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MAY 3, 2024
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Island Hopper Songwriter Fest celebrates 10 years and welcomes headliner Scotty McCreery
The BMI singer-songwriter brings his No. 1 hit, "Cab in a Solo," to the Pink Shell pool party on Fort Myers Beach

LEE COUNTY, Fla. (U.S.A.) – Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, recently named one of the top 5 music fests by USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, celebrates its 10-year anniversary with 10 days of outstanding performances, Sept. 20-29.

This year’s headliner is BMI singer-songwriter Scotty McCreery, whose hit song, “Cab in a Solo,” currently tops the country radio singles chart, according to Mediabase.

On Sept. 29, McCreery will wrap up Island Hopper with a pool party performance at Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina on Fort Myers Beach.

In addition, Island Hopper also welcomes five-time Grammy nominee and BMI singer-songwriter Jeffrey Steele. On Sept. 26, Steele will join the Gulf Coast Symphony in a live performance at the Florida Repertory Theatre in downtown Fort Myers.

About Scotty McCreery
You may remember McCreery as the teen who won Season 10 of “American Idol.” Now, he’s 30 and a seasoned country music veteran. His sixth album, “Rise and Fall,” is due out on May 10. On April 20, McCreery fulfilled a dream and officially became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. The award-winning, singer-songwriter’s most recent hit, “Cab in a Solo,” was penned with Frank Rogers, Aaron Eshuis and Derek Wells. It’s a tear-in-your-beer ballad sung to a plastic cup of red wine.  

About Jeffrey Steele
Steele wrote “What Hurts the Most,” performed by Rascal Flatts, and it was nominated in 2006 for Best Country Song at the Grammy Awards. A few of his other chart-topping songs include “Raise ’Em Up,” “Knee Deep,” “Here,” “These Days,” and “The Cowboy in Me.” Steele has written songs for Keith Urban, Eric Church, Zac Brown Band, Jimmy Buffett, Montgomery Gentry, Cher, Rascal Flatts, Bob Seger and performed with Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Jamey Johnson and others. 

Island Hopper gives fans the opportunity to see singer-songwriters perform in smaller venues with a tropical setting as the backdrop. Be sure to catch a live Island Hopper performance at these four locations around the Fort Myers area:

• Captiva Island, Sept. 20-22
• Cape Coral, Sept. 23-24
• Downtown Fort Myers, Sept. 25-26
• Fort Myers Beach, Sept. 27-29

While most Island Hopper performances are free, the McCreery and Steele performances, along with a few experiences, will be ticketed. Look for these events to go on sale in June. For the full lineup and ticket information, visit IslandHopperFest.com or download the Island Hopper app.

Island Hopper Songwriter Fest is presented by BMI, iHeart Radio’s Cat Country 107.1, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods. Visit IslandHopperFest.com. Follow the festival hashtag #islandhopperfest as well as Instagram and Facebook. 

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Fort Myers –  Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods include: Sanibel Island, Captiva Island, Fort Myers Beach, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Cape Coral, Pine Island, Boca Grande & Outer islands, North Fort Myers and Lehigh Acres. For more information, go to visitfortmyers.com.

Images available

Click to download Scotty McCreery photo  

Click to download Jeffrey Steele photo