Scotty McCreery is opening up about his sweet friendship with Randy Travis. McCreery grew up idolizing the Country Music Hall of Fame member, whose music has shaped his entire career.

“Randy’s so cool,” McCreery says on Marty & McGee. “He and [Travis’s wife] Mary are just the best people on earth, salt of the earth people. And the thing I love about Randy is you never know where he’s going to pop up. We’ve played shows in Texas, and they’re like, ‘Hey, look sidestage,’ and Randy Travis is just watching us. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ He’s always been so supportive. I got to sing at one of his tribute shows here in Nashville. Mary has family from North Carolina, some of the same places we went.

“I grew up singing his songs,” he continues. “So to me, to be able to call him a friend is still nuts. He’s an icon. He’s a living legend. Everybody knows his tunes. We sing ‘Forever and Ever, Amen’ in our show every night, and the crowd goes nuts, still.”

McCreery and American Idol runner-up Lauren Alaina also sang “I Told You So” during their time on the reality TV talent show. The 31-year-old has more in common with Travis than just their love of country music. Both are members of the Grand Ole Opry and the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.

Scotty McCreery’s Induction Into The Grand Ole Opry

When McCreery was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on April 20, 2024, it was Josh Turner who inducted McCreery. But Travis was also present, joining McCreery on stage as he became an official member. Turner also honored McCreery during the induction ceremony.

“I stand here tonight proud of the fact that I bridged the gap between the generation of Randy Travis and Scotty McCreery,” Turner said at the time. “Only time will tell who will be inspired by Scotty.  Scotty is not only a fine singer and a songwriter, but he’s a great man, husband, and now father. I’m proud of him and I’m proud that he is filling the shoes of the artists before him. With artists like him, country music is in great shape.”

McCreery also performed “Three Wooden Crosses” on the night he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.

Scotty McCreery’s Current Single

McCreery might love traditional country by artists like Travis, but he also likes other styles of music, as evident by his current single, “Bottle Rockets.” The song features Darius Rucker and Hootie & the Blowfish, and their debut single “Hold My Hand.”

“It fit like a glove when we wrote it,” he says of “Bottle Rockets.” “When we wrote it, I did the demo by myself, and it worked. But the dream was, can we get Hootie & the Blowfish to do this? Me and [Darius], we’ve become good friends over the years, and we’re golf buddies now. We’re in the same fantasy football league. We’re boys, but when you text somebody that, it’s not just being boys, now we’re talking business. So I was a little nervous.

“But he texted right back that he loved the song, and wanted to do it,” McCreery continues. “He said, ‘Let me get the other guys involved.’ And we didn’t sample it either. They all went back in the studio, rerecorded their parts. I was just cheesing when I got the mix back.”

Scotty McCreery’s New Project

“Bottle Rockets” is on McCreery’s latest  Scooter & Friends EP, along with the bluesy “Once Upon A Bottle Of Wine,” with the legendary Charlie Wilson.

“I’ve been a massive fan of Charlie Wilson since I first heard him on the radio when I was a kid,” McCreery says. “He’s one of my favorite artists of all time. Getting to perform with him on stage a few years ago was a bucket list item for me. Being able to call him a friend means more than I can say. And now, having him sing with me on a song I wrote is a dream come true.”

Find all of McCreery’s music and upcoming shows at ScottyMcCreery.com.