The Spencer Welcomes Neal McCoy Tonight

CMA and Grammy winner Neal McCoy has a brand of pop country, catchy honky tonk and feel-good love ballads that brought him fame beginning in the mid-1990's and which continues to shine to this very day. His rich, bouncy baritone, million-dollar smile and charming Irish-Filipino looks, keeps him a favorite on the live concert stage. He's known to be forever fresh and freewheeling in performance, virtually thriving on audience interaction.

McCoy will be sharing his stack of 25 chart-topping singles and other favorites like "Wink," "No Doubt About It," If You Can Be Good, Be Good At It," "Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On," "The Shake" and "If I Were A Drinkin' Man" at the Spencer Theater: tonight, August 22 at 8 p.m. and Friday, August 23 at 8 p.m. Excellent seats are available for $69 & $66. Call the Spencer Box Office at (575) 336-4800 or go online to www.spencertheater.com for tickets and information. The concerts are sponsored by the R.D. & Joan Dale Hubbard Foundation.

Those who have followed McCoy's four-decade career know he's a true survivor in the hectic music business world, an excursion that received its initial thrust from Hall-of-Famer Charley Pride. He championed McCoy's start in the spotlights by inviting him to be his opening act, a jester that had a huge impact on McCoy's career. As the easy-going singer recently told Billboard Magazine, "I've been fortunate enough to have had some hits, and met some great people, but it was all due to Charley giving me the opportunity to get into country music back in 1981, He was a great cheerleader. He and his wife Rozene would cheer us on, saying 'You got what it takes. Don't give up.'"

Since those green years McCoy has entertained millions of country western music fans throughout the world and has earned distinguished accolades including Entertainer of the Year, Video of the Year, the Humanitarian Award, three Platinum albums and one gold album. To date, Neal has sold six million records and has hit the charts with 25 top singles. His most recent release, XII, which was co-produced by Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, is filled with effervescent melodies and bright-eyed looks at life, dreams and love. The Longview, Texas country icon describes the CD as having something for everyone with an ear for country: "We have a little bit of church, a little bit of bar-room, a couple ballads that'll encourage, and a real Texas thing about finding your groove in the midst of heartbreak with a cold beer and a good jukebox," McCoy explains.

McCoy's newest venture is one of gratitude celebrating the work of Pride. The CD is entitled Pride: A Tribute Album To Charley Pride and is due for release next month in September. According to Billboard, when the concept for the CD came about, "I went to Charley and asked him if he'd be ok with it. He said 'yes,' and that he'd be flattered." McCoy and Pride teamed up for the filming of a video for "Kaw Liga," the set's first single. Charley took the Hank Williams classic to the top five in 1969. The singer was glad to be working with his longtime friend again. "It's Neal, and I'm very pleased to be working with him. He's done a tribute album to me, and I'm proud to be a part of it - and hope to help make it a success," he told Billboard. He himself has recorded tribute compilations to Jim Reeves and Hank Williams in the past, but it's a totally different animal when you're the other end of the salute. "I just think it's really nice for someone to do a tribute to you," he said. "It's the first time that has ever happened, so I am very pleased about it."

McCoy fans can expect a number of those tribute tunes like "Kiss An Angel Good Morning" and You're My Jamaica" at his Spencer concert, " as well as favorite selections from McCoy's CD XII like "That's Just How She Gets" and "Borderline Crazy" and his greatest chart-toppers like "Wink," "No Doubt About It," "The Shake" and much, much more.

Join McCoy and his six-man band (mandolin, keyboards, drums, fiddle and guitars) for two nights of pure country.