INSIGHT Magazine July 2014 | Page 11

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 11