Former 'American Idol' winner Scotty McCreery put in the hard work to make it as a country singer

Jul. 27—Winning "American Idol" at age 17 was a good thing for country singer Scotty McCreery, but it didn't mean he had it made.

"I think it also made you have to prove a little bit more to the doubters — like you weren't just a karaoke singer, you've got something to say," said McCreery, who has a show at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 4 at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg. "It was seven years after the show before I had my first number one single on country radio.

"It's instant fame, it's instant recognition; but as far as becoming a country music star, that took years of hard work."

Still, McCreery, now 29, had plenty of success between "Idol" and his first chart-topper.

His debut studio album, "Clear as Day," released in October 2011 — just four months after his "Idol" win — was certified platinum in the United States and included two top 20 country songs. His first four albums all broke the top 10 on country charts.

"There are pros and cons to everything in life. For ("American Idol"), the pros far, far outweighed the cons," he said. "A lot of times for country artists, yes, people hear your songs on the radio and they love them, but putting a face to the name can be tough. 'Idol' does that right out of the gate — that doesn't make you a successful artist, but it can make you a TV star.

"There were times right after the show that I couldn't walk through airports. They'd have to take me underground, because it was so crazy," he said. "But I didn't go on that show to become a TV star. I really wanted to become a country music star, and that takes years and years of effort, making relationships, learning how to write songs and learning how to perform on stage."

McCreery's latest effort is "Same Truck," from September 2021, an album he said reflects the pandemic times in which it was made.

"It's a completely different album than I've ever made before," he said. "We wrote a lot of songs over Zoom instead of being in the same room with people. Typically in the studio, it's a huge group of people at the same time, but this time it was just me and my producer."

Time to reflect

Since "American Idol," McCreery said, "My life has just been go, go, go. I feel like I never really had the time to spend at home for months on end and just reflect. Having that time to be home and sit and think, I think it was good for me in a musical sense.

"Instead of finding time in the schedule to record, it was like, let's take the time and make it right."

The result is different thematically from his previous records, McCreery said.

"A lot of my previous albums were about young love, looking ahead in life, can't wait for this, can't wait for that," he said. "This album, if you listen to it, is more talking about where I've been, where I've come from and where we are currently. It has a lot more of a reflective nature than things I've done previously."

One of his favorite songs from "Same Truck" isn't an original. It's a cover of "Damn Strait," by country singer/songwriter Granger Smith.

The title is a play on the affirmative phrase, "damn straight," and a reference to country legend George Strait. The lyrics are about a man who can't listen to Strait's music any more without yearning for his ex.

"It's a tribute to George, but it's also a classic country heartbreak song," McCreery said. "I love the twist on words between the two meanings of 'damn straight.'

"Typically, I write all my own songs, but this was an outside cut that I just fell in love with," he said. "George Strait is one of my biggest influences. He was the very first concert I saw as a kid in Greensboro, N.C."

A native of Garner, N.C., McCreery now lives in nearby Raleigh.

"They'll never get me out of here. My wife and I are both from Garner, and my family's still here," he said.

Another reason for staying close to his roots is that McCreery will become a first-time father in November.

"Personally, that's exciting, and I'm sure musically a lot of new material will come from that," he said.

McCreery's grandmother gave him a book about Elvis Presley when he was about 5, and he started learning to play the guitar a few years later.

He cites Elvis as a major musical influence, along with old-school country singers like Merle Haggard, George Jones and Conway Twitty. Among his contemporaries, he's currently listening to Lainey Wilson and Cody Johnson.

In high school, McCreery performed in vocal ensembles and musicals. After appearing in local singing contests and variety shows, he took the leap and auditioned for Season 10 of "American Idol."

One of his song choices for the finale was George Strait's "Check Yes or No."

Tickets for McCreery's show at The Palace are $48-$128. To reserve, call 724-836-8000 or visit thepalacetheatre.org.

Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley at 724-836-5750, smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .