Shane McAnallyhas made an entire career out of telling people’s stories. An accomplished songwriter for artists such asKacey Musgraves,Sam HuntandKeith Urban, the Texas native has learned to somewhat effortlessly find the words to explain the most complex of emotions — and do it with ease.But it was his own painful story that he found himself grappling with last year.“The pandemic was hard for me,” says McAnally, 46, during a recent interview with PEOPLE. “It rattled me, that’s for sure. I went to some pretty dark places to be honest with you. (McAnallyrecommitted to his sobrietyearlier this year.) I started sort of questioning the reason for what I do and what I was putting into the world. I think a lot of us did and not to be too grandiose, but I started questioning, what am I doing this for?“Believe it or not, McAnally ended up finding some of his answers at a localCracker Barrel. As part of the much-loved restaurant’s #CareItForward initiative, he was set to team up with rising country star Kylie Morgan. But ahead of their writing session, McAnally found himself at a Cracker Barrel in Nashville, looking for an uplifting story he could tell through song.And that’s when he met Roy and Shirley.“I feel like God led me to them,” McAnally remembers of the sweet couple he sat down to talk to on that fateful day. “I mean, I could almost cry. I did cry multiple times. They just had the most incredible story.“Roy, Shirley and Shane McAnally.Cracker Barrel Old Country Store/YouTubeIndeed, McAnally soon found out that Roy and Shirley had been married for 66 years. Roy had spent time in the Air Force in his younger years, so the couple moved around a lot, but most of their life was spent living in Missouri. When the couple began having trouble conceiving a child, they were led to adoption.“It was the classic American story,” remembers McAnally. “It’s the story of these two people that still completely enjoyed each other’s company. They laughed the whole time I was with them, and Shirley talked the whole time. I mean, she wouldn’t let him get a word in edgewise, but you could tell that worked for them. Every time he would try to say something, she’d be like, ‘Okay, let me tell this part.'“As they talked, McAnally frantically took down the notes that would eventually turn into the lyrical backbone of the touching song “Growing Young,” which premieres exclusively on PEOPLE.“It was very easy to take the notes of that impromptu meeting and go and create a song because they were the kind of couple that I would have tried to make up,” McAnally says with a chuckle.Soon, McAnally found himself back in Nashville, sitting down withrising country music starKylie Morgan, working to take what had been a special day and make it into a special song.“I really wanted her to drive the melody because she’s very melodic,” explains McAnally of Morgan, paired together as part of the #CareItForward initiative. “And it was just so easy. I mean, we had all this information. We just had to organize it and Kylie is so good at making things run and layout properly.“And yes, McAnally couldn’t help but gush about his co-writer.“There are times when, no matter how much I have worked with someone, when I get back in a room with them, I just keep going, ‘Oh my God.’ Like, I can’t believe how good she is,” he explains of Morgan, 25. “She just blows me away. She was ready for the challenge. She was excited to make it as good as it could be. And she sang it like she’d been singing it all her life.“Shane McAnally and Kylie Morgan.Cracker Barrel Old Country Store/YouTubeIndeed, Cracker Barrel had long been a special place in Morgan’s life also.“Every time we went to Tennessee, we’d always go to Chattanooga and every time I’d be like, ‘please stop at Cracker Barrel,'” remembers Morgan, who grew up in Oklahoma andreleased her debut EPearlier this year. “I would buy all my CDs there. I would get all my little jewelry. I’d be so excited about the gift shop and the biscuits and the gravy and just be so happy.““I feel like meeting Roy and Shirley and working on this song with Kylie was one of the things that God put in my path to say, ‘Look, there is a purpose to writing and creating, and it doesn’t have to be all self-serving,'” McAnally says quietly.“If this song made just one person smile, and gave them any sort of joy, then it was worth it. Before, for me, it was about watching the charts and knowing how much money I was going to make off every song. And you know, you can get caught up in that. But doing something like this reminded me to write things that can also heal my heart, and hopefully somebody else’s in the process.”
