Tim McGraw Breaks Free - Today In Country Music History

November 30, 2011

A Nashville judge rules Tim McGraw is free to record for a label other than Curb Records. The ruling stated that McGraw was free to record for another label while he waited for the remainder of the case to be heard.

The previous September, an appeals court upheld a previous ruling stating that McGraw was free to record elsewhere. Then in February, the Supreme Court refused to hear another appeal from Curb. The label responded by suing McGraw for copyright infringement in April, claiming he was still under contract to them when he recorded Two Lanes of Freedom and that those tracks were the property of the label.

The label claimed that McGraw turned in his Emotional Traffic album too quickly, in violation of a contract clause that obligated him to space his albums at least 18 months apart. Curb refused to release the album, while McGraw argued that it fulfilled his contract.

The singer filed a countersuit, saying Curb had kept him in an ongoing state of “involuntary servitude” by forcing him to wait so long to record new albums. His filing claimed that was a way to stretch out his contract indefinitely. McGraw’s suit also alleged that Curb’s decision to release a total of seven greatest hits albums was a ploy to extend his contract against his will.

A few hours after the ruling, Curb released "Better Than I Used to Be", the second single from Emotional Traffic.The album was released on January 24, 2012.

McGraw signed with Big Machine Records in May of 2012, releasing Two Lanes of Freedom with them, on Feb. 5, 2013.

photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images
photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images
1995
Martina McBride joins the Grand Ole Opry during the taping of a CBS-TV special, "Grand Ole Opry 70th Anniversary Celebration," at the Opry House
1990
Garth Brooks receives the first of many multi-platinum certifications, as the No Fences album goes double-platinum. The album featured the singles "The Thunder Rolls" (#1), "Friends in Low Places" (#1), "Unanswered Prayers" (#9) and "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" (#1). It also included "Wild Horses", which Brooks would re-record in 2001 and release as a single then (#7).
#1 On This Date
SINGLES
2006 – Carrie Underwood – “Before He Cheats”
2000 – Phil Vassar – “Just Another Day In Paradise”
1995 – George Strait – “Check Yes Or No”
1989 – Dolly Parton – “Yellow Roses”
1978 – The Kendalls – “Sweet Desire/Old Fashioned Love”
1972 – Charley Pride – “She’s Too Good To Be True”
1967 – Sonny James – “It’s The Little Things”
1957 – The Everly Bros. – “Wake Up, Little Susie”
1950 – Hank Snow – “I’m Movin’ On”
1944 – Red Foley – “Smoke On The Water”

ALBUMS
2013 – The Robertsons – Duck The Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas
2002 – Dixie Chicks – Home
1996 – Reba McEntire – What If Its You
1991 – Garth Brooks – Ropin’ The Wind
1985 – Ronnie Milsap – Greatest Hits Vol. 2
1974 – Merle Haggard – His 30th Album
1968 – Glen Campbell – Wichita Lineman
Birthdays
Singer Mindy McCready is born in Fort Myers, FL, on this date in 1975. Her sassy, confident approach nets late-1990s hits with "Ten Thousand Angels" and "Guys Do It All The Time."
Personal issues lead to a downward spiral that culminates in McCready's suicide in 2013.
Anniversaries
Singer Mark Wills and wife Kelly celebrate their 18^th anniversary.

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Tim McGraw Breaks Free – Today In Country Music History [VIDEO]