Neal McCoy owes it all to Charley Pride

How did Neal McCoy get his start in the business? Bob has the answer

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The podcast Bob Pickett Radio. A lot of thought when
to that title. Believe me, I'm Bob Pickett. I hope
you're enjoying the podcast and listen. Spread the word, tell
your friends, your neighbors, your in laws about Bob Pickett
Radio podcast. What is it? It's well, it's about forty
eight years in this great business radio, and it's changed
a lot in forty eight years. But I've had an

(00:22):
opportunity to spend a lot of time with a lot
of great people, a lot of entertainers, and I've got
to know. One of the entertainers we're going to talk
about today is is Neil McCoy. I am looking forward
to catching up with Neil McCoy in person later this week.
Did you know that Neil McCoy, Well, the Neil McCoy
Charlie Pride connection, I'm not going to tell you about it.
I'm just gonna let Neil tell you about it right now.

(00:43):
From my earlier interviews. We've known each other for a
long long time. But there's a lot of people that
don't know how you got discovered, And to me, that
was always a great story. How well the early days
and stuff. Yes, sir, Janey Frickey discovered you in a
talent show. Were you the winner? I ended up winning?

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, she was a judge of the finals. Yeah. And
through that contest she had she was being handled booking
managed by Charlie Pridce Booking AC out of Dallas, right,
And she said, I you know I'm handled by Charlie's company.
I know he's already helped it, already helped God millsap Earld,
Thomas Conney, David Sugar, a lot of folks get their
names out there and get discovered. And she said, this

(01:24):
is eighty one. And she said, I don't know if
he's still doing that or not, but I'd love for
you to meet him, and just y'all determined on whether
he could help or not. So about two weeks after
I met her, my wife and I drove back to
Dallas and we went to Charlie's office. Of course, the
whole hallways lined up with Platinum and everything Gold Records,
and we went in and visited them. Him and his wife

(01:44):
rose in and they took they took kind of Melinda
and I under their wings and just kind of groomed
us along and let me op shows with him all
over the world for about four or five years, and
then about four years later after he told me, he said, Neil,
you know to make it, we've tried to get her
in front of people that we know that something's just
not hamming. You're gonna have to get out on your own.
So that's when I got on my own. And then
finally nineteen ninety uh one of his one of his

(02:07):
management teams flew out called me and said, I we're
flying out to Arizona where you're playing a little club
era and I'm bringing uh Nelson Larkin, who was co
heads of the Atlantic Records that had just just come
to Nashville. Atlantic Nashville so that they flew out and
liked me and end up signing a record deal. So
I thought, well, okay, I think were rich. And then

(02:28):
through another seven singles and god, all these seven videos,
I was way poorer than I came in, but we
held on in In ninety three on our third album,
Barry Begger dude, no doubt about.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
It, and Matt prefor' Got You. Charlie Pried was such
a great guys. Mister Pride told me one time that
you stole his stage act, that you stole everything that
you know.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
I must have because he didn't have any left.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
He had such high praise for you. Anyway, Oh, let's
just get it. You you become pretty close to Blake Shelton,
and how did that relationship develop?

Speaker 2 (03:02):
You know, it's Blake tells the story. I was with
Atlantic Records, been there for about it's probably ninety I
think ninety five.

Speaker 1 (03:10):
He'd just come to town.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
He was delivering magazines for I don't know if his
cash box or whoever it was. And he said he
walked in Atlantic Records, and I was when I was
in town. I'd go up there and I said, off
of just goof around.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
So it just so happened.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
I had kicked the receptionist out of her chair, and
I was answering the phones, so and I just put
people on hold. I wouldn't even I wouldn't even put
the call through. I would say, yes, hold on please,
and I would just put them on hold, and had
you know, Semary people on hold. And Blake walks in
with these magazines and he looked over it and he thought,
that's Neil McCoy and he said, I know he's just

(03:44):
coming off a couple of number one songs and he's
having to answer the phone. He said, I better rethink
this thing, and then we just did it off ever since,
and I wish I'd have been in his shoes when
when I had the opportunity, I think I wouldn't. I've
probably been as successful as Blake, but just had those
opportunities because he is very quick, very witty and really smarting,

(04:06):
great sanger.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
You got it going home, So he stowed your stage. Ax.
What you're telling me right, that's exactly right, no doubt
about it. Well, that's a great deal McCoy song too.
So Neil McCoy one of the greatest entertainers I ever
seen in my career, and looking forward to catching up
with him in person in just a couple of days. Again,
Spread the word about the Bob Pickett Radio podcast and

(04:27):
remember follow me on Instagram, Bob Picket Radio on Instagram,
check out the YouTube channel Bob Picket Radio on YouTube,
and well, of course catch you later today this afternoon
on great iheartcountry stations all across the nation. It's Bob
Pickett Radio New podcast tomorrow