Stephen Paul: From the Crowd to the Stage With His Hero Tim McGraw
- Louisiana Country Music
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
Stephen Paul was just five years old when he stood in the crowd for Tim McGraw's "Down on the Farm" music video shoot back in 1994, an afternoon he's since called his earliest musical memory in an interview with Apple Music. He didn't know it then, but that afternoon planted a seed that would define his life. Nearly three decades later, Stephen Paul found himself standing on a stage next to that very same hero, trading verses in front of thousands of screaming fans.
A Musical Life That Started Early
Stephen Paul grew up in West Monroe, Louisiana, part of the state's rich Monroe and Northeast Louisiana country music tradition. His father put a drum kit in front of him at age three, and music quickly became a constant. He spent years playing in his church's music ministry before picking up the guitar and trying his hand at songwriting. After graduating from the University of Louisiana Monroe in 2013, Stephen Paul made the leap so many Louisiana artists before him have made. In the fall of 2014, he packed up and headed to Nashville to chase a career in country music, with nothing but a hunch that he was on the right path.
The Night Everything Came Full Circle
That hunch paid off in a big way on June 18, 2022, at the Winstock Country Music Festival in Winsted, Minnesota. Stephen Paul opened the festival's main stage right after the National Anthem that Saturday, playing to an early afternoon crowd on his first ever trip to Minnesota. Hours later, Tim McGraw closed out the night as the headliner in front of a packed field of more than 15,000 fans.
Somewhere in between, the two crossed paths backstage. McGraw asked Stephen Paul if he knew the words to "I Like It, I Love It," one of McGraw's signature hits. Stephen Paul did not hesitate. When McGraw invited him up during the headlining set, the West Monroe native found himself singing alongside the artist who had shaped his entire musical journey, in front of a crowd more than fifteen times the size of the one he'd played to that morning.
A Career Built the Long Way Since
For Stephen Paul, the Winstock moment was more than a career highlight. It was proof that the path from a small Louisiana town to a national stage is possible, even when it takes years of small shows and long drives to get there. In 2023 alone, Stephen Paul played more than 175 shows, building a career the old fashioned way, one bar, one fairground, one festival stage at a time. That grind has paid off: his music has since earned placement on Apple Music's New in Country and Spotify's New Music Nashville playlists, and he's surpassed seven million streams across platforms while sharing stages with artists including Dylan Scott, Dierks Bentley, Chris Lane, and Justin Moore, whose tour marked his arena debut.
A Louisiana Story Worth Celebrating
It's a story that captures something special about Louisiana's country music roots. A kid from West Monroe grew up watching his hero from the crowd, then years later stood beside him as an equal. That's the kind of full circle moment that keeps Louisiana country music fans proud of where their favorite artists come from, and hopeful for where they're headed next.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Stephen Paul
Where is Stephen Paul from?
Stephen Paul is a country singer from West Monroe, Louisiana. He grew up in the Monroe and Northeast Louisiana country music tradition before moving to Nashville in 2014.
How did Stephen Paul end up on stage with Tim McGraw?
Stephen Paul opened the main stage at the Winstock Country Music Festival in Winsted, Minnesota, on June 18, 2022. Tim McGraw headlined the same night and invited Stephen Paul on stage to sing "I Like It, I Love It" in front of more than 15,000 fans.
Did Stephen Paul know Tim McGraw before Winstock?
Stephen Paul attended the music video shoot for McGraw's "Down on the Farm" in 1994 as a five year old, though the two had no personal connection until they crossed paths backstage at Winstock in 2022.
Who else has Stephen Paul shared the stage with?
Stephen Paul has shared stages with artists including Dylan Scott, Dierks Bentley, Chris Lane, and Justin Moore, whose tour marked his arena debut.
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Tags: Louisiana Country Music, Tim McGraw, Stephen Paul, West Monroe, Winstock Country Music Festival, Nashville Connection, University of Louisiana Monroe
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