Neal McCoy
Encyclopedia
Hubert Neal McGaughey, Jr. (born July 30, 1958 in Jacksonville, Texas
) is an American country music
singer of mixed Irish
and Filipino
descent. Known professionally as Neal McCoy, he has released ten studio albums on various labels, and has released 34 singles to country radio. Although he first charted on Billboard
Hot Country Songs
in 1988, he did not reach Top 40 for the first time until 1992's "Where Forever Begins", which peaked at #40. McCoy broke through a year later with the back-to-back Number One hits "No Doubt About It
" and "Wink
" from his platinum-certified album No Doubt About It
. Although he hasn't topped the country charts since, his commercial success continued into the late 1990s with two more platinum albums and a gold album, as well as six more Top Ten hits. A seventh Top Ten hit, the #10 "Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On
", came in 2005 from his self-released That's Life
, also his most recent studio album.
, to a Filipina American mother and Irish-American father. Inspired by the variety of music that his parents listened to, which included country
, rock
, disco and R&B, McGaughey first sang in his church choir before founding an R&B band. He later switched his focus to country music, performing in various bars and clubs in Texas. McGaughey, after attending junior college
near his hometown, found work selling shoes at a shopping mall. In the early 1980s, he met his wife, Melinda, at the store.
After winning a 1981 talent contest hosted by Janie Fricke
, he secured a spot as an opening act for Charley Pride
. It was also at this point that he assumed the stage name Neal McGoy, a phonetic spelling of his last name.
label in 1988. He released the singles "That's How Much I Love You" and "That's American", and although the former reached #85 on the country charts, he did not release an album for the label. He continued to tour with Pride until 1990.
in 1990, changing his surname to McCoy per the label's request, as fans had already begun to refer to him as McCoy. His debut album, At This Moment
, was released that year, with its title track being a cover of the Billy Vera
song. The lead-off single "If I Built You a Fire" was a Top 20 country hit in Canada, although none of the three singles (which also included the title track and "This Time I Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me") made Top 40 in the United States. McCoy continued touring and developed a "reputation for exciting, freewheeling live shows."
A second album for Atlantic, Where Forever Begins
, followed in 1992. This album produced his first American Top 40 country hit in its #40-peaking title track, followed by "There Ain't Nothin' I Don't Like About You" at #57 and finally "Now I Pray for Rain" at #26. The album was also his first entry on Top Country Albums, at #58.
Working with Barry Beckett
for the first time, McCoy released No Doubt About It
in 1994. The album proved to be a breakout for him, producing two straight Number One country hits in its title track and "Wink
", both of which also made minor entries on the Billboard Hot 100
. The latter also held the Number One position for four weeks, longer than any other Number One country hit that year. The album also earned a platinum certification from the RIAA and gold certification from the CRIA
. Although "Wink" was also his final Number One, "The City Put the Country Back in Me
" reached #5.
, this album continued his success, also earning a platinum certification and producing four singles: "For a Change
", "They're Playin' Our Song" and the title track
(respectively the first, second and fourth singles) all peaked at #3, while "If I Was a Drinkin' Man" reached #16.
McCoy's self-titled
fifth studio album began a decline in his chart momentum. Although it was certified gold, Neal McCoy accounted for only one Top Ten hit in the #4 "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye
" (a cover of The Casinos
' 1967 doo-wop
hit), with its successors — "Going, Going, Gone" and "That Woman of Mine" — both stopping at #35. Also in 1996, he sang guest vocals on the multi-artist charity single "Hope." After "That Woman of Mine", he reached #5 with "The Shake
", the only new song on his first Greatest Hits
package, which reprised nine of his greatest hits to that point and also earned platinum certification.
Be Good at It
, his sixth studio release, followed in 1998. This was his first album since Where Forever Begins not to include a Top Ten hit. The title track, "If You Can't Be Good, Be Good at It", was the highest-peaking single release from it at #22, followed by "Party On", which became his first single since 1992 to miss Top 40 entirely. After it came the #29 "Love Happens Like That." McCoy made a second appearance on a multi-artist charity single that same year, as one of several collaborators on "One Heart at a Time."
