Scotty McCreery

With a surprisingly deep and formidable baritone, as well as his strong sense of self, Scotty McCreery captured millions of votes and won the 10th season of the reality singing competition "American Idol" (Fox, 2002-16). He was born Scott Cooke McCreery on Oct. 9, 1993 in Garner, NC. Of Puerto Rican descent, the future singer learned to play guitar and piano at a young age, and impersonated Elvis Presley in front of his schoolmates.

McCreery continued to sing in local productions and church choirs all the way through high school at Garner Magnet High School, and was a member of a vocal ensemble that performed across the United States. He first sang tenor, but when his voice dropped dramatically at 13, McCreery switched to singing at a lower register. It was his deep baritone twang that helped him win the regional singing contest "Clayton Idol" in Clayton, NC, as well as impress the judges when he auditioned for the 10th season of "American Idol" in Wisconsin, singing Josh Turner's "Your Man" (2005) and Travis Tritt's "Put Some Drive In Your Country" (1990).

McCreery earned a spot in the semi-final rounds held in Hollywood, where he stood out with his deep and undeniably country voice and a small-town charm.

McCreery quickly won over audiences with his unusually mature and pitch-perfect renditions of country hits like Tritt's "Can I Trust You With My Heart" (1992) or George Strait's "I Cross My Heart" (1992), and showcased his potential to be a teen heartthrob after his duet, "Up on the Roof" (1962), with fellow contestant and country singer, Lauren Alaina.

Throughout the competition, the pair displayed an undeniable chemistry on and off the stage, prompting rumors that they were dating. However, the two never did admit to having a relationship, even after the finale when Alaina rushed to McCreery's side and showered him with kisses after he was declared winner of the competition.

After the show wrapped, McCreery joined his fellow "Idol" contestants for the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011, and busied himself with appearances on talk shows and televised specials, including the "2011 CMT Music Awards" (CMT, 2011). In October 2011, McCreery released his debut album Clear as Day, which landed on the top spot on the Billboard 200. The album featured a mix of slow and up-tempo tracks about young love ("The Trouble with Girls" "Write My Number on Your Hand"), blue-collar work ethics ("Water Tower Town") and family ("Dirty Dishes").

By Candy Cuenco