McCreery is the idol of their school

By Ed Nadolski

Editor in Chief

American Idol winner Scotty McCreery left teen girls shrieking and the bleachers rocking at Burlington High School Monday as he played a set of three songs from his recently released album.

McCreery was on hand to reward the local students for leading the way in a five-school competition to collect toys for the Marine Corps annual Toys for Tots as part of a promotion sponsored by Milwaukee radio station FM 106.1.

The high school gym was an appropriate place for baritone-voiced teen. He was fresh off a national television performance at the Country Music Association Awards and was headed back to his own high school in Garner, N.C., following the Burlington performance. McCreery said he does his best to return to his school each week following weekend performances to finish up his classes and follow Garner’s football team in the state playoffs.

The 18-year-old senior was accompanied by his father Monday. Prior to the concert he did a meet-n-greet with a dozen students who played key roles in the toy drive and did some voice promotions for BHS’s radio station. He was at the school for about 90 minutes.

Although the stage at BHS pales in comparison to the CMA Awards or the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles where American Idol is taped, McCreery said it was a gratifying performance because of the heartfelt response he received from what is essentially of group of teen peers. He also said it was one of the first times he realized how his new songs are becoming part of the national country music landscape.

“That’s a good feeling having them sing it back at you,” he said of the BHS students.

Check back for a slideshow of McCreery’s visit in the near future and see Thursday’s print edition of the Burlington Standard Press for a complete story.