Scotty McCreery is already one of the biggest hitmakers in country music, with his career continuing to grow. While there are a few things that we already know about the singer, like he won Season 10 of American Idol, and he has been married to his wife, Gabi, for five years, there are still plenty of other things we can learn about him. Read on to find out more about one of country music’s most beloved stars.
1. He used to work in a grocery store.
Before McCreery became famous for being on American Idol, he was a bagger at the North Carolina grocery store chain, Lowes Foods. Although he, thankfully, no longer has that job, he still prides himself on being an expert when he bags his own groceries.
“I enjoy cold with the colds, toiletries with the toiletries, all that good stuff,” McCreery previously told Everything Nash.
2. Both Gabi and his son Avery travel on tour with him.
McCreery wants to be a hands-on dad, even with his busy career. He got a separate bus for his family, so both Gabi and his son, Avery, born in October, can be with him while he is on the road.
“We’re gonna bring out a baby bus, so we’ll get him out there,” McCreery told Everything Nash earlier this year. “Gabi will be out there a lot with me too, so he’ll have his own little crib and everything. It’ll be a completely different way to do the road for me. I’ve been doing it now over ten years. I’ve got my system, so this is gonna throw that for a loop, but I can’t wait. It’s gonna be awesome.”
Officially a roadie!
Posted by Scotty McCreery on Sunday, March 12, 2023
3. He has a dog named Moose.
At the beginning of 2019, McCreery and Gabi welcomed a new addition to their family: a yellow lab named Moose. The beloved dog, who even has his own Instagram page, has had to adjust to no longer being their only child, thanks to the arrival of Avery.
“He’s going to have to adjust for sure to this baby coming, because he is definitely used to be in the center of attention,” McCreery shared with Everything Nash at a recent media event before Avery was born. “We’ll be watching TV and he’ll be bringing us his Frisbee, bringing us his ball. He is ready to play at all times of the day. And I think he’s realizing something’s going on. Some toys are showing up at the house, mom’s belly is getting a little bigger. I think he’s figuring things out.”
Instagram/moosemccreery
4. Two years before he won American Idol, he won a local talent show called Clayton Idol.
McCreery was only 15 when he performed for Clayton Idol, a talent show in Clayton, North Carolina. Although it was his first competition, he nailed his delivery of Jamey Johnson‘s “In Color,” and won the show.
5. He attended North Carolina State University, studying Communications.
McCreery could have just gone full-time into music after high school, but he wanted more education, as well as to experience college life. He attended North Carolina University, studying Communications. Although he tried to do full-time, he realized it was too grueling while working on music, so he switched to part-time instead.
“I felt like (professors) were empathetic but not sympathetic,” McCreery told the Chicago Tribune. “They understood what I was going through, but they also had the mindset of ‘if you’re going to be a student, you’re going to be a student’ … They didn’t want to give me any special gradings, which is what I wanted. If I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it.”
6. He is part Puerto Rican.
McCreery is one-fourth Puerto Rican. His father, Michael, was born in Puerto Rico to a Puerto Rican mother and an American father, making McCreery partly Puerto Rican, although he does not speak the language.
7. He is part of the American Currents exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
McCreery received an unbelievable honor, when he was selected to be part of this year’s American Currents exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, along with HARDY, Parker McCollum, Jordan Davis, Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs,, Reba McEntire, Ashley McBryde, Wynonna Judd, and more.
“It feels pretty incredible to be a part of this great group of American Currents here at the Country Music Hall of Fame,” McCreery said when the exhibit opened. “I have driven by the Hall of Fame a bunch. I’ve taken the tours, I’ve walked through and seen it, and I’ve always wanted to be a part of it. So it’s an honor to be included.”
Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
8. He went back to high school to finish his senior year in person.
McCreery could have finished his senior year online, but he wanted the entire experience. He won the CMT Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year, for “The Trouble with Girls,” on June 6, 2012, and then hopped on a plane with his family to make it in time for his graduation the next day.
9. He really wants to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
McCreery has had a lot of dreams come true, and has a lot of things he still wants to accomplish, but his biggest goal is to someday become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
“Being an Opry member, that’s definitely at the top of my list as far as goals,” McCreery told Music Mayhem. “So if you love country music and tradition, the Grand Ole Opry is right there in the middle of that. It would be a great honor. It’s on the dream board.”
10. His wife, Gabi, used to doodle “Mrs. Gabi McCreery” on her notebooks in elementary school.
The two met in elementary school, with Country Now stating that his now-wife was apparently smitten by him even as a child enough to write “Mrs. Gabi McCreery” on her notebooks. The two officially started dating in high school.
11. He’s a die-hard New England Patriots Fan.
McCreery can blame his father for his love of the Patriots.
“He’s from the very southern tip of Maine – Elliot in the Kittery area – and then Portsmouth, N.H.,” McCreery told Patriots.com. “He grew up a Boston sports fan, so that’s all he knew and he passed that down to me here in North Carolina. I’m like the lone wolf, but it’s fun to be a Patriots fan down here because most folks, they’re Pats haters for sure. That makes it more interesting.”
