Scotty McCreery Mourns Two Grandmas Lost on Same Day
Nothing like losing both grandmothers in a single 24-hour stretch to remind you that life really runs on its own terrible schedule. American Idol alum Scotty McCreery revealed on Instagram July 10 that his maternal grandma Janet Hunter Cooke, 85, and his paternal grandma Paquita McCreery, 93, both passed away July 9. He posted a 2018 wedding photo with wife Gabi and the two ladies, captioning it with heartfelt disbelief and the kind of grief that even Spotify playlists can’t fix.
Scotty, 31, who’s already dad to two-year-old Merrick and gearing up for baby number two, laid it out straight: “My heart is absolutely broken. Yesterday, both my Grandma Janet and my Grandma Paquita passed away. I think I am still in a bit of shock as I type this, but I’m choosing to remember the great memories we all made with both of them.” He then took fans on a world tour of nostalgia—farm life in Elizabeth City and Outer Banks road trips with Grandma Janet, plus backyard pool parties in Pinehurst and Puerto Rico adventures with Grandma Paquita. According to his July 10 post on IG (via E! Online), those sunburned smiles and hay-bale photo ops are his new archive of joy.
The family sorrow rolled on when Scotty’s dad, Mike McCreery, posted his own tribute June 10, noting Grandma Paquita slipped away just before 4pm after a 93-year run that he described as “a full life.” Within hours, Joel McCreery’s other side of the family suffered the same blow. Scotty’s mom, Judy Cooke, announced her mother Janet’s death at WakeMed just after 1pm, citing norovirus and flu complications that triggered dehydration and pneumonia. Judy’s Facebook note reads like the cruelest calendar coincidence: two mothers gone mere hours apart.
Fans have poured in prayers and heartfelt messages. Yet somewhere between the condolences and the emoji-laden replies, there’s a reminder that even country stars can’t sing away heartbreak. Irony points out that Scotty’s inherited work ethic—from crib-side farm chores to chart-topping albums—came from these very women, whose life lessons now echo in his music and fatherhood.
In true deadpan style, one might remark that if grief had a tour, this would be one sold-out show. But beneath the punchy commentary lies a genuine tribute: both grandmothers “truly taught me what love is all about,” he wrote. Keep an eye on Scotty: he’s turning sorrow into song, and if there’s one thing this saga teaches us, it’s that real life doesn’t come with an intermission. Tune in next time for more reminders that life’s script is written in permanent ink.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! Online, Scotty McCreery Instagram, Mike McCreery Instagram, Judy Cooke Facebook
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
