Jo Dee Messina Told Tim McGraw the Truth + They Both Cried

Jo Dee Messina has really had a resurgence as of late, due in part to Cole Swindell's hit song "She Had Me at Heads Carolina."

When she visited the Taste of Country Nights studio, I wanted to know who she was friends with back in the day, when she debuted with "Heads Carolina, Tails California" in 1996. At first, she admits, she didn't have many friends.

"My circle was really small, I didn't know anybody," she reveals. "I was new to Nashville, I met Tim [McGraw] and I met Byron (producer Byron Gallimore) and I met a couple other people."

"I didn't go out and drink and I didn't party and I didn't go out to the bars, so all that networking never happened. Somebody heard me here, somebody heard me there and then I ending up getting a deal, but that was McGraw that made that happen."

The way she tells that last part? She sounded so sincere and conscious in the moment, I had to dive deeper.

Listen to this interview to hear Jo Dee talk about everything from her early career to her new music, including her inspiring new song "Just to Be Loved." She also explains how Tim McGraw helped her. It sounds like they lost touch a little bit, but recently had a chance to catch up. That's when she shared her heart.

Wait until you see how he reacted.

I had a lot of fun sitting down with country music icon Jo Dee Messina — check out our full conversation in this week's episode of Taste of Country Nights, On Demand wherever you get your podcasts from.

Evan Paul is the host of Taste of Country Nights, a syndicated radio show heard on more than 120 country radio stations nationwide, every night from 7PM to midnight. He plays the best new country music and interviews today's top stars, like Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Lady A, Morgan Wallen, + more!

Top 50 Tim McGraw Songs, Ranked

Whether it’s party music or songs that stop you in your tracks, Tim McGraw's catalog has songs for every mood and emotion. Though the Louisiana native launched in 1990 with his self-titled debut record, it wasn’t until the release of his sophomore project four years later that McGraw got the adoration of both country professionals and fans alike. These are the 50 best Tim McGraw songs, ranked.

PICTURES: See Inside Jo Dee Messina's Elegant $3 Million Southern Estate

Jo Dee Messina is listing her 6-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom, 4,995-square-foot Southern estate in Georgia for $3 million, and pictures show a private, serene retreat that's a perfect mix of classic Southern architecture and luxury living.

See Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's Best Pictures Together Through the Years

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill married on Oct. 6, 1996, just months after getting engaged at Country Jam in Grand Junction, Colo. Here are some of their best pictures together, through the years.