• Scotty Mccreery

    Scotty-McCreery’s deceased Grandfather had BIG impact

    Scotty-McCreery opened up about his relationship with his grandfather he credited giving him his deep booming voice we all know. He said he was lucky to have spent 20 years with his grandfather and had some amazing conversations with him leading up to his grandfather’s death.

    His grandfather needed long term care for a good while before he passed. He’d bought hybrid long term care insurance that had a new type of life-long term care insurance policy attached to it BEFORE Scotty-McCreery became famous and rich. Even-though Scotty was not wealthy enough to pay for his grandfather’s care, his grand father ended up using his hybrid long term care insurance policy since he had it, why not.

    Scotty went on to say that most people in the world don’t have his resources and he actually because a huge advocate for seniors buying a hybrid long term care insurance plan before it’s too late. His grandfather taught him his love for music and now he’s going to teach the world his new love for hybrid long term care insurance.

    Scotty grew up in North Carolina and like any kid was a huge Duke Blue Devil fan. One summer he attended a basketball camp at Duke and part of the camp was outreach where the group visited some Alzheimer’s patients at the university hospital and it really made a big impact on him.

    We love Scotty-McCreery and as it turns out there is more depth to him than meets the eye and his loves for the seniors and his grandfather warms the heart.

  • Artists

    Top 10 Country Music Legends of all Time

    One of America’s top music genres, country music is as golden as it’s meaningful. Few other genres – if any – have songs that can withstand the test of time as much as country music has done. The scene is brimming with talent, all the way from Patsy Cline to Vern Gosdin and Keith Whitley. This post investigates country music artists and delivers the top 10 legends of all time.

    1.   Hank Williams

    Hank Williams Country Music

    Despite early death (at the age of 29), Hank Williams was a true legend, and his legacy is truly cemented in the genre. Some of his songs, including the likes of ‘Cold Cold Heart’ and ‘Lovesick Blues’ continue to captivate readers in this day. What makes Hank Williams such a legend is the authenticity of his music. His songs were all about quality – and they went above and beyond. When he sang about love lost, you could feel that in every line. Thanks to his immense talent as a song writer and artist, Hank Williams goes down in history as the crème de la crème in country music.

    2.   Johnny Cash

    Johnny Cash Country Music

    From recording groundbreaking hits for Columbia in the ‘60s to shattering boundaries in the ‘90s, Johnny Cash was something of a game changer. Total disruption for the industry. It’s no wonder the man’s influence stretched far and wide – beyond the sphere of country music. Try watching his essential album (Complete Sun Recordings 1955-1958) and his ‘90s (American Recordings) series. His string of hits, commercial success, and industry track record speaks for itself.

    3.   Merle Haggard

    Merle Haggard

    One of the industry’s most gifted songwriters, Merle Haggard had one of those distinctive voices. His prolific songbook includes political screeds, drinking tunes, and jailhouse lamentations. Most of Merle Haggard’s best works were songs about common men and women. And while many of his compatriots sang about the prison experience, Merle Haggard lived it.

    4.   Waylon Jennings

    ATLANTA, GA – February 17: Country singer Waylon Jennings performs at Alex Cooley’s Capri Ballroom on February 17, 1979 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Tom Hill/WireImage)

    Waylon Jennings is credited for bringing a ‘rock n roll’ spirit to country music back in the ‘70s. He was a prominent figure in the outlaw movement that opposed the polished Nashville sound. And yes – he went ahead and made his music the way he saw fit. A consistent hitmaker for nearly a decade, Waylon Jennings simply wanted to be himself. Certainly, he made some of the best music ever in country music.

    5.   Dolly Parton

    Dolly Parton Country Music

    With her angelic voice and pin-up curves, Dolly Parton has been a landmark in country music for decades. Her talent, fueled by a winning personality, has endured the test of time. Classics such as ‘9 to 5’, ‘Jolene’, and ‘I Will Always Love You’ have played an important role to cement her legendary status. Dolly Parton ranks among the best songwriters in any format, and remains an entertainment icon to this date.

