‘American Idol’ notes: Scotty McCreery interview (Buckhead Theatre), Brian Dunkleman, Kelly Clarkson
Originally posted Wednesday, January 9, 2019 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Since winning "American Idol" in 2011, country singer Scotty McCreery has toured quite a bit around metro Atlanta over the years but seldom appeared inside the Perimeter - until now. He will be at the Buckhead Theatre on Thursday, January 17. (Buy tickets here.)
“We normally go outside of town,” he said in an interview Wednesday. “It will be a good time. Crowds have been coming out in droves and singing every song with us. They’ve been there from the first beat of the music to the last. Excited to bring the show down to Atlanta.”
And the good news is McCreery’s career has continued its steady upswing, especially since he landed his first No. 1 single on the country chart last year “Five More Minutes.” He just landed his sixth top 20 hit with “This is It,” which is an ode to his childhood sweetheart and wife Gabi.
“I sang the song to her on wedding night,” McCreery said. “The first time she heard it was after she said yes when I proposed to her.”
He wrote it specifically for Gabi, who he has known since he was a little kid and had been dating since they were seniors in high school. He didn't think "This is It" would even make the album but his label (Triple Tiger Records, part of Sony) loved it.
“I knew the first time we went there, I’d pop the question there” he said. He did say it probably wasn’t a total surprise to Gabi since she knows him so well. “I think she could pick up on my antsiness,” he said.
To make any real money as a musician nowadays, you have to hit the concert trail hard. McCreery said he did up to 170 dates last year, his second busiest year ever - and that included taking a month off to get married and take a nice honeymoon in Bora Bora in the French Polynesia in June. “It was so laid back,” he said. “Good lovin’ people.”
Last year, in one of his more unusual concert stops, he did a show before the Georgia Swarm lacrosse game. “It was a lot of fun,” he said. “I had a blast. They hit each other hard!”
By the end of 2018, he said he was getting tired and his vocals were worn. But the holidays recharged him. “I feel good and will be back 100% soon,” he said.
He will be playing all 11 songs from his latest album “Seasons Change” on top of some of his past hits. “This is It” and “Five More Minutes” are now so popular, “people are singing them back at us instead of us having to introduce them. It’s a different dynamic. It’s kind of cool that way. The best moment is when they cheer and the phones come up. It means something to them.”
He and his wife recently adopted a seven-week-old yellow lab puppy they named Moose. (No special meaning. Just a name Gabi wanted.) He hopes to eventually pick up an English bulldog of his own down the road. (As a bulldog owner, I say Scotty has a good taste!)
IN CONCERT
Scotty McCreery
8 p.m. Thursday, January 17, 2019
$30
Buckhead Theatre
3110 Roswell Rd NE · (404) 843-2825
***
"American Idol's" cutest couple - Maddie Poppe and Caleb Lee Hutchinson - are still together:
***
TMZ decided to job shame Brian Dunkleman not long after Geoffrey Owens of "Cosby Show" fame was "caught" working at Trader Joe's.
The Dunk, who didn't quite make it big after one season co-hosting "American Idol" nearly 17 years ago, is now driving with Uber to make ends meet.
He said he had gone through an ugly divorce and child custody battle and wanted to spend more time with his five-year-old son.
"I chose to stop doing stand-up comedy and started driving an Uber so I could be there for my son as much as he needed after our life as we knew it was destroyed,” he said to TMZ.
***
Different celebrities are spliced together for a warped version of “Since U Been Gone” on “The Tonight Show.” It features Kelly Clarkson herself, a supremely out-of-tune Shaq (watch for the crazy tongue action), an even more out-of-tune John Oliver, Jimmy Fallon, Meghan Trainor, the Roots, Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) and Mumford & Sons.
***
NBC is doing an Elvis Presley celebration which will include Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert. Blake Shelton will host. It wll air Sunday, February 17 from 9 to 11 p.m.
This is the song list:
- "Trouble"/"Guitar Man" – Blake Shelton
- "Hound Dog" – Shawn Mendes
- "Burning Love" – Keith Urban
- "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" – Keith Urban & Post Malone
- "Jailhouse Rock" – John Fogerty
- "Can't Help Falling in Love" – Ed Sheeran
- "Always on My Mind" – Kelsea Ballerini
- "Heartbreak Hotel" – Jennifer Lopez
- "One Night" – Darius Rucker
- "Suspicious Minds" – Blake Shelton
- "Love Me Tender" – Alessia Cara
- "Memories" – Mac Davis
- "A Little Less Conversation" – John Legend
- "Are You Lonesome Tonight" – Little Big Town
- "Blue Suede Shoes" – Adam Lambert
- "Love Me" – Pistol Annies
- Hits Medley ("That's All Right," "Don't Be Cruel," "Blue Suede Shoes") – Mac Davis, Post Malone, Little Big Town, Darius Rucker & Blake Shelton
- Gospel Medley ("How Great Thou Art," "He Touched Me," "You'll Never Walk Alone" – Carrie Underwood & Yolanda Adams
- "Little Sister" – Dierks Bentley
- "It's Now or Never" – Josh Groban
- "If I Can Dream" – Elvis Presley, Carrie Underwood, Shawn Mendes, Post Malone, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton
***
Season runner up Crystal Bowersox is writing a musical called “Trauma Queen.”
***
Joey Cook from season 14 joins Postmodern Jukebox for a lovely 1960s girls group "Please, Mr. Postman" styling of "Feel It Still." (Adanna Duru from season 14 is also there.)
***
Katharine McPhee recently enjoyed a vacation in Hawaii.
***
Clay Aiken Tweet/Instagram post of the Week.
Thin pickings. It appears his grandma died recently:
