Tim McGraw was one of the biggest stars on Curb Records, the label where he first made his career. But things turned sour between the label and the star, ending up in court in 2011.

On May 13, 2011, Curb sued the superstar for breach of contract, claiming that McGraw delivered his Emotional Traffic album too soon, in violation of a contract clause that obliged him to space his albums 18 months apart. Curb refused to release the album, and McGraw took the position that delivering Emotional Traffic fulfilled his last contractual obligation to the label.

McGraw countersued, claiming that Curb had forced him into a state of “involuntary servitude” by forcing him to wait so long to record new work, which he alleged was a ploy to extend his contract. McGraw's filing also alleged that Curb’s decision to release seven different greatest hits albums was a further ploy to extend his contract against his will, since he was forced after each release to wait another 18 months to deliver another album in his contract, even though he expressly did not want to release those compilations.

In November of 2011, a judge in Tennessee handed down a ruling that McGraw was free to record elsewhere while he waited for the suit to be heard in court. McGraw signed a new deal with Big Machine Records in May of 2011 and released his first album under the new deal, Two Lanes of Freedom, in February of 2013.

Curb then tried to make the legal claim that McGraw was still under contract to them when that album was recorded, which would have made the new songs the legal property of Curb Records. An appeals court ruling in September of 2012 upheld the prior ruling that McGraw was free to record for another label.

In February of 2013, the U. S. Supreme Court declined to hear Curb's case. In August of 2013, a U.S. District Court judge also declined to hear the case, effectively bringing it to an end.

The Nastiest Lawsuits in Country Music History

The music business is a high-stakes, high-risk venture, and it's not unusual for artists to wind up in court to defend their interests, as we'll see in this gallery of the nastiest country music lawsuits.

Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker

See Inside Tim McGraw + Faith Hill's Historic Southern Manor Home

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill sold their historic Southern manor home outside of Nashville for $15 million.

Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker

PICTURES: See Inside Tim McGraw + Faith Hill's Spectacular Beverly Hills Mansion

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill sure know how to live the good life. In addition to their multiple lavish residences in the Nashville area, the superstar couple owned a spectacular mansion in a posh area of California that's like something out of a movie. Their 11,000-square-foot, 6-bedroom, 9-bathroom residence in the high-dollar area of Beverly Park South in Beverly Hills sold for $9.5 million in 2009.

Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker

See Inside Tim McGraw + Faith Hill's Stunning Nashville Estate

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw purchased a home in the historic upper-crust Belle Meade area of Nashville in 2004 that dated back to 1934. A listing described the 5-bedroom, 11-bathroom, 9,900-square-foot mansion as a "beautiful and private estate," boasting amenities including a modern gourmet kitchen that opens onto the family room, as well as separate nanny and guest quarters. There's also a home theater and a 4-car garage, and the pool house includes a full loft with an extra bedroom. They listed the house for sale in 2009, and It sold most recently in 2013 for $2,800,000.

Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker

See Inside Tim McGraw + Faith Hill's Private Island Estate:

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's private island estate in the Bahamas has gone on the market, and it could be yours — that is, if you've got $35 million to spend. The couple bought an island in the Bahamas called L’île d’Anges in 2003, according to Architectural Digest, but they did not move into their home there until 2012.

Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker

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