    6.   Loretta Lynn

    Loretta Lyn Country Music

    Born and bred in Kentucky’s coal country, Loretta Lynn released meaningful hits like ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’. Singing about female empowerment back in the ‘60s, Loretta Lynn was not the conventional country singer. She performed hits such as ‘The Pill’ and ‘Don’t Come Home A’Drinkin’ that were addressed to a generation that was doing the same thing. She was the first female winner of CMA’s Entrepreneur of the Year award, and her influence resonates to this day.

    7.   George Jones

    George Jones Country Music

    Since his 1959 hit song ‘White Lightning’, George Jones thrilled fans with his operative voice. He went under in the ‘70s and then rose like a Phoenix in 1980 with the ‘I Am What I Am’ album. His unique phrasing as well as heartfelt delivery of music kept him on the commercial success scorecard for over 5 decades.

    8.   George Strait

    George Strait Country Music Legend

    George Strait did not introduce a new tone to country music, or accomplish something flashy for that matter…but he was very good at what he did – which was sing good old-fashioned country songs. For that reason, he became quite a trend setter. His singles have outsold every other country singer in the country.

    9.   Willie Nelson

    Willie Nelson

    Willie Nelson was a country singer with a universal appeal. Nelson was the ultimate curveball in that you didn’t know what to expect from him, and the jazz-influenced fretwork separated him from the crowd. Some of his best songs, including ‘Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain’ and ‘On the Road Again’ proved a commercial appeal for his singular style. Aged over 85 years old, the Texas-born icon is still on the road and entertaining his fans.

    10.                     Buck Owens

    Buck Owens Country Music

    Another true legend of the genre, Buck Owens is known for amping up the honky-tonk sound, and giving Nashville a run for its money. Some of his most electrifying hits include songs like ‘Tiger by the Tail’ and ‘Act Naturally’. For close to 2 decades, he was host of Hee Haw.

  • Country Music

    What Makes Country Music Great

    There’s no contesting the fact that country music is sweet and popular – especially on North American radio dials. With an average market share of over 15% for several years in a row, country music dwarfs talk/news shows, top 40 billboards, and adult contemporary shows by far. And according to a 2016 report by Nielsen, country music buffs aren’t just listening, they are spending the big buck.

    In this post, we look at what makes country music one of the most popular music genres in this country.

    1.   Simple Songs with Clean Lyrics

    Unlike rap music, country music has easy, clean lyrics. You can sing along to the music in front of your parents without having to worry about what they’ll think. Country music lyrics tend to be real and meaningful. When you mix that with the fact that the music is really relatable, you understand why country music has stood the test of time as one of the most popular music genres ever.

    If you’re into playing country music songs, you only need to know 4 guitar chords. Some of the more difficult songs involve just 5 chords throughout the whole song.

    2.   Positive Values

    Whether it’s a heartbreak song or a beach classic, country music tends to promote positive values. This is unlike many other music styles that encourage the youth to become rebellious trouble makers and law breakers. Worse still, there are music genres that tend to encourage violence. Country music is all about meaningful life situations, the outdoors, and the people around you.

    3.   Great for Dancing

    You haven’t listened to a country music song until you have danced to it. Dancing to a country music song has a social aspect in that you have to get out and get involved with a group of people. There’s something old-fashioned about dancing with a partner or in a group. It’s also fairly easy to dance to a country music song as compared to Salsa, Tango, and other complicated moves. If you don’t know how to dance to a country music song, feel free to take free YouTube lessons.

    4.   Classics are Timeless

    The moment a country music classic such as ‘Wagon Wheel’ or ‘Chicken Fried’ plays on the radio, everyone lights up. Country music hits never get old. Think about how many times you’ve listened to a Dolly Parton or a Jim Reeves classic? Country music is that golden. It’s not like pop songs that get overplayed and make your ears bleed.

    5.   Cowboy Fashion

    There’s something very cool about boots! They will go without just about any outfit, and look really cute. Well, who wouldn’t fancy a pair of stylish Ariats? Overall, country music fashion is inspired by the Wild West. You can complete the look by wearing belt buckles, hats, boots, and checkered shirts – as well as any other gear that’s designed for roaming the plains on horseback.

