version on YouTube (he’ll still sing it during a
concert now and again). The New York Times
dubs Edwin the “great American romantic,” and
his fans do certainly agree but it’s the FUN that
brings them back to his concerts every single
time he comes through town. Edwin roars
through soulful renditions of his songs, tosses
in irrepressible vintage R&B rhythms and turns
his concerts into parties. His between-songbanter is more stand-up than rock star, drawing as many laughs as cheers.
“It’s not about chart positions or record sales
or anything like that,” insists the man with 11
albums, a wall of platinum and gold albums
that have sold in the millions, and reams of
Top 10, 20 and 40 hits, “it just has to do with
people coming together and sharing a moment, that's it. And that’s all I ever wanted to
do. I just love that moment in the small club
and bar where every single person in there has
a moment where it’s silent and they get it and
INSIGHT
it’s beautiful, that moment where the music
that’s coming off the stage is much more than
the players and much more than the audience
and something happens and you’re sitting
there and your hair stands up. That’s it, man.
I love it.”
Few artists share such a tight bond with their
fans and can fill concert venues like McCain
can. And even fewer can win over new audiences the way Edwin does. Witty and affable,
engaging and entertaining, McCain’s stage
presence has even brought him invitations
to deliver motivational speeches at corporate
events, peppered with musical breaks featuring his hit songs. An entrepreneur who has
launched major fundraising events as well as
runs his own businesses and television productions, McCain imparts hard-earned wisdom about succeeding in business and life
with humor, anecdotes from his triumphs and failures - and his ability to embrace it all. ✽
July 2014
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