In 1999, McCoy released his final album for Atlantic, The Life of the Party
. It only accounted for two singles: the Phil Vassar
co-write "I Was" at #37 and "The Girls of Summer" at #42. He, Tracy Byrd and T. Graham Brown
, also sang guest vocals on "Now That's Awesome," a musical track set to a Bill Engvall
comedy sketch. This single peaked at #59.
, was issued via Warner Bros. Records
. It included the singles Forever Works for Me, Every Man for Himself (penned by Mark Elliott
) and Beatin' It In, at #38, #37 and #41 respectively. Two years later came the unreleased The Luckiest Man in the World
, which accounted for its #46-peaking title track before McCoy exited his label.
known as 903 Music along with his manager, Karen Kane. His first single for his own label was "Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On
", which reached the Top 10 on the Hot Country Songs
chart in 2005. The song served as the lead-off to his 2005 album That's Life
. McCoy's next single release, "The Last of a Dying Breed", stopped at #36, and "Tail on the Tailgate" failed to chart at all.
Darryl Worley
and the Drew Davis Band
were eventually signed to 903 as well. Worley released his 2006 album Here and Now
on 903 (which included the #18 "I Just Came Back from a War"), while the Drew Davis Band did not release anything. In May 2007, McCoy announced that the label had filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors.
In 2008, Rhino Records issued a compilation album entitled The Very Best of Neal McCoy. This album reprised most of his biggest chart hits to that point, and it included the new recording "Rednecktified", which was released as a single but did not chart. Later that same year, he issued another single, "For the Troops", which also failed to chart.
In 2010 McCoy signed to the Oklahoma City based Tate Music Group and is currently in the studio working on new material.
In April 2011 McCoy signed with the Cleveland based record label Blaster Music. His release is slated for January 2012.
Neal will enter the studio during the third week of August, 2011. This album will be produced by Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and Brent Rowan.
Jacksonville, Texas
Jacksonville is located in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,868 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Cherokee County and part of the larger Tyler-Jacksonville Combined Statistical...
) is an American country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer of mixed Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
and Filipino
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
descent. Known professionally as Neal McCoy, he has released ten studio albums on various labels, and has released 34 singles to country radio. Although he first charted on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
in 1988, he did not reach Top 40 for the first time until 1992's "Where Forever Begins", which peaked at #40. McCoy broke through a year later with the back-to-back Number One hits "No Doubt About It
No Doubt About It (Neal McCoy song)
"No Doubt About It" is the title of a song written by John Scott Sherrill and Steve Seskin. It was released in 1994 by American country music artist Neal McCoy from his third studio album, also titled No Doubt About It...
" and "Wink
Wink (song)
"Wink" is the title of a song written by Bob DiPiero and Tom Shapiro, and recorded by American country music singer Neal McCoy. It was released in 1994 as the second single from his 1994 album No Doubt About It. Also the second consecutive Number One from that album, "Wink" spent four weeks at the...
" from his platinum-certified album No Doubt About It
No Doubt About It (album)
No Doubt About It is the third studio album by American country music artist Neal McCoy. Released in 1994, it is considered his breakthrough album, and has been certified platinum in the United States...
. Although he hasn't topped the country charts since, his commercial success continued into the late 1990s with two more platinum albums and a gold album, as well as six more Top Ten hits. A seventh Top Ten hit, the #10 "Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On
Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On
"Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On" is the title of a song recorded by country music artist Neal McCoy. It was released in March 2005 as the lead-off single to his 2005 album That's Life. It is McCoy's first release from his now defunct personal label 903 Music...
", came in 2005 from his self-released That's Life
That's Life (Neal McCoy album)
That's Life is a studio album, released in 2005, by American country music artist Neal McCoy. It was released on his own 903 Music label. Three singles were released from this album: "Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On", the first of these three, reached #10 on the Hot Country Songs charts in 2005,...
, also his most recent studio album.
Early life
He was born on July 30, 1958, in Jacksonville, TexasJacksonville, Texas
Jacksonville is located in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,868 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Cherokee County and part of the larger Tyler-Jacksonville Combined Statistical...
, to a Filipina American mother and Irish-American father. Inspired by the variety of music that his parents listened to, which included country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, disco and R&B, McGaughey first sang in his church choir before founding an R&B band. He later switched his focus to country music, performing in various bars and clubs in Texas. McGaughey, after attending junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
near his hometown, found work selling shoes at a shopping mall. In the early 1980s, he met his wife, Melinda, at the store.
