
“I met him for the first time in Pittsburgh in September of 2009. I was in town with Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors for the official kickoff of football season – a huge gig – but we also did a small “under the radar” gig the night before at the Pepsi Roadhouse, a small club that we packed out to raise money for charity. “He caught THAT show, and we met in passing. Shot a photo. I remember he asked me some questions about running with Team McGraw…like he was thinking about it. Lee Crites. I’ve not seen his show, but I know the story. I’ve seen the video clips. He is a Tim McGraw impersonator in Michigan – dresses the part, performs the tunes, and makes a living as a down-home doppelganger. I love that I used doppelganger. I crack myself up. Lee prefers tribute artist; more often than not, I’ve come to refer to him instead as our team Timposter. (Rhymes with imposter.) Yep…after a few months of training and quiet deliberation, he’s signed up and ready to run the New York City Marathon with me and the rest of Team McGraw! “We actually went for run together at our concert stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan back in February. I had a break before soundcheck that afternoon, so we connected at the arena and went for a short run through downtown. It was icy, snowy, slushy. Not built for speed, but for trepidation. Care was needed to avoid unwanted twisted ankles. Even so, Lee kept a good pace on our little jaunt. He’d been training already, and with many months left until the marathon in November, it would seem our “Timposter” was on track for the big race! “He did sorta look like Tim, even when he showed up to run…but not REALLY. Then again…even the REAL Tim doesn’t always look like himself sometimes. “I saw The Blind Side twice, and I didn’t even recognize him!” I’ve heard folks say that. Sure, if Tim’s got on the stage armor…but in regular clothes… “Hang on a second…now that I think about it, I’ve NEVER seen these two guys standing together…just like you never saw Bruce Wayne and Batman at the same time…
“No…it couldn’t be.”
Jeff McMahon
Former keyboardist for Tim McGraw