    6.   Emotional and Understandable Songs

    Nearly all country music songs have something to do with happiness or sadness. What more, the lyrics are simple and powerful. There’s a lot of storytelling going on in country music song and this just helps spruce things up. Think about telling a meaningful story, backed up by instrumentation. Since lyrics are so literal, they are easy to understand. There are no complicated metaphors that you need to figure out before you can enjoy the song. It’s no wonder it’s easy to sing along country music songs.

    Wherever you look, whomever you ask, country music is indeed awesome. Nearly a quarter of the American population listens to country music. So why not join this fast-growing crowd?

  • Scotty Mccreery

    Scotty’s Early History

    NEW YORK–Born on October 9, 1993 to loving parents (a Puerto Rican father and an American mother) and his older sister, he grew up and spent most of his life in Northern Carolina studying in Timber Drive Elementary School. Even in his formative years, Scotty had a talent for singing and developed this skill of his into passion, as seen when he memorably sang at his graduation in West Lake Middle School. When he moved on to high school, he went nowhere else but forward with his singing and joined the vocal ensemble group Die Meistersingers, a well-known singing troupe that performs around the United States, as a country tenor.  His singing would land him early fame as he performed around the state in numerous local events and later on, he would go on to winning some of these events, including a singing contest called “Clayton Idol” in the town of Clayton, North Carolina and another contest called “Rip the Hallways” where he would beat 36 other teenage finalists for the victory. While admittedly small when compared to his future victories, Scotty’s local victories in these small contests would pave the way to his destiny: stardom and national fame.

    Later on in the year 2011 and on its tenth season run, the highly acclaimed and massively popular reality TV show and ratings behemoth American Idol hosted its annual pre-season auditions for aspiring singers around the country. Scotty took the chance and successfully auditioned in the show’s Milwaukee tour, landing him a spot in the next round: the Hollywood eliminations round.  From there on out, he would go on to become the show’s tenth champion after singing and enduring his way through almost eighteen weeks of grueling singing contests that tested the mettle and talent of all of the contestants involved and systematically eliminated contestants and other Idol hopefuls who weren’t favored by the voting population of the show.  From almost two hundred hopefuls from the Hollywood round, only twenty or so remained of and this twenty, the top two finalists who were to face off were chosen. The finalists were Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreedy. For both of them, there was nothing left to lose and everything for them to give in the name of victory and glory.

    On the contest’s finale in March of 2011, Scotty went up against Lauren Alaina and sung his own renditions of the songs Gone by Montgomery Gentry, which he called his “favorite song” and personally chose for the finale, and the single Check Yes or No by George Strait, which was chosen this time by one of the show’s judges, to hopefully convince the nation that he was the one who deserved to be called the tenth “American Idol.” In the end, his efforts paid off and he was crowned the show’s tenth winner. As an end to his run with the popular contest TV show, Scotty followed the show’s long time tradition of singing American Idol’s annual song writing contest winner by singing the tenth winning song, this time entitled I Love you Big, which was written by a group of writers and fans of the show.

    Even if his time with the TV rating giant ended on March 2011, this did not put a stop to Scotty’s career as a singer and artist. He had nowhere else to go but up, and up was where he went. In the months following the end of American Idol, Scotty would go on to landing a spot in the Billboard Hot Country Songs. His rendition of his coronation song I Love you Big would place him at number 32 and would go on to become the highest debut single the Billboard chart has ever recorded as it sold more than 170,000 units in its first week alone in stores nationwide and by August of the same year, his winning song would become certified gold.

    His other singles, while not as popular as I Love you Big, would still leave a massive impact on the charts as his second single Trouble with the Girls would become certified gold mere months after its initial release on radio and digital downloads via iTunes.  His second single would get him more attention than expected, as he sung the song in the 85th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, an annual and well-loved festival in the city of New York, before headlining the event’s tree lighting ceremony at Lenox Square Mall in the evening.

    –Post written by Barry Walker. After leaving LJWest and devoting his career to writing, his travels have taken him across the United States and Europe, where he primarily covers young music talent. His phone number is (617) 019-9381.

