Scotty McCreery was one of the youngest contestants to win American Idol. The country singer won American Idol Season 10 on May 25, 2011, at the age of 17. The North Carolina native instantly garnered attention from the beginning, nailing his audition of Josh Turner's "Your Man." He impressed judges Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler so much, that Tyler even asked the singer to show his high range. McCreery delivered, singing Travis Tritt's "Put Some Drive in Your Country."
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Shocked, Tyler told him, "Well hellfire, save matches, f--k a duck and see what hatches." It's safe to say that McCreery dominated the season, becoming a fan favorite. At the end of the season, the singer was left to compete against finalist Lauren Alaina, who he became close to during their run. Fans ultimately chose McCreery as the winner after a two-hour finale.
For the special night, which aired on May 25, 2011, he sang his debut single, "I Love You This Big," thanking God for his win. Due to his success and incredible talent, he later went on to release his debut album, Clear as Day, in 2011. He followed that up with a Chrismas album, Christmas with Scotty McCreery, in 2012. The singer released his third album, See You Tonight, in 2013, parting ways with Mercury Nashville in 2016.
He went on to release Seasons Change in 2018, partnering with Triple Tigers and scoring three No. 1 songs, "In Between," "This Is It" and "Five More Minutes." Season Change became McCreery's fourth top 10 album in the U.S. In September 2021 the singer went on to release his fifth studio album, Same Truck. McCreery paid tribute to George Strait on thealbum with his second single, "Damn Strait."
Read More: Scotty McCreery Honors George Strait In New 'Damn Strait' Music Video
Written by Jim Collins and Trent Tomlinson, the singer stated he was instantly attached to the song once he heard it. He stated, "I was writing songs left and right. We had the songs put on there, but for me, when I heard a song 'Damn Strait,' I immediately raised my hand and said, 'Me, me, me.' It's such a cool song. It's so cleverly written. And obviously, I'm a massive George Strait fan. It just sounded so much like me."
Alaina and McCreery are set to reunite on the "The Great Idol Reunion" for Idol's 20th anniversary on May 2nd on ABC. Other successful American Idol winners include Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Laine Hardy, and more.
