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Post by Kim on Jun 17, 2012 20:30:10 GMT -5
Scotty McCreery Looks Ahead to Freshman Year at NC State
Fresh off a big win at the 2012 CMT Music Awards and earning his high school diploma, Scotty McCreery is already looking ahead to his next adventure – his freshman year of college.
The “Water Tower Town” singer plans to attend North Carolina State University in the fall. Even though classes don’t start until mid-August, he and his buddies have already starting decorating their new house, which is just a few miles away from the NC State campus.
“We’ve got a few signs, and my buddy’s got a big deer head we’re going to put in the living room,” McCreery says. ”I don’t think we’re going to put any of my awards in there. We’re trying to keep things safe.”
Scotty, who plans to major in communications/public relations, will continue to balance his flourishing singing career with his education.
“My friends back home call the me the ‘Real-life Hannah Montana’ because I have two lives,” he says. “We’re planning on having a two- or three-day class schedule and work a tour around college so I can be in class and fly out the next day.”
In the meantime, McCreery will continue to learn from tourmates Brad Paisley and The Band Perry, who he calls ”the best professors” he could have.
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Post by Kim on Jun 17, 2012 20:31:21 GMT -5
Scotty McCreery Credits His Father for Helping Him Find Love of Music
Before he became one of America’s most loved singers, thanks to ‘American Idol,’ Scotty McCreery was learning about life and what path to pursue from his biggest fan and supporter, his dad. McCreery credits his father for many things that has helped shape the young man he is today. But above all, he says his dad was the one who inspired him to follow his heart into music.
“My dad is the guy who really taught me a lot about myself growing up,” McCreery tells Taste of Country. “He has a job where he has to travel sometimes. He’s always working hard at it. He’s also the guy who taught me how to throw a baseball. I have two loves in life: singing and baseball. He was a pitcher growing up, and he was always out there with me, throwing with me at the field on off days when we weren’t practicing. We were in the bullpens and practicing. He always said hard work will pay off, and whether that’s baseball for me or singing now, it’s the truth. You’ve got to put forth the effort to get back your results.”
The phrase “father knows best” paid off big time in this situation. McCreery, who will attend college in the fall, is currently in the studio beginning to lay the groundwork for his sophomore album that will follow his first release, ‘Clear as Day.’ McCreery’s latest single from that album, ‘Water Tower Town,’ is at radio now.
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Post by Kim on Jun 17, 2012 20:32:40 GMT -5
Scotty McCreery Already Decorating His College House
Scotty McCreery is an exercise in contrasts. On one hand, he is a country music megastar, having racked up platinum sales, toured the world and performed on both breakfast and late night TV programs with increasing frequency. On the other, he just graduated high school and is preparing for college. McCreery will begin his freshman year at North Carolina State University in the fall. But he’s not wasting any time and is diving right in. He’s already started decorating his new house, which is located just a few miles from the school’s main campus.
“We’ve got a few signs, and my buddy’s got a big deer head we’re going to put in the living room,” McCreery said, according to Country Music Is Love, about making the new place feel like home.
The décor isn’t going to consist of any of McCreery’s awards, like his recently picked up 2012 CMT Music Awards honor for ‘Breakthrough Video of the Year,’ which he nabbed for ‘The Trouble With Girls.’ He admitted, “I don’t think we’re going to put any of my awards in there. We’re trying to keep things safe.” That’s a wise idea. Don’t need any mishaps during parties or thefts while he is in class.
McCreery, who will major in communications and PR while at NC State, is not planning to put his career on ice while he attends to his studies and his degree, so don’t fret, all you Scotty fans. He’s going to engage in quite a juggling act by doing both. He said, “My friends back home call the me the ‘real-life Hannah Montana’ because I have two lives.”
In order to balance school and work, he will build a two or three day class schedule and route his touring so that he can be on campus on the required days and then fly out for shows on his “off” days.
Few people can pick up an education at the school of life and on the road and in the classroom, but McCreery has a one in a million chance to do so and he’s going for it. He’s a regular ol’ college freshman by day and a country star by night!
We’re not going to lie. The schedule sounds grueling but if anyone can pull it off, it’s our boy Scotty McCreery.
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Post by Kim on Jun 23, 2012 9:07:10 GMT -5
Scotty McCreery Brings Fans to His Hometown in ‘Water Tower Town’ Video
Scotty McCreery‘s ‘Water Tower Town’ video is his visual celebration of the sights, scenes and sounds of his hometown of Garner, North Carolina. It’s a candid and true look at small town America, and we see the singer signing autographs, meeting fans and just having a good time with his fellow Garnerians. Despite his fame and fortune — which came with winning Season 10 of ‘American Idol’ — Scotty is still the same kid he was before he took the crown.
The vid is a montage of clips from the recent high school graduate’s “new” and “old” lives. Fans are shown holding signs and professing their love for him. He’s also meeting and greeting, shaking hands and being an approachable superstar. It’s essentially a love fest between McCreery and the place he calls home.