After winning a 1981 talent contest hosted by Janie Fricke
Janie Fricke
Janie Fricke is an American country music singer, best remembered for a series of country music hits in the early to mid 1980s....
, he secured a spot as an opening act for Charley Pride
Charley Pride
Charley Frank Pride is an American country music singer. His smooth baritone voice was featured on thirty-nine number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His greatest success came in the early- to mid-1970s, when he became the best-selling performer for RCA Records since Elvis...
. It was also at this point that he assumed the stage name Neal McGoy, a phonetic spelling of his last name.
Musical career
Still crediting himself as Neal McGoy, he signed to the independent 16th Avenue Records16th Avenue Records
16th Avenue Records was an American independent record label specializing in country music, based in Nashville, Tennessee. The label was founded in July 1986 by Jerry Bradley, who was then the head of Opryland Music Group and vice president of Opryland USA, as well as the former head of RCA...
label in 1988. He released the singles "That's How Much I Love You" and "That's American", and although the former reached #85 on the country charts, he did not release an album for the label. He continued to tour with Pride until 1990.
1990-2000: Atlantic Records
He then signed to Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in 1990, changing his surname to McCoy per the label's request, as fans had already begun to refer to him as McCoy. His debut album, At This Moment
At This Moment (album)
At This Moment is the debut album of American country music artist Neal McCoy, released in 1990 on Atlantic Records Nashville. "If I Built You a Fire", the title track and "This Time I Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me" were all released as singles from this album...
, was released that year, with its title track being a cover of the Billy Vera
Billy Vera
Billy Vera is an American singer, actor, writer and music historian.-Life and career:Vera was born in Riverside, California. He began his singing career in 1962 as a member of the Resolutions. He went on to write several songs throughout the early 1960s, writing for the likes of Barbara Lewis,...
song. The lead-off single "If I Built You a Fire" was a Top 20 country hit in Canada, although none of the three singles (which also included the title track and "This Time I Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me") made Top 40 in the United States. McCoy continued touring and developed a "reputation for exciting, freewheeling live shows."
A second album for Atlantic, Where Forever Begins
Where Forever Begins (Neal McCoy album)
Where Forever Begins is the second album released by American country music artist Neal McCoy. It was released in 1992 on the Atlantic label. The album's title track was McCoy's first Top 40 hit on the Billboard country music charts...
, followed in 1992. This album produced his first American Top 40 country hit in its #40-peaking title track, followed by "There Ain't Nothin' I Don't Like About You" at #57 and finally "Now I Pray for Rain" at #26. The album was also his first entry on Top Country Albums, at #58.
Working with Barry Beckett
Barry Beckett
Barry Edward Beckett was a keyboardist who worked as a session musician with several notable artists on their studio albums...
for the first time, McCoy released No Doubt About It
No Doubt About It (album)
No Doubt About It is the third studio album by American country music artist Neal McCoy. Released in 1994, it is considered his breakthrough album, and has been certified platinum in the United States...
in 1994. The album proved to be a breakout for him, producing two straight Number One country hits in its title track and "Wink
Wink (song)
"Wink" is the title of a song written by Bob DiPiero and Tom Shapiro, and recorded by American country music singer Neal McCoy. It was released in 1994 as the second single from his 1994 album No Doubt About It. Also the second consecutive Number One from that album, "Wink" spent four weeks at the...
", both of which also made minor entries on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The latter also held the Number One position for four weeks, longer than any other Number One country hit that year. The album also earned a platinum certification from the RIAA and gold certification from the CRIA
Cria
A cria is the name for a baby camelid such as a llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco. It comes from the Spanish word cría, meaning "baby". Its false cognate in English, crya , was coined by British sailors who explored Chile in the 18th century and were quick to describe the camelids onomatopoeically...
. Although "Wink" was also his final Number One, "The City Put the Country Back in Me
The City Put the Country Back in Me
"The City Put the Country Back in Me" is the title of a song recorded by American country music artist Neal McCoy. It was released in August 1994 as the third single from his album No Doubt About It. The song reached number 5 on the U.S...
" reached #5.
