Scotty McCreery Spills the Secret to His Success

We know how Scotty McCreery found fame -- he won Season 10 of 'American Idol.' But how did the 17-year-old high school student from Garner, N.C. become so successful? In a recent interview with the Charlotte Observer, the 'I Love You This Big' singer spilled his personal secret to success: studying his craft.

"If you want to be a singer, study it," McCreery says wisely. "I read books, I read internet blogs, I read all kinds of stuff before I even auditioned for' Idol' to know what I was getting into." But studying alone won't make someone a star, the 'Idol' frontrunner warns. "You’ve just got to have that extra drive in you."

McCreery, who turns 18 soon after releasing his debut 'Clear as Day' album on October 4, has used his success secret to catapult himself into ultra stardom, complete with his own dedicated fanbase. He's come a long way since being the shy guy who couldn't find a group to sing with in the first episodes of 'Idol' last season -- but it seems that his country twang paid off for him in the end.