‘Idol’ winner McCreery growing up

In May 2011, Scotty McCreery was a sweet, modest 17-year-old kid from North Carolina with a surprisingly deep voice who took home the season 10 “American Idol” crown.

NBC’s “The Voice” had debuted a month earlier and with its blind auditions and turning chairs pecked away at its erstwhile rival, eventually beating “Idol” at its own game and leading Fox to shut it down in 2016 for its 15th and final season.

"It feels great to have been part of something so special and had such a great impact on pop culture," said McCreery, now 21 and performing at the new Gainesville satellite of the Atlanta Botanical Garden on Friday night. "I don't like to use the word 'canceled.' It had 15 years. It's just time to move on. I'm glad to have been a small part of what went on."

He’s already carved out time to ensure he’ll be in Los Angeles next spring for whatever reunion show they do featuring past winners.

While his career has not turned him into a star like Carrie Underwood, McCreery has been steadily building up his industry cred and his discography. He has two successful albums and four top 20 country hits to call his own. He spent time earlier this year working on his third album and is splitting dates this summer opening for Rascal Flatts and performing his own 90-minute solo shows.

Since “Idol,” he also graduated from high school and attended two years at North Carolina State University studying media communications. He has had to place his education on ice for now to focus on his music.

“It’s been a good year,” McCreery said. “We were in Charlotte yesterday with Flatts, and I had a lot of buddies from college come to the show.”

The opening set he does with Rascal Flatts is different from his solo show. To him, it’s more of a sales job. “I have 45 minutes to make them a fan,” he said. “We’re trying to pack a punch in a short time. I don’t play a lot of slow stuff unless it’s a single. We try to get them on their feet.”

With his solo show, his fans already know his songs, so he can slow things down and sing heartfelt ballads such as “Carolina Moon,” he said. And now that he has enough original songs to cull from, he can scale back the covers. He said he will only do one, plus a medley of older country songs by the likes of Merle Haggard, George Jones and Alabama.

McCreery, since turning 21 last October, said he hasn’t gone hog wild. No tattoos, either. “At least when I do a casino date, I don’t have to go through the back door anymore,” he said. “I can actually walk through the casino.”

He still has a baby face and will likely have his ID checked at the liquor store for many years to come. “I know right now, I want to look older, but when I’m 30 or 40, I’ll look younger,” he said, “so I can’t complain.”

McCreery has done well enough financially to build a home by the beach north of Wilmington, N.C. During his time off, he enjoys time with his girlfriend (whom he won’t reveal because she isn’t a public figure), hanging out by the ocean and playing golf.

A career he’d like to emulate is that of Brad Paisley. “He has it perfect,” McCreery said. “He records, he tours, he does his thing. Then he comes home to his beautiful wife and kids. That’s a high goal. That’s the epitome for me.”