Edwin McCain

Singer/songwriter Edwin McCain had his major-label breakout with his album, Honor Among Thieves and he became a Top 40 star with chart-topping singles like “I’ll Be” and “I Couldn’t Ask for More.” The latter was featured on the soundtrack for the 1999 film Message in a Bottle, and five of his 11 albums reached the Billboard 200. More recently, audiences may know him from his “breathtaking” experience performing hit songs while disguised as “Nessy,” the Loch Ness Monster, during a run to the “Final Five” on the hit show, The Masked Singer.

The Greenville, South Carolina native sang in the church choir and was in the band in high school. In a 2023 interview with The Greenville Journal, he explained that while he tried college, music was his passion. “I was bussing at a Mexican restaurant during the Spoleto Festival in Charleston and the manager said he’d pay me $75 and feed me if I’d play on their deck. I thought I was rich! I dropped out of college the next day. I put a band together and we started opening for Hootie (and the Blowfish).”

When Atlantic Records signed Hootie, McCain came along for the ride. When his song, “I’ll Be,” was played during the final episode of Dawson’s Creek, his career was launched, but he wasn’t ready for the fame. The life of a rock star didn’t suit him, and he found his niche not with big labels, but as an independent artist. He is proud of the longevity of his career and still tours extensively. Recently, he had the honor of playing The Grand Ole Opry, a thrill he shared with his family, and in 2025, he released Lucky, his first full studio album in 15 years. The album’s 10 tracks span blues, rock, soul, and folk influences and reflect his musical roots while embracing modern inspirations, including an electronic edge on the song “Empire.”

The New York Times called McCain “a great American romantic,” and he continues to connect with fans through his music and TikTok videos, where his witty, self-deprecating humor, often at the expense of his exasperated daughter, has won over a new generation of fans. A podcast based on his TikTok life and more touring are in his future, but he’s not fazed. “I found myself in this sweet spot doing this for 35 years,” he said. “And if I end up playing for tourists on a deck in Hilton Head one day? That would be OK, too.”

McCain would just think he’d been extremely Lucky.