Country music fans are about to be let in on the genre's best-kept secret. Scotty Emerick has been Toby Keith's songwriting partner on his previous chart-topping albums and will share the stage with country's favorite patriot when Keith's tour stops at FedExForum on Saturday, Feb. 18.
Although Emerick's name is most commonly associated with Keith's, his work ethic and grueling touring schedule has made his name more common within America's singing elite. Some of Emerick's strongest supporters, other than Keith, include Lee Ann Womack and Kenny Chesney.
The famous friends have provided Emerick with a step in the right direction towards success. However, his giant leap as a songwriter came courtesy of a devout passion for country music - a passion that has been thriving since Emerick's youth. And it's grown particularly the past few years.
"It's really just a dream come true, it still hasn't sunken in at all," Emerick said in a phone interview.
After first picking up the guitar at age six, Emerick, originally from Florida, knew he would end up in Nashville. In 1993, Emerick arrived in the Music City and after just six months, he was already writing hits like "I Don't Believe in Goodbye," for the group Sawyer Brown.
More than a decade has gone by since Emerick's dream began to take shape and his lyrics started climbing the charts. Considering his achievements as a songwriter, Emerick said it is difficult to branch out beyond the boundary lines the music industry has drawn.
"I moved here (to Nashville) to sing and play guitar," Emerick said. "After becoming known as a songwriter it's hard to get out of the mold."
Granted, this form-fitting mold has allowed Emerick to work alongside some of his heroes such as Willie Nelson and George Strait. These musical partnerships can only be described as a dream come true, according to Emerick.
"The excitement will never fade, but after working with them you find out that people are just people," Emerick said. "It's a good reality check."
This realization has helped Emerick produce some of modern-day country's biggest radio hits, such as "I Love this Bar" and "Beer for My Horses."
These songs have become staples on Keith's tours and often cause mass sing-a-longs at nearly every stop across the country. Thanks to the strong friendship between Emerick and Keith, Emerick became the first person signed to Keith's Show Dog Records label.
"He's always believed in me as a singer and a songwriter," Emerick said.
The audience is likely to start believing in Emerick's talent as well when he joins Keith for several songs during his performance at FedExForum. Sharing Emerick with a large crowd is important to Keith, according to a recent interview with CMT.
"I'm like a music reviewer, in a way," Keith said. "I'm saying, 'Let me introduce you to this.'"
Scotty Emerick will be introducing himself to a new audience next Saturday at FedExForum. Tickets are currently available at all Ticketmaster locations.