Shane McAnallyhas made an entire career out of telling people’s stories. An accomplished songwriter for artists such asKacey Musgraves,Sam HuntandKeith Urban, the Texas native has learned to somewhat effortlessly find the words to explain the most complex of emotions — and do it with ease.
But it was his own painful story that he found himself grappling with last year.
“The pandemic was hard for me,” says McAnally, 46, during a recent interview with PEOPLE. “It rattled me, that’s for sure. I went to some pretty dark places to be honest with you. (McAnallyrecommitted to his sobrietyearlier this year.) I started sort of questioning the reason for what I do and what I was putting into the world. I think a lot of us did and not to be too grandiose, but I started questioning, what am I doing this for?”
Believe it or not, McAnally ended up finding some of his answers at a localCracker Barrel. As part of the much-loved restaurant’s #CareItForward initiative, he was set to team up with rising country star Kylie Morgan. But ahead of their writing session, McAnally found himself at a Cracker Barrel in Nashville, looking for an uplifting story he could tell through song.
And that’s when he met Roy and Shirley.
“I feel like God led me to them,” McAnally remembers of the sweet couple he sat down to talk to on that fateful day. “I mean, I could almost cry. I did cry multiple times. They just had the most incredible story.”
Roy, Shirley and Shane McAnally.Cracker Barrel Old Country Store/YouTube
Indeed, McAnally soon found out that Roy and Shirley had been married for 66 years. Roy had spent time in the Air Force in his younger years, so the couple moved around a lot, but most of their life was spent living in Missouri. When the couple began having trouble conceiving a child, they were led to adoption.
“It was the classic American story,” remembers McAnally. “It’s the story of these two people that still completely enjoyed each other’s company. They laughed the whole time I was with them, and Shirley talked the whole time. I mean, she wouldn’t let him get a word in edgewise, but you could tell that worked for them. Every time he would try to say something, she’d be like, ‘Okay, let me tell this part.'”
As they talked, McAnally frantically took down the notes that would eventually turn into the lyrical backbone of the touching song “Growing Young,” which premieres exclusively on PEOPLE.
“It was very easy to take the notes of that impromptu meeting and go and create a song because they were the kind of couple that I would have tried to make up,” McAnally says with a chuckle.
Soon, McAnally found himself back in Nashville, sitting down withrising country music starKylie Morgan, working to take what had been a special day and make it into a special song.
“I really wanted her to drive the melody because she’s very melodic,” explains McAnally of Morgan, paired together as part of the #CareItForward initiative. “And it was just so easy. I mean, we had all this information. We just had to organize it and Kylie is so good at making things run and layout properly.”
And yes, McAnally couldn’t help but gush about his co-writer.
“There are times when, no matter how much I have worked with someone, when I get back in a room with them, I just keep going, ‘Oh my God.’ Like, I can’t believe how good she is,” he explains of Morgan, 25. “She just blows me away. She was ready for the challenge. She was excited to make it as good as it could be. And she sang it like she’d been singing it all her life.”
Shane McAnally and Kylie Morgan.Cracker Barrel Old Country Store/YouTube
Indeed, Cracker Barrel had long been a special place in Morgan’s life also.
“Every time we went to Tennessee, we’d always go to Chattanooga and every time I’d be like, ‘please stop at Cracker Barrel,'” remembers Morgan, who grew up in Oklahoma andreleased her debut EPearlier this year. “I would buy all my CDs there. I would get all my little jewelry. I’d be so excited about the gift shop and the biscuits and the gravy and just be so happy.”
“I feel like meeting Roy and Shirley and working on this song with Kylie was one of the things that God put in my path to say, ‘Look, there is a purpose to writing and creating, and it doesn’t have to be all self-serving,'” McAnally says quietly.
“If this song made just one person smile, and gave them any sort of joy, then it was worth it. Before, for me, it was about watching the charts and knowing how much money I was going to make off every song. And you know, you can get caught up in that. But doing something like this reminded me to write things that can also heal my heart, and hopefully somebody else’s in the process.”
source: people.com
