Tim McGraw’s always had a thing for country.

Both the U.S. and the music.

In the 2019 book, “Songs of America,” Jon Meacham chronicled the history and stories of some of our country’s most famous songs, like “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Born in the U.S.A.,” while co-author McGraw unpacked them as an artist and performer.

“That was one of my favorite projects, and I am a history buff as well, so I loved looking at the history of America, particularly from a musical perspective,” McGraw wrote in an email interview with The Gazette.

So it’s fitting that the Grammy Award winner will headline PBR Space Cowboys presented by the U.S. Space Force. The event celebrating America’s 250th anniversary is Saturday at Falcon Stadium. Tickets start at $31; goairforcefalcons.evenue.net.

“We’ve seen so many communities, concert venues, network TV shows, all of them hosting America 250 celebrations, and I just love it,” McGraw said.

The day begins at 2 p.m. with the Launchpad Fan Zone, and continues with performances by the electronic music duo VAVO, country singer-songwriter Annie Bosko and neotraditional country trio The Castellows; professional motocross rider Jeremy McGrath; and elite team bull riding by Professional Bull Riders before McGrath’s 9:15 p.m. concert.

Attendees can also expect military flyovers, parachute landings by the Wings of Blue, interactive Space Force exhibits and a large-scale drone show finale.

When McGraw reflects on his long career, he can pinpoint a before-and-after moment — the moment he decided to quit college and move to Nashville.

“It was a pivotal turning point for me. There was no going back. I was committed to making music as a career and making it work,” he said. “I remember that conversation with my mom and the support she gave me, so that was a real turning point for me that put me on the path toward making music.”

His intuition was spot on. While his first single, the 1991 “What Room Was the Holiday In,” didn’t chart, it marked the start of his career. The single, “Don’t Take the Girl,” off his second album, the 1994 “Not a Moment Too Soon,” blazed the way for a long string of No. 1 hits, including “Live Like You Were Dying,” “Where the Green Grass Grows,” “I Like It, I Love It,” and “Something Like That.”

His 16th album, “Standing Room Only,” dropped in 2023, with the same-titled lead track and the song “Hey Whiskey.”

“I’m from Louisiana, so I grew up listening to country music,” McGraw said. “My stepdad was a trucker, and he always had country music playing in the truck. That said, I have love for all kinds of music and different genres, and the best part of being a musician for a living is that you can explore all of that.”

When it comes to writing songs or choosing songs to sing, he knows what he wants to put on an album.

“I want to keep working on songs until they carry that emotional weight that I’m looking for,” he said. “It kind of has to hit you in the heart, and once it does, you feel like you’re making progress on a song.”