NC’s Scotty McCreery says he’s heartbroken after both grandmothers die on same day
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Country singer Scotty McCreery mourns loss of both grandmothers on July 9, 2025.
- McCreery honors family roots and memories amid ongoing career milestones.
- McCreery, from Garner, won "American Idol" in 2011 and spoke about his Puerto Rican roots.
North Carolina’s Scotty McCreery and his family are mourning the loss of his grandmothers, who both died on the same day.
The country star and “American Idol” winner shared Thursday how his “heart is absolutely broken” after both his parents’ mothers passed away Wednesday.
“I think I am still in a bit of shock as I type this, but I’m choosing to remember the great memories we all made with both of them,” the Garner native posted on social media.
“There really are too many to count,” he wrote. “From being on the farm in Elizabeth City or visiting the Outer Banks with Grandma Janet. And then the incredible memories we made at the backyard pool in Pinehurst, all the way to visiting Puerto Rico with Grandma Paquita. Both of them truly taught me what love is all about. I will miss them dearly. If yall could keep my family in your prayers I’d appreciate it.”
In social media posts, McCreery’s parents shared that their respective mothers, 85-year-old Janet Hunter Cooke and 93-year-old Paquita McCreery, died just hours apart.
Cooke died at WakeMed Hospital Wednesday afternoon after battling norovirus and the flu, which led to dehydration and pneumonia, said Judy McCreery, Scotty’s mother.
Then their family said goodbye to Paquita, who had been in declining health.
“I will miss my mother tremendously, but she lived a full life in her 93 years,” wrote Scotty’s father, Mike McCreery. “I have so many wonderful memories that I can draw from when I get sad that she is no longer physically here with us, but I know I will see her again one day.”
Scotty McCreery won the 10th season of “American Idol” in May 2011, catapulting the then-17-year-old with the deep voice into the national spotlight.
During that time, he spoke of his Puerto Rican roots from Paquita, who was born there.
And Paquita McCreery grew her own fanbase during an appearance on “Family Feud,” when she earned laughs for joking with Steve Harvey that she was single.
His grandmothers’ deaths come one decade after the passing of his grandfather, William “Bill” McCreery II, who died after a brief illness at 86 in 2015 and was the inspiration behind his tribute song, “Five More Minutes.”
McCreery, who attended NC State, has recorded several Platinum and multi-Platinum hits. His most recent album is “Rise & Fall,” and he’s expected to release a new EP, “Scooter & Friends” on July 18.
He also recently debuted a new monthly series on Sirius XM’s Prime Country channel, called “Prime Country with Scotty McCreery.”
He was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2023 and the Grand Ole Opry in 2024, after being invited by Garth Brooks.
This story was originally published July 10, 2025 at 8:57 PM with the headline "NC’s Scotty McCreery says he’s heartbroken after both grandmothers die on same day."
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