Scotty McCreery

Scotty will be talking about his new book, Go Big or Go Home: The Journey Toward the Dream, which was released this week on May 3. The book tells stories from all areas of Scotty's life: • Discovering Elvis at age 5 when his grandmother gave him a book – How To Be Like Elvis – and how Elvis has remained his main musical influence • Scotty is 25% Puerto Rican – his paternal grandmother is 100% Puerto Rican and met his paternal grandfather when his grandfather was in the service. • He wouldn't go to the Nashville audition for "American Idol" because it interfered with his church camp that year. • Instead, he and his mom and dad went to the Wisconsin "American Idol" audition on a whim. They didn't tell anyone, even his sister (who was at church camp that week) that they were going. • He was prepared for his audition with Josh Turner's "Your Man," Frank Sinatra's "The Way You Look Tonight" and Jamey Johnson's "In Color." But after remaking it through a couple of auditions, he had to learn Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." • The importance of his faith to his life, and how it helps him make his decisions. How it helped him stand up for himself when he decided he wouldn’t sing a song on the show that the producers wanted him to sing. How it gave him strength and confidence. • His strategy for picking songs while on "Idol" so he could communicate something about himself to the audience • Being robbed at gunpoint in his friend's apartment • Touring with Brad Paisley and Rascal Flatts as well as on his own • Bonding with his band members • Meeting President Obama, Garth Brooks, Keith Urban, Josh Turner, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, Randy Jackson, Tim McGraw, Charlie Wilson, and so many others. • Staying true to himself, keeping himself grounded by remaining close with family and lifelong friends • Going back to finish high school and remaining a regular guy while being a celebrity • Attending college for 2.5 years and balancing that with his career • Finding his girlfriend of the last four years, Gabi – they've known each other since kindergarten but began dating during their senior year in high school • The importance of sports in his life – his love and passion for baseball (he was a baseball pitcher in high school) and golf • The importance of giving back – Scotty has worked with several organizations from the 12.14 Foundation to Operation Christmas Child and more