When it comes to the music industry, there’s a staggering difference between talented artists who play music because they cannot live with-out playing music and musicians doing it for one reason: to become rich and famous. Rootsy singer-songwriter Edwin McCain falls into the former category, and his fans adore him for it. Yes, he had a massive hit with the 1997 ballad “I’ll Be,” but he’s still made a living organically: by staying grounded, not selling out, and making sure to give back to the community.
To that end, McCain performed at Love Notes, a concert, sponsored in part by IMI, that was held last February at the Peace Center for the Performing Arts in Greenville, S.C. —the hometown of both McCain and IMI. The concert raised more than funds for the Meyer Center for Special Children, a local school for children with disabilities. We spoke by phone with the artist, a personal friend of the IMI family and frequent entertainer at IMI events, while he was on tour supporting his new CD release, Scream & Whisper.
Resort Living: Where are you right now?
Edwin McCain: Chicago. I’m in the House of Blues hotel, because I played a private event at the House of Blues last night.
RL: So tell us…how did you first get involved in charity work?
EM: My parents were involved in missionary work in Haiti when I was a child. I grew up in the Episcopal Church. My mother would take us to soup kitchens during Thanksgiving, and we spent a lot of time in service, so it was always a natural thing to do.
RL: What is your connection to the Meyer Center?
EM: I play softball with a girl who works there, and she approached me about doing a show for them. I went to the school to check it out, and it’s a really neat program. They take everybody, regardless of their ability to pay. Because of that, they are in constant need of funds.
RL: Tell us about Love Notes.
EM: Sister Hazel, Will Hogue and I performed. It was probably a three-hour show. We thought it was a good idea to call it Love Notes because the event was on Valentine’s Day.
RL: What was it like playing for the children?
EM: It was a touching experience. The Meyer Center is a really good example of how a community can take care of itself. It gives these kids an opportunity.
RL: If you were to organize your own charity event, which musical artists would you ask to participate?
EM: James Taylor, David Wilcox and all the artists who have consistently put out a positive message. Unfortunately, I feel like a lot of the entertainment industry is selling the “bigger and better” deal: Look at our cars! Look at our money! Look at our girls! They’re peddling all the things that people think will satiate the insatiable. I would put artists like Taylor and Wilcox together to balance it out, to create more of a positive message. What it comes down to, really, is the kindness we show each other.
