Scotty McCreery to Headline Effingham County Fair

The Effingham County Fair board announced that headlining the fair on August 5, 2022, is Scotty McCreery, a country  music artist who has earned one Double Platinum, four Platinum and two Gold singles, and countless other awards, including winning the 10th Season of American Idol! Local musician, Austin Edwards, will be opening the show. Tickets for the show are on sale now at www.effinghamcountyfair.com.

Scotty McCreery released his fifth studio album "Same Truck" on September 17,  2021. The first single, “You Time,” hit No. 1 on both the Billboard and Mediabase country radio charts later that month, and the second single “Damn Strait” is out now. McCreery co-wrote 10 of the 12 songs on the album. 

The North Carolina native achieved new heights in the last few years by earning three back-to-back No. 1 hits from his most recent album Seasons Change, the RIAA Gold-certified project which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Album chart: the RIAA Double Platinum-certified “Five More Minutes,” the  RIAA Platinum-certified “This Is It,” which stayed at the top of the charts for two weeks, and RIAA Gold certified “In Between.” McCreery co-wrote all 11 songs on Seasons Change, which Rolling Stone named as one of the “40 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2018.”  

McCreery’s current combined album sales surpass 3 million copies. He’s earned one Double Platinum, four Platinum and two Gold singles; won the 10th season of “American Idol” in 2011; was named the ACM New Artist of the Year in 2011; won the CMT Music Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year (“The Trouble with Girls”) in 2012; American Country Awards for New Artist of the Year in 2011 and Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2013; BMI Awards for writing One of the Top 50 Country Songs of the Year three times (in 2015 for “See You Tonight,” in 2018 for “Five More Minutes,” and in 2019 for “This is It”); a Carolina Beach Music Award for National Dance/Shag Song of the Year (“Barefootin’”) in 2018 and the NSAI Nashville Songwriter Award for One of the Top Ten Songs I Wish I’d Written (“Five More  Minutes”) in 2018. McCreery released his first book, Go Big or Go Home: The Journey Toward the Dream, in 2016; it was re-released in paperback in 2020.  

McCreery launched his recording career by making history in 2011 as both the first country artist and the youngest male artist of any genre to debut his first studio album, the Platinum-certified Clear as Day, at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 Albums chart.  

Austin Edwards grew up in Effingham. Music was a standard in his home. His  father, a skilled 12 string guitarist, Austin’s mother, a pianist. Family and friends gathering in their house to play, and sing are some of Austin’s best memories. After losing his mother to Pancreatic cancer at the age of 6, Austin and his dad concentrated on music, his father pushing him to always make music his own. At 9 he played his first show, performing “skip to the loo” at a recital in front of a large crowd, it  was after receiving a standing ovation for that performance, his dreams of becoming a performer were something he would always keep in front of him. Austin’s roots are those of family, service, community, and love of God and Country. A veteran of the USAF, he is a third-generation law enforcement officer. Making a career out of serving his community and country, but always keeping his music career close.  

“When down or I needed music, instead of listening to radio I would pick up the guitar - it just became therapy. As time went on therapy turned into enjoyment and I realized if I gave other people my music, they too could experience what I did through music - it became less selfish and more of a gift to share with other people” – Austin Edwards. 

Austin recalls his childhood existing of music icons such as James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel, Peter Paul & Mary, Waylon Jennings, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, Gorge Jones, and Roy Orbison. All of which  influenced his music career as he would grow into a well-known local talent.  

In 2020 Edwards and then band mate, Joey Kar was invited to perform on America's Got Talent where their duo Broken Roots received the 1st runner up position on season 16. The highlight of his career to date was in 2017 when Austin and co-writer and brother Sgt. Ron Fabiani received an invitation to  perform live at the National Law Enforcement Foundation in Washington, DC. after composing a song honoring their fallen brothers and sisters in law enforcement. They would both be inducted into the American Police Hall of fame for the composition of “Final Call “.  

Austin Edwards has been fortunate enough to share the stage with some of the music industry’s greatest talents, including Blake Shelton, David Allan Coe, Cheap Trick, and Jake Owen. His favorite performances though, were always those he got to do with his dad. 

“Never let music out of your heart because I will always live through it” -Steve Weinstock 

Austin often reflects on his father’s final words and ultimate belief in his ability as motivation to keep chasing his dream. He is currently touring nationally with his band and working on his freshman project as a solo artist, targeted to release in 2022. You can find Austin’s work on all streaming platforms. Find out more about the Effingham County Fair by following them on Facebook or by visiting www.effinghamcountyfair.com.