ALEX BLUMBERG: Throughout high school, Shane stayed on the popular guy path. ALEX BLUMBERG: Huh. SHANE MCANALLY: Really. It was my version of God, and that I had a bigger story, you know, than the one that I had been telling myself for a long time. And her thought was, if you're gay, you can't do that. And, um, definitely thought I was just confused and that it would change. They're probably closing down, saying no more alcohol. SHANE MCANALLY: Oh, yeah. And they called and said he was cutting it. It always makes people laugh, because I was only there for a year… I studied accounting. Ben Loos officiating. 31 "Are Your Eyes Still Blue", before becoming a songwriter and record producer.He has written and produced songs for Walker Hayes, Kacey Musgraves, Kelly Clarkson, Sam …

The part that went on the final project was the first take. If we were a fly on the wall during the writing of that song, what would we have experienced? And um, And then I met my, would-be husband right at the end of all that. SHANE MCANALLY: Yeah. Our closer-than-family friend who is going through something, I just want to dedicate this award to our sweet Chelsea and when you say those prayers tonight, mention her name. Take me back to the beginning, how did music become your passion? You could just focus on ... SHANE MCANALLY: Exactly. And that's what we are. So I changed into these black, plain cowboy boots and then went out, did my song, the most -- I mean, my heart starts beating fast talking about it. Are you out to your parents at this point? Like, that he had heard everything I had asked for, and that maybe it didn't look the way I thought it was going to, but that he had a plan all along.

ALEX BLUMBERG: Yeah, I'm just imagining, like, you on the -- on the phone in a mall in Las Vegas with tears coming down your face. SE, Rochester, the Rev. Oh, she was super proud, and -- and ultimately, you know, when I was, like, 13, she sought out someone that would take me in the studio and let me record songs I had written. Plus, I cry easy. Did you think that that was going to be her reaction or were you -- were you surprised and saddened by it? SHANE MCANALLY: I bought a place in LA in 2007, because I got this short-lived publishing deal from this big investor who knew nothing about music but just had a lot of money, and paid me a really good salary to write songs. Like, what did that successful you look like? He is the one who dreamed this big for me,” McAnally said. I love having songwriters in my business who are close to me as well. And after a week I was like, "I need to find another place because I want to stay longer." I’m assuming most songwriters have a similar story, I didn’t have anyone around me playing music necessarily. Say anything... ALEX BLUMBERG: In the music video for Say Anything, you see Shane dancing around in a bright, blue button up shirt and black jeans, with a crowd of extras. And he told me, there are many aspects of his life today that he could not have imagined as a kid - that very well might have terrified him in fact. And she was like, "Oh, I'm not coming back for a while.

In addition to his songwriting and producing country hits, Shane’s a co-host on the new NBC reality show Songland, in which aspiring songwriters (like Shane once was) pitch their songs for a chance to have them recorded by pop stars like Will.i.am and Megan Trainor. Uh, I have... SHANE MCANALLY: Had so many hits that way, and I still write them. Learn More, This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.

And now you have to imagine at this point, I'm 15 years old, my dad is in prison. In 2007, she moved to Nashville, where she found her true Something a bit different, that would push Chesney into new territory. Can you sing that one?

I mean meeting with Dolly on “Forever Country” was the greatest thrill of my life.Yes. How Megan Phelps-Roper Left the Westboro Baptist Church. We'll see you again someday. These days you are writing a song with a track person. And the thought of it makes me cry, because Lee Ann Womack is my favorite singer and was all through -- the first time I heard her was in '98, and she's the greatest country singer I think that's ever lived. 100 percent. In Texas there is a big Opry circuit. What is one backstory of a song that fans don’t know about? “He tells me every day that I can do anything, and we are living our truth and our dream with our children and our life. SHANE MCANALLY: I was bent over and he was like, "Oh, my God! Cheers! SHANE MCANALLY SONG: Say you’re happy where you are, say you’re loadin’ up the car. But I never felt it. I worked there waiting to see what was going to happen with “Last Call.” It finally did come out as a single, it took almost a year to reach the top 15, which is all it did; but that was a beacon for me. I keep staring at that on the wall there — the “Last Call” [by Lee Ann Womack] sign — because that right there is what brought me back. It’s hard to pick just one person. ALEX BLUMBERG:  Yeah...  so you come back to Texas. To make sure my story lines up. And then, like, after your shift is over going out and any bar you want to go to, you don't have to wait in line, and people give you drugs. While they were learning to talk, they couldn't pronounce her During his acceptance speech, he recalled coming out to his mother and her worries about his career in the country genre. ALEX BLUMBERG: Just the version you always wanted to be. And it was right around this time that one of Shane’s friends called and said, “You know what? What's your next move then? “He tells me every day that I can do anything, and we are living our truth and our dream with our children and our life. Um, what I remember about the taping was that my mom had had this outfit made for me that was, like, green suede with, like, these long fringe pieces on it and rhinestones.