Mac McAnally Gets Bumps from Kenny, Toby

Mac McAnally photo courtesy of macmcanally.com.

March 17, 2009 — For a guy who’s been involved in the recording business for more than 30 years, Mac McAnally seems to only now be gaining long overdue public recognition. On the heels of his duet with Kenny Chesney on "Down The Road," Mac’s actually hit the road with Kenny on the Keg In The Closet club tour, and he’s signed a new deal with Toby Keith’s Show Dog Nashville.

Mac has, of course, been turning heads in the business for years. He’s authored such hits as Alabama’s "Old Flame" and Ricky Van Shelton’s "Crime Of Passion," played on hits by Trisha Yearwood and Steve Wariner, toured as a member of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, and produced singles for Sawyer Brown and Ricky Skaggs.

"There's nobody more respected, at least when it comes to musicians and people who really know this business, than Mac McAnally," Toby says, of the Show Dog deal. "There aren't a lot of guys you put in that category, and I've gotten to work with a few. So getting to be a part of whatever Mac wants to do is an honor for me, and for everyone at the label."

Meanwhile, Mac’s earned a little recognition with some sports stars, too. He was on hand when Kenny played Sloppy Joe’s Saturday night in Key West, where the audience was stocked with two Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks — Peyton Manning and Jim Sorgi — New Orleans Saints coach Sean Peyton, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach John Gruden and NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Mac joined Kenny on "Down The Road," but the set list featured plenty of covers, too. Among them: Joe Walsh’s "Rocky Mountain Way" and Pure Prairie League’s "Amie." Mac and Kenny are up for Vocal Event of the Year at the "44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards". Reba McEntire will host the show from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas April 5.