Mid-Late 1990s
1995 saw the release of his fourth studio album for Atlantic. Titled You Gotta Love ThatYou Gotta Love That
You Gotta Love That is the fourth studio album released by American country music artist Neal McCoy, released in 1995 on Atlantic Records. It includes the singles "For a Change", "They're Playin' Our Song", "If I Was a Drinkin' Man", and the title track...
, this album continued his success, also earning a platinum certification and producing four singles: "For a Change
For a Change
"For a Change" is the title of a song written by John Scott Sherrill and Steve Seskin, and recorded by American country music artist Neal McCoy. It was released in December 1994 as the first single from his album You Gotta Love That. The song reached number 3 on the U.S...
", "They're Playin' Our Song" and the title track
You Gotta Love That (song)
"You Gotta Love That" is the title of a song written by Jess Brown and Brett Jones and recorded by American country music artist Neal McCoy. Released in January 1996, it was the fourth single from his album You Gotta Love That...
(respectively the first, second and fourth singles) all peaked at #3, while "If I Was a Drinkin' Man" reached #16.
McCoy's self-titled
Neal McCoy (album)
Neal McCoy is the self-titled album released by American country music artist Neal McCoy in 1996. His fifth studio album overall, it features the singles "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" , "Going, Going, Gone" , and "That Woman of Mine"...
fifth studio album began a decline in his chart momentum. Although it was certified gold, Neal McCoy accounted for only one Top Ten hit in the #4 "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye
Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye
"Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" is the title of a doo-wop song written by John D. Loudermilk. It was first released in 1962 by Don Cherry, and again in 1967 by the group The Casinos on its album of the same name, becoming a #6 pop hit that year...
" (a cover of The Casinos
The Casinos
The Casinos was a nine-member doo-wop group from Cincinnati, Ohio, led by Gene Hughes. They are best-known for their John D. Loudermilk-penned song "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye," which hit number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1967, well after the end of the doo-wop era.The group was based...
' 1967 doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
hit), with its successors — "Going, Going, Gone" and "That Woman of Mine" — both stopping at #35. Also in 1996, he sang guest vocals on the multi-artist charity single "Hope." After "That Woman of Mine", he reached #5 with "The Shake
The Shake (Neal McCoy song)
"The Shake" is the title of a song by American country music artist Neal McCoy. It was released May 1997 as was the only single from McCoy's Greatest Hits. The song reached #5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in October 1997...
", the only new song on his first Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Neal McCoy album)
Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits compilation released by American country music artist Neal McCoy, released in 1997 on Atlantic Records. The album comprises ten songs, nine of which were previously included on his second through fifth studio albums...
package, which reprised nine of his greatest hits to that point and also earned platinum certification.
Be Good at It
Be Good at It
Be Good at It is the sixth studio album released by American country music artist Neal McCoy. Released in late 1997 on Atlantic Records, it features the singles "If You Can't Be Good, Be Good at It", "Party On", and "Love Happens Like That" and "The Shake", which was reprised from McCoy's 1997...
, his sixth studio release, followed in 1998. This was his first album since Where Forever Begins not to include a Top Ten hit. The title track, "If You Can't Be Good, Be Good at It", was the highest-peaking single release from it at #22, followed by "Party On", which became his first single since 1992 to miss Top 40 entirely. After it came the #29 "Love Happens Like That." McCoy made a second appearance on a multi-artist charity single that same year, as one of several collaborators on "One Heart at a Time."
In 1999, McCoy released his final album for Atlantic, The Life of the Party
The Life of the Party (album)
The Life of the Party is the seventh studio album by American country music artist Neal McCoy. Released in 1999, it contains the singles "I Was" and "The Girls of Summer", which peaked at #37 and #42, respectively, on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts that year...
. It only accounted for two singles: the Phil Vassar
Phil Vassar
Phil Vassar is an American country music artist. Vassar made his debut on the country music scene in the late 1990s, co-writing singles for several country artists, including Tim McGraw , Jo Dee Messina , Collin Raye , and Alan Jackson Phil Vassar (born May 28, 1964 in Lynchburg, Virginia) is an...
co-write "I Was" at #37 and "The Girls of Summer" at #42. He, Tracy Byrd and T. Graham Brown
T. Graham Brown
Anthony "T." Graham Brown is an American country music artist. Active since 1986, Brown has recorded a total of thirteen studio albums, and has charted more than twenty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
, also sang guest vocals on "Now That's Awesome," a musical track set to a Bill Engvall
Bill Engvall
William Ray "Bill" Engvall, Jr. is an American comedian and actor best known for his work as a stand-up comic and as a member of the Blue Collar Comedy group.-Early life:Bill Engvall was born in Galveston, Texas...
comedy sketch. This single peaked at #59.
