The young Neal Mccoy was different from other kids. When the rodeo would arrive in Jacksonville, Texas, where McCoy was born, the other kids would watch the cowboys. Meanwhile, he would see the entertainers and the television and the country music stars who performed after the rodeo.

At the age of nine, when he saw Michael Jackson singing and dancing on television, McCoy envisioned himself to be an entertainer, too. Today, McCoy, the son of a Filipino mother and an Irish American father, Neal McCoy is an up-and-coming country music star. Two of his hit songs have gone platinum; that is, they have sold a million copies.

Failure, Then Success. After his first two albums failed to be successes, McCoy didn’t get discouraged. Atlantic Records that had signed him, didn’t get discouraged, either. Finally, his third album and its big hit, No Doubt About It, went to the top of Billboard’s country music list in 1994. Next followed the hit single Wink. McCoy’s two songs, No Doubt About It and You Gotta Love That have gone platinum. Among his other country hits were If I Was a Drinkin’ Man, For a Change, and They’re Playing Our Song.

Not American Indian, But Filipino American. According to Rick Blackburn, president of Atlantic Records, most people are not aware that McCoy is Filipino. Rather, many people think he is an American Indian. McCoy calls himself a “Texapino” which means half-Texan, half Filipino. He says he feels his looks, with long hair and a little darker skin, make him interesting to some people. Although he wears a Stetson hat and black western boots when he performs, McCoy looks more, not as a cowboy, but as a hillbilly. He inherited his little darkness from his mother, Virginia, who married his father, Hubert, in the 1950s in Manila. McCoy’s mother is Filipina and his father is Irish American. His father was at that time with the U.S. Army. The family moved to Jacksonville, Texas, where McCoy was born. McCoy has a brother, Gary, and a sister, Barbara. His parents divorced after 23 years of marriage. McCoy derived from the name McGoy, (his previous name), an abbreviation of his original name, McGaughey.

This fast-talking, tight-jeaned Filipino American with a rich Texas twang, says, “Music should be a diversion. There are enough problems in the world without singing about them.” In view of this, when he sings, he wants to have fun, as much as his fans do.

In 1989, 16th Avenue Records signed McCoy. But the company closed shop. Later, he signed with Atlantic Records that launched his career. the Dallas Morning News, describing him in one of his shows (as published in Filipinas Magazine) says, “If I Was a Drinkin’ Man proved to be his best vocal performance of the night. The breezy, R&B-soaked ballad showcased the way he dips from baritone to bass without ever losing control of his pitch. It’s those R&B-tinged songs, including ‘No Doubt About It,’ ‘For a Change,’ and the new single ‘They’re Playing Our Song,’ that work for Mr. McCoy’s soulful voice.” The Tampa Tribune calls him, an “Irish Filipino hunk.”

Family. McCoy, 39, is married to Melinda. They have two young children: Miki and Swayde. They live in Longview, Texas. The Neal McCoy Fan Club’s address is P.O. Box 9610, Longview, TX 75608-9610.

For more profiles of notable Filipino Americans, see The Filipino Americans (From 1763 to the Present): Their History, Culture and Traditions. For info about the book, click here.