There’s footage of firefighters, friends and fans, and the ‘Water Tower Town’ video effectively doubles as a commercial for the inviting and beautiful town of Garner. It looks like the type of place you’d want to raise a family and enjoy your life.
The video is also like a yearbook of clips, in addition to being a warm and fuzzy ode to the place where Mr. ‘I Love You This Big’ hangs his hat and rests his head.
There’s no place like home! You can take the boy out of Garner, but he’ll always, always come back.
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Post by Kim on Jul 8, 2012 9:41:28 GMT -5
Scotty McCreery Says Brad Paisley Is ‘A Good Teacher’ to Mirror in Country Music
When it came time to book his opening acts for his Virtual Reality Tour, Brad Paisley took a chance on one of country music’s hottest newcomers, Scotty McCreery. McCreery, who was fresh off his ‘American Idol’ win when he accepted the kind offer, says the experience thus far has been nothing short of amazing.
“Brad is a great guy,” McCreery tells Taste of Country. “He treats his opening acts well and treats the people who work for him well. I haven’t been on any other tours, but I’ve heard horror stories about the headliners not talking to their opening acts and don’t want anything to do with them … they just brush off all their workers and it’s all about them. But Brad, he’s the total opposite.”
Because the ‘Waitin’ on a Woman’ hitmaker welcomed him with open arms, McCreery, 18, has made himself a sponge. The ‘Water Tower Town’ singer is learning how to be a country star by watching everything from the way Paisley performs, right down to how he treats everyone involved with the tour.
“Brad will walk around and eat dinner with anybody,” McCreery says with a smile. “Sometimes, he’ll ask me to come eat dinner or lunch with him. He’s just an all-around good guy. You can talk to him about anything.”
He adds, “That’s how I want to be. I don’t want anybody to feel intimidated before they come talk to me. I want to be open with anybody, kind of like Brad. He’s a good teacher for me. If I’m in school, he’s a great professor.”
Like with most tours — especially those that Paisley is involved with — the road run comes with its share of pranks, and McCreery says both parties have already tested the waters. “There’s been a little bit going on already,” he admits, laughing. “He [Paisley] has those big video boards behind him, so he’ll throw a shot up there with my head on a naked guy’s body or something like that. He’s funny with that. I’ve got him once or twice with little things. We’ll see if I get him again anytime soon!”
McCreery still has the whole summer to come up with a clever way to trick Paisley, as the Virtual Reality Tour continues through early fall.
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Post by Kim on Sept 9, 2012 15:47:00 GMT -5
Scotty McCreery to Release ‘Christmas with Scotty McCreery’ on October 16Scotty McCreery will release a new album, Christmas with Scotty McCreery, on Oct. 16 that features many of the holiday songs that have played an important role in his life, as well as two exciting new originals that he hopes will have a place in many Christmases to come. “Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year,” he says. “And what is Christmas without music? We start listening to Christmas songs early in the McCreery household, so it felt right. I’ve always wanted to record a Christmas album since I’ve had my music career. “It’s a special thing for me,” he says. “As a family, we were all really excited about making a Christmas album. Now we can add my CD to the collection we listen to.” McCreery’s goal for his Christmas album was to create a body of work that makes people feel good and celebrate the birth of Jesus. “I just wanted it to be holly and jolly and really lift people’s spirits in the Christmas season because it’s supposed to be a really happy time. But I also wanted to get across the real reason for the season. ‘Christmas in Heaven’ is my favorite song on the album and it really speaks to that.” Of course, the album embraces the traditional country sound for which McCreery has become known, but he also stretches his boundaries a bit to showcase songs with a more rocking feel, like “Holly Jolly Christmas” and “Santa Claus Is Back in Town,” and even create a musical atmosphere reminiscent of the Rat Pack on some songs. “There will be some songs that sound like a different Scotty – not different as far as not country, but a different sound than they heard on the first album. Hopefully, they will be pleasantly surprised.” He says deciding which songs to record was the most difficult part of the process because there are so many great Christmas standards. “I knew of a few that I just had to do, like ‘Mary, Did You Know?’ and ‘The First Noel.’ Then we heard some originals that blew me away and it was a no-brainer to put them on the album. When I heard ‘Christmas in Heaven,’ I listened to the first verse and automatically said, ‘You can stop it. That is on the album.’ “The other new song is called ‘Christmas Is Coming Around,’” he says. “That’s just a great story about Christmas time and really just lifting people’s spirits. Times may be tough, but during Christmas, it needs to be a happy time.” Standards on the album include “Winter Wonderland,” “Jingle Bells,” “Let It Snow,” “The Christmas Song” and “O Holy Night.” “With me being such a huge Elvis fan, I had to have one Elvis song, so I chose ‘Santa Claus Is Back in Town.’” Since his elementary school days, he has delivered special performances for Christmas. In elementary school, he got a last-minute solo in a holiday concert and was able to sing it with ease. He played Joseph in a Christmas play and sang “O Holy Night” in fifth grade. “For the last few years