2000-2002: Warner Bros. Records
Due to the closure of Atlantic Records' Nashville division in mid-2000, McCoy's next album, 24-7-36524-7-365 (Neal McCoy album)
-Chart performance:...
, was issued via Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. It included the singles Forever Works for Me, Every Man for Himself (penned by Mark Elliott
Mark Elliott (musician)
Mark Elliott is a bluegrass and folk guitarist whose career started in Washington, D.C. and later took him to Nashville. As a songwriter Elliott has penned hits which reached the Billboard Top Forty charts, notably "Every Man for Himself" for Neal McCoy....
) and Beatin' It In, at #38, #37 and #41 respectively. Two years later came the unreleased The Luckiest Man in the World
The Luckiest Man in the World
The Luckiest Man in the World is the ninth studio album released by American country music artist Neal McCoy. It was scheduled to be released in January 2003 on Warner Bros. Records, but went unreleased. The album's only single, which was the title track, peaked at #46 on the Billboard country...
, which accounted for its #46-peaking title track before McCoy exited his label.
2005-present
In 2005, Neal McCoy founded a vanity labelVanity label
A vanity label is an informal name given sometimes to a record label founded as a wholly or partially owned subsidiary of another, larger and better established record label, where the subsidiary label is controlled by a successful recording artist, designed to allow this artist...
known as 903 Music along with his manager, Karen Kane. His first single for his own label was "Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On
Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On
"Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On" is the title of a song recorded by country music artist Neal McCoy. It was released in March 2005 as the lead-off single to his 2005 album That's Life. It is McCoy's first release from his now defunct personal label 903 Music...
", which reached the Top 10 on the Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart in 2005. The song served as the lead-off to his 2005 album That's Life
That's Life (Neal McCoy album)
That's Life is a studio album, released in 2005, by American country music artist Neal McCoy. It was released on his own 903 Music label. Three singles were released from this album: "Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On", the first of these three, reached #10 on the Hot Country Songs charts in 2005,...
. McCoy's next single release, "The Last of a Dying Breed", stopped at #36, and "Tail on the Tailgate" failed to chart at all.
Darryl Worley
Darryl Worley
Darryl Wade Worley is an American country music artist. Signed to DreamWorks Records Nashville in 2000, Worley released four albums for the label: Hard Rain Don't Last , I Miss My Friend , Have You Forgotten? , and Darryl Worley in 2004...
and the Drew Davis Band
Drew Davis Band
The Drew Davis Band is an American country music group established in 2001 by Drew Davis , Mike Drake , Loren Ellis , Jay Hawks , Mo Levone , and Roger Malinkowski .In 2004, the band competed in and won the Colgate Country Showdown; shortly...
were eventually signed to 903 as well. Worley released his 2006 album Here and Now
Here and Now (Darryl Worley album)
Here and Now is the fifth album of country music singer Darryl Worley. It was released on November 21, 2006 on 903 Music, which was owned by country singer Neal McCoy. This album produced two chart singles for Worley on the Hot Country Songs charts: "Nothin' but a Love Thang" at #36, and "I Just...
on 903 (which included the #18 "I Just Came Back from a War"), while the Drew Davis Band did not release anything. In May 2007, McCoy announced that the label had filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors.
In 2008, Rhino Records issued a compilation album entitled The Very Best of Neal McCoy. This album reprised most of his biggest chart hits to that point, and it included the new recording "Rednecktified", which was released as a single but did not chart. Later that same year, he issued another single, "For the Troops", which also failed to chart.
In 2010 McCoy signed to the Oklahoma City based Tate Music Group and is currently in the studio working on new material.
In April 2011 McCoy signed with the Cleveland based record label Blaster Music. His release is slated for January 2012.
Neal will enter the studio during the third week of August, 2011. This album will be produced by Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and Brent Rowan.