This is Fresh Air. I'm Dave Davies in for Terry Gross. I hope you're enjoying your Memorial Day

holiday. We're going to listen to my recent interview with Tim McGraw, one of the biggest

stars in country music for years. Lately though, it's an acting role that's getting him attention.

He stars with his wife, singer Faith Hill, and Sam Elliott in the Western TV series on Paramount

Plus called 1883. It tells the story of a large group of Eastern European immigrants trying to

make their way and covered wagons from Texas to Oregon to start new lives. They know little about

horses, wagons, or America, and they're led in the journey by experienced cowboys,

including the characters played by Elliott, McGraw, and LaMona Coguerreth, all veterans of the

Civil War. The pioneers face every conceivable hardship and plenty of tragedy, realistically depicted

in the production which with the cast shot on location over five months in Texas and Montana.

The series is a prequel to the successful Paramount Plus series Yellowstone, which is about the

descendants of McGraw's character in modern day Montana. All 10 episodes of 1883 are available

for streaming. McGraw's previous acting roles include parts in the movie's Friday Night Lights,

The Blind Side, and Country Strong. Tim McGraw has been recording number one country album since

1994, and is won three Grammys and 14 Academy of Country Music Awards. He's also a celebrated performer.

His tours with Faith Hill have been some of the biggest grossing tours in country music history,

and he's also the son of the late Major League pitcher Tog McGraw, though he didn't connect with

his father until late in his childhood. Well, Tim McGraw, welcome to Fresh Air. Thank you, sir.

Thank you for having me. This series 1883 is a story about these immigrants, as I mentioned,

most of whom don't speak English, and in some cases can't speak to each other,

and those who agree to lead them on this dangerous journey, the characters of Sam Elliott,

and Lamanica Garrett, who's a black cowboy. Your character, James Dutton, is a little different from

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