Photos by Rebecca Clark

On September 1st, Scotty McCreery took the stage at Suburban Park at the New York State Fair, celebrating 15 years of music since first capturing the country music world as the winner of American Idol. It’s hard to believe it has been that long, but McCreery has continued to build a career around his unmistakable baritone voice and traditional country sound.

The set featured plenty of fan favorites, including “Cab in a Solo” and the emotional “Five More Minutes.” McCreery also paid tribute to country music’s roots with an old-school country mashup, showing off just how naturally his rich country voice fits the classics.

“Five More Minutes” proved to be an especially emotional moment. We spotted a fan in the crowd with tears in her eyes as McCreery sang the song, a reminder of how deeply certain songs can connect with people and the memories they carry with them.

Fifteen years after American Idol, McCreery continues to bring that unmistakable country voice to the stage, giving fans plenty of reasons to keep singing along.