Scotty McCreery

Country music superstar Scotty McCreery is no stranger to Hamlet, as he performed at the Cole Auditorium in 2019 for the Fidelity Bank Classic Rock ‘n Country Series. He returns Nov. 6 to be the second act in the 2016-2027 Performing Arts Series.

The country singer will be celebrating 15 years as a household name, marking a decade and a half of record-breaking achievements, multi-million album sales, and consecutive radio hits. To commemorate this milestone, McCreery recently released his highly anticipated retrospective album, 15, offering fans a grateful look at his journey from a teenage phenomenon to an established genre staple. 

The new retrospective project, 15, captures the essence of this remarkable run, anchoring the tracklist with his seven career No. 1 hits. Among the celebrated milestones on the album are the RIAA Triple-Platinum-certified "Five More Minutes," the RIAA Platinum-certified anthems "This is It" and "Damn Strait," the RIAA Gold-certified favorites "You Time" and "In Between," and his chart-topping single "Cab in a Solo.”

McCreery first made music history in 2011, becoming both the first country artist and the youngest male artist of any genre to debut a first studio album at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. That landmark, Platinum-certified record, Clear as Day, launched a career that has since seen the now 32-year-old singer/songwriter sell more than 4 million albums worldwide.

Today, he is still mixing the vocal strength of Blue Ridge granite with a sandy Outer Banks charm. But the path of his journey speaks volumes. Seven chart-topping singles and four million albums sold; over 3.5 billion career global streams, and Grand Ole Opry membership; ACM, CMT, ACA, and BMI Awards; induction into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame; and a rich family life, still rooted in his hometown.

About Scotty McCreery

McCreery’s story starts in Garner, N.C., as a natural entertainer who showed signs of a resonate vocal, far more dynamic than his years should allow. Country music was the soundtrack to his life, and names like Ronnie Milsap and Bill Anderson were frequently featured in the family’s favorite stories. To McCreery, the genre was nearly perfected by tradition-minded trailblazers like Josh Turner, Randy Travis, and Garth Brooks – three legends who would team up to invite and induct McCreery into the Opry in 2024.

“I wanted to treat country music with the respect it deserved and put in all the hard work – but also at the same time, to never forget my friends and family,” McCreery said.

Ultimately, that push and pull helped create an artist with a deep appreciation for the life he sang about, born for the modern country format.

“I love where I came from,” McCreery said. “From a really young age, I knew I wanted to have a balance. I was getting to literally live out my dreams, but I didn’t want to forget who I am, or the people who helped me get there.”

He never left North Carolina (despite many opportunities), and whether in the writing room, the studio, or on stage, McCreery insisted on keeping his core country tenets – deeply rooted personal values and lived emotion, wrapped in a rich, modern-traditional sound.

“Time does go fast, and that’s why taking the time to stop, smell the roses, and appreciate where you’re at is important,” he said. “I’ve got no complaints as I look back. Even when times were tough, I learned something, so I’m really in a state of gratitude for where I’ve been. These are the songs that shaped the last 15 years for me, and it’s been fun – but I want to keep things going.”