Neal McCoy hopes that people who come out to see him in concert Friday will become lifelong fans. “We hope when people read this, we hope they take a chance and come see us,” McCoy said in a telephone interview at noon Monday. “We think they’ll be roped in for the rest of their lives.” The Country Music Concert with McCoy headlining is Friday at the Central Park Glover Pavilion. Opening act Tyler Farr starts at 6:30 p.m., with McCoy performing at 8 p.m. Sponsors include Biomet, The Dr. Dane & Mary Louise Miller Foundation and Willie 103.5 FM. McCoy’s latest album, “XII”, was released March 6. “It’s really good,” McCoy said. “It’s one of those deals where we haven’t seen a song on the charts yet. We’re trying.” The single “A-OK” reached the Top 40 on the country charts, he said, but not much higher. It was released in October. Being an older artist, McCoy is competing with a bunch of young artists who get played on the radio. “XII” was co-produced by Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert. The couple also brought some songs to the album. Shelton and Lambert sing harmony on “A-OK” and Lambert sings with McCoy on another song. “They’re really good kids,” McCoy said of the duo. “And they’re really good, and in the know of what’s happening with country music.” McCoy said they hope to put out another song off this album and see it move up the charts. “We don’t want to throw the album away,” he said. McCoy said the next single hasn’t been determined, but it could be either “Judge a Man by His Woman” or “Real Good Feel Good”. “Judge a Man” is a ballad the band plays every night. “It’s really, really good,” said McCoy. Many artists in the music business rely heavily on touring to make a living. McCoy and his band are no different. “We’re some of those guys that tour all the time,” he said. “If we have an album out, we support that album, but we play out anyway.” McCoy has sold more than 6 million records. To date, he’s had 11 career albums, been named entertainer of the year twice, had three Platinum albums and one Gold album. Five of McCoy’s singles hit No. 1, including “No Doubt About It”, “You Gotta Love That”, “They’re Playing Our Song”, “For A Change” and “Wink”. His five Top 10 hits included “Billy’s Got His Beer Goggles On”, “The Shake”, “The City Put The Country Back In Me”, “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” and “If I Was a Drinking Man”. Friday’s concert isn’t the first time McCoy has played in Warsaw. He’s performed at the Wagon Wheel Theatre on several occasions. “We’ve got a great fan base there, a lot of people out there who support us,” he said. His shows are about energy, having fun and are old school. There’s no smoke and fireworks, he said, just pure entertainment, good music and having fun. A song of McCoy’s that characterizes his shows is the 1990s hit “The Shake”, he said. “‘The Shake’ was a good record for us. It’s indicative of our show. We were fortunate in the ’90s to have some hits. We’ll do those. There’s no set list, I just try to read the audience,” he said. The band may play anything from Big Band to contemporary artists like Cee-Lo Green or Jason Aldean. He wants to make sure they entertain everyone in the crowd, from the kids to the older adults. McCoy said, “We’ll keep touring hopefully the rest of our lives.” For the past 32 years, McCoy has been married to the same woman, Melinda. They have a daughter, 26, and a son, 18. Their mother has always stayed at home with them, and lived normal lives. “The family is out on the road with me now. It’s always been a family thing,” McCoy said. During his career, McCoy also has received numerous awards. He was inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame Aug. 15, 2009, in Carthage, Texas. McCoy also has been involved in several charitable organizations. He founded the East Texas Angel Network with Melinda in 1995. It since has raised more than $5 million for families in need. He’s done 15 USO tours. In May 2005, McCoy won the Academy of Country Music’s Home Depot Humanitarian Award for his extensive work with the USO and East Texas Angel Network. He was honored in 2006 at the 37th Annual Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, with the Country Radio Broadcasters’ Artist Humanitarian of the Year Award. McCoy said he’s not in the music business for the awards, but they’re nice to receive. And he does the charity work not to be honored later, but because it’s the right thing to do. McCoy recently teamed up with ChildFund International to sponsor a child from the Philippines. “I’m excited to be working with them,” he said. The organization helps children from birth to young adults, with everything from clean water to food and education. It encourages the youth to stay in their own community to then help others. At his concerts, people can find out more about ChildFund International. Sponsorship is only $28 a month, and people can be sponsors for just one month if they want, he said. “It’s a pretty good thing,” McCoy said. For more information about Neal McCoy, visit his website at www.nealmccoy.com
