Scotty McCreery has no idea what he would be if he wasn’t a country music singer. The 32-year-old initially had his sights set on being a professional athlete, although he admits that idea wasn’t entirely feasible.
“I was probably just being a normal teenager like the rest of the folks,” McCreery says, recalling his younger years. “I played baseball for my high school. Getting into a bunch of riff-raff. I had a dream of being a major league pitcher, and then I realized a 79 mph fastball’s not going to get you anywhere.”
Still, McCreery caught the music bug from an early age. Just 16 when he auditioned for American Idol, which he won in 2011, the North Carolina native sometimes still can’t believe he gets up in front of thousands of people and performs night after night.
“I always wanted to be Elvis when I was really little,” McCreery says. “I quickly learned I was not that cool, and I could never be Elvis. But still just getting on stage and entertaining folks. I’m an introvert at heart, so I don’t know who that is that gets on stage and loves to entertain people, ‘cause outside of that, I can pretty much stick to myself, and my close friends and my family. I love entertaining.”
Scotty McCreery Talks New Music
View this post on Instagram
McCreery recently released his 15 album, but he is already hard at work on his next record, this one of all new material.
“There’s a lot to be excited about, career-wise and family-wise,” McCreery tells Dirt Road Country. “That’s kind of the two buttons I’m always looking in. Career-wise, I was just in the studio the last couple of days. I know 15 just came out, but that was like a reminiscing project. This is going to be a full project of new material. I’ve been in the studio a lot. I can’t wait for folks to hear the stuff. And then we’re going to finish out on the road.”
McCreery’s busy tour schedule this year concludes with a show on December 3 at The Truth, a new Nashville venue opening on October 1.
“Nashville plays are always fun,” McCreery says. “They’re a little crazy; they’re a little chaotic if we’re honest, and hectic. The whole team’s coming, family’s coming, the band’s families are coming. It’s an interesting time to play Nashville. But we haven’t done it in a while.”
15 includes McCreery’s cover of Conway Twitty’s “Hello Darlin’,” a performance that went viral as soon as it was released.
“I actually recorded this for an album in 2015, and that album never came out at a previous label,” reveals the singer. “We kind of had the music sitting there for a while, and I just had to go throw a vocal on it. But I’m glad it’s finally out there in the world, a recorded version of it.”
McCreery loves touring, but he also loves his time at home with his wife, Gabi, and two sons, Avery and Ollie.
“I got a little boy turning one in a few weeks, and another boy turning four,” McCreery says. “Just kind of watching my family grow. Getting home, getting to spend more time with Gabi. It’s been a busy summer, so getting there to help her out. She’s crushing it. A lot of great things are going on. Very thankful.”
Photo Credit: CMA / John Russell