This week, Scotty McCreery reflected on the event that kicked off his career 10 years ago: his American Idol audition. McCreery looked back on that memorable day from 2011 by posting a video of the audition, in its entirety, on social media.
The video shows a 16-year-old McCreery stepping in front of judges Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler to sing Josh Turner’s “Your Man,” and the judges were instantly impressed by the young singer’s deep voice. When Tyler asked him to sing something different, he performed a rendition of Travis Tritt’s “Put Some Drive In Your Country,” after which Tyler gave some uniquely positive feedback. The judges of course put him through to the next round, and McCreery eventually went on to win season 10.
“Absolutely cannot believe its been a DECADE since my Idol audition aired,” McCreery wrote alongside the audition video on Tuesday. “10 years ago tonight started me on the most insane journey I could ever dream of. Thanks for being there with me every step of the way! Here’s to another 10 years y’all.”
At the end of the audition, Randy Jackson can be heard telling Lopez that McCreery could have a “long carer,” and the singer seems to have proven him correct. Since winning the show in 2011, McCreery has gone on to release three studio albums. Of his many singles, three of them — “Five More Minutes,” “This Is It,” and “In Between” — have reached the No. 1 spot. He released his latest single, “You Time,” in September 2020.