TIM MCGRAW - MCGRAW SURPRISED BY ITALIAN AMERICAN HONOUR

LATEST: Country star TIM McGRAW was as surprised as his fans when he was feted by the ITALIAN AMERICAN FOUNDATION recently.

The singer, husband of FAITH HILL, has joined the likes of noted Italian Americans like AL PACINO and JOHN TRAVOLTA by picking up the honour, which was handed to him after the organisation learned his mother is Italian.

He says, "With a name like McGraw, you don't think about (getting such an honour) very often. But I do have strong Italian heritage, from my great-grandfather DONATO AUGUSTO D'AGOSTINO, my grandpop GIOVANNI GIUSEPPI D'AGOSTINO - and my mom teaching me to make pasta and spaghetti sauce, which is one of my specialities.

"I grew up in the South. In a lot of ways the Italian culture and the southern culture go hand in hand, because it's all about family, neighbours and community."