  • Scotty Mccreery

    Beyond the Music

    Beyond his albums, Scotty would sing and guest in numerous concerts and other public events, singing songs that made him a champion in his time with American Idol or any of the songs he sang for his albums. After his victory in Idol, Scotty went around the country in the show’s traditional post-season tours for the fans. Alongside second runner up Lauren Alaina and his fellow contestants, Scotty sang many of the songs that got people to vote for him. One of his memorable performances, though, was performing some of his songs from his second album during the “Christmas in Washington” gala, an annual Holiday celebration done in benefit of the Children’s National Medical Center, which was attended by none other than the President of the United States, Barrack Obama.

    In the time following his victory in the TV show contest, he would be nominated in a number of music business related awards and subsequently win three titles, including the American Country Awards’ Artist of the Year in 2011 and the Academy of Country Music Awards’ Best New Artist in 2012.

    Two studio released albums, three awards and millions of Dollars’ worth of singles sold, Scotty McCreery proves to be a big name even some time after his peak.  Even if his popularity isn’t as big as it was back in 2011, especially in the days of American Idol tenth season, Scotty McCreery remains living proof to everyone and anyone out there with big dreams in their heads that just about anything is possible. From being the son of a simple family living in Northern Carolina who sang in local contests just because he loved to sing to becoming the tenth person to be crowned “American Idol” and be given the chance of a lifetime, Scotty was given a shot at a good life by using his talents and passions and he got it. With passion and year of experience backing him up, he worked day and night for the final victory that was his destiny and got it, making it through both the good times and the hard times. He lived for the dream and sung for the moment to become a name to be remembered by millions of people not just in his home state or country but around the world.

  • Scotty Mccreery

    Scotty McCreery: Living the Dream

    For anybody out there, dreams can come from anywhere. Dreams can be inspired by either the greatest world changing events recorded in history or they can be inspired by the simple things that happen at home. Just about anything can awake a person’s dream to be someone better; something or even someone can change the way a dreamer dreams and this will change the course of their lives forever. Some people realize their calling and dream late in their lives but choose not to let age and time hinder them while others are given the opportunity to shine and learn their true calling somewhere in the middle of their lives and from that point on, choose not to let go of that innocent hope they would go on to nurture for the rest of their lives.

    Scotty McCreery, on the other hand, was different. He was one of the lucky few who knew from the day he was born what he wanted to be. Unlike the others who needed a catalyst to kindle their passion and generally needed an outside source to inspire them to dream, Scotty was born with a dream. From the very start of his life, he knew he was destined to be a singer the world would listen to.

  • Scotty Mccreery

    Finding Success

    By October of 2011, Scotty’s first album, Clear as Day, was released and sold close to 200,000 copies on its debut week. The massive sales and positive reception the album garnered would help Scotty make a name for himself in music history as both the first country act and the youngest artist to land at the number one spot in the Billboard 200. Since his record breaking entry into the music business and charts, Clear as Day would go on to hit Platinum status after selling more than a million units in the United States alone.

    His second studio album, Christmas with Scotty McCreery, was released on October of 2012, just before the holiday shopping season and landed at the number four spot in the Billboard 200. While not as strong as his previous effort in terms of sales and figures, Scotty’s Christmas album still proved to be popular, garnering him some public appearances where he would sing one of the nine classic Christmas tunes or one of the two new Christmas songs featured in the album.

    Beyond his albums, Scotty would sing and guest in numerous concerts and other public events, singing songs that made him a champion in his time with American Idol or any of the songs he sang for his albums. After his victory in Idol, Scotty went around the country in the show’s traditional post-season tours for the fans. Alongside second runner up Lauren Alaina and his fellow contestants, Scotty sang many of the songs that got people to vote for him. One of his memorable performances, though, was performing some of his songs from his second album during the “Christmas in Washington” gala, an annual Holiday celebration done in benefit of the Children’s National Medical Center, which was attended by none other than the President of the United States, Barrack Obama.

    In the time following his victory in the TV show contest, he would be nominated in a number of music business related awards and subsequently win three titles, including the American Country Awards’ Artist of the Year in 2011 and the Academy of Country Music Awards’ Best New Artist in 2012.

