, it gave him hope.

Rather than being angry that his father abandoned him and offered no financial support, Tim said, "It changed what I thought I could do with my life coming from the circumstances I came from... it made me think that blood is in my veins, so that ability is in there."

Tug finally acknowledged Tim as his son when the latter was about 18. Their relationship had its ups and downs, with years and memories to overcome. Despite his lack of affection or financial support earlier, Tug did help Tim get his music career started when he passed on Tim's demo to a producer at Curb Records.

Tug perished from brain cancer in 2003.
(#8) Reba McEntire
- Country pop, Country rock, Country
Reba McEntire perfected her acting chops on the sitcom Reba from 2001 to 2007, but she could have had a breakthrough acting role earlier when she was offered the part of Molly Brown in the 1997 mega-hit Titanic. Director James Cameron wanted her to play the role, but McEntire's schedule wouldn't allow it. When filming got behind schedule, she had to give up the part, which went instead to Kathy Bates.

McEntire already had a jam-packed tour scheduled and a lot of people who relied on her for a job. When asked if she was disappointed that it didn't work out, McEntire said, "Well, sure. Absolutely. But you've gotta take care of your people."
(#4) Toby Keith
- Country
Toby Keith is known for pushing the envelope in songs like "Who's Your Daddy" and "The Taliban Song," so perhaps it wasn't much of a surprise when his 10th album was titled White Trash With Money, a name Keith found wildly amusing, much to his wife's dismay.

The album title has a backstory. Around the time Keith was mulling over titles for the new album, his teenage daughter Krystal got into a scuffle with a local "debutante." After separating the two, the mother of the other young lady told her not to bother, because the Keith family was just "white trash with money."

When Krystal told her dad about the woman's declaration, he laughed, and knew he had a winner on his hands.
(#10) Garth Brooks
- Country pop, Rock music, Country rock, Country
Garth Brooks, generally a down-to-earth guy, refused to sing the national anthem at the 1993 Super Bowl unless his demands were met.
Earlier that year, Brooks had released a song titled "We Shall Be Free" in response to the 1992 riots in Los Angeles, and wanted to debut the song's music video during the Super Bowl. NBC, however, which aired the Super Bowl, refused, saying some of the images - explosions, natural calamities, burning crosses - were inappropriate for its family audience.
In response, 45 minutes before he was scheduled to take the stage, Brooks walked out of the stadium; he would sing only if his video aired.
Every detail of the Super Bowl schedule is meticulously planned, so naturally, chaos ensued for the NFL and NBC. The producers tried to talk to Brooks, but he was adamant. Jon Bon Jovi was even sighted in the crowd and prepped as a backup option. In the end, Brooks prevailed and the NFL delayed the kickoff of the game to accommodate the airing of his video.
Now, all singers at the Super Bowl must provide a pre-recorded version of their performance... just in case.
(#9) Dwight Yoakam
- Rockabilly, Country rock, Country
Known for his old-school Bakersfield country sound, Dwight Yoakam dominated the charts in the '80s and '90s with hits like "A Thousand Miles From Nowhere" and his cover of Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love."

Yoakam also has a decent film resume. One of his most notable roles was playing Raoul in the 2002 thriller Panic Room, starring Jodi Foster and directed by David Fincher. In the film, Yoakam is one of the burglars Foster's character hides from.

That wasn't his only time playing a bad guy. In the 1996 film Sling, he played an abusive boyfriend.