    Two studio released albums, three awards and millions of Dollars’ worth of singles sold, Scotty McCreery proves to be a big name even some time after his peak.  Even if his popularity isn’t as big as it was back in 2011, especially in the days of American Idol tenth season, Scotty McCreery remains living proof to everyone and anyone out there with big dreams in their heads that just about anything is possible. From being the son of a simple family living in Northern Carolina who sang in local contests just because he loved to sing to becoming the tenth person to be crowned “American Idol” and be given the chance of a lifetime, Scotty was given a shot at a good life by using his talents and passions and he got it. With passion and year of experience backing him up, he worked day and night for the final victory that was his destiny and got it, making it through both the good times and the hard times. He lived for the dream and sung for the moment to become a name to be remembered by millions of people not just in his home state or country but around the world.

  • Scotty Mccreery

    The Younger Years

    Born on October 9, 1993 to loving parents (a Puerto Rican father and an American mother) and his older sister, he grew up and spent most of his life in North Carolina studying in Timber Drive Elementary School. Even in his formative years, Scotty had a talent for singing and developed this skill of his into passion, as seen when he memorably sang at his gradation in West Lake Middle School as well as various Children’s Hospitals and nursing homes for people with Alzheimer’s who need long term care. When he moved on to high school, he went nowhere else but forward with his singing and joined the vocal ensemble group Die Meistersingers, a well-known singing troupe that performs around the United States, as a country tenor. His singing would land him early fame as he performed around the state in numerous local events and later on, he would go on to winning some of these events, including a singing contest called “Clayton Idol” in the town of Clayton, North Carolina and another contest called “Rip the Hallways” where he would beat 36 other teenage finalists for the victory. While admittedly small when compared to his future victories, Scotty’s local victories in these small contests would pave the way to his destiny: stardom and national fame.

    Later on in the year 2011 and on its tenth season run, the highly acclaimed and massively popular reality TV show and ratings behemoth American Idol hosted its annual pre-season auditions for aspiring singers around the country. Scotty took the chance and successfully auditioned in the show’s Milwaukee tour, landing him a spot in the next round: the Hollywood eliminations round. From there on out, he would go on to become the show’s tenth champion after singing and enduring his way through almost eighteen weeks of grueling singing contests that tested the mettle and talent of all of the contestants involved and systematically eliminated contestants and other Idol hopefuls who weren’t favored by the voting population of the show. From almost two hundred hopefuls from the Hollywood round, only twenty or so remained of and this twenty, the top two finalists who were to face off were chosen. The finalists were Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreedy. For both of them, there was nothing left to lose and everything for them to give in the name of victory and glory.

    On the contest’s finale in March of 2011, Scotty went up against Lauren Alaina and sung his own renditions of the songs Gone by Montgomery Gentry, which he called his “favorite song” and personally chose for the finale, and the single Check Yes or No by George Strait, which was chosen this time by one of the show’s judges, to hopefully convince the nation that he was the one who deserved to be called the tenth “American Idol.” In the end, his efforts paid off and he was crowned the show’s tenth winner. As an end to his run with the popular contest TV show, Scotty followed the show’s long time tradition of singing American Idol’s annual song writing contest winner by singing the tenth winning song, this time entitled I Love you Big, which was written by a group of writers and fans of the show.

    Even if his time with the TV rating giant ended on March 2011, this did not put a stop to Scotty’s career as a singer and artist. He had nowhere else to go but up, and up was where he went. In the months following the end of American Idol, Scotty would go on to landing a spot in the Billboard Hot Country Songs. His rendition of his coronation song I Love you Big would place him at number 32 and would go on to become the highest debut single the Billboard chart has ever recorded as it sold more than 170,000 units in its first week alone in stores nationwide and by August of the same year, his winning song would become certified gold.

    His other singles, while not as popular as I Love you Big, would still leave a massive impact on the charts as his second single Trouble with the Girls would become certified gold mere months after its initial release on radio and digital downloads via iTunes. His second single would get him more attention than expected, as he sang the song in the 85th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, an annual and well-loved festival in the city of New York, before headlining the event’s tree lighting ceremony at Lenox Square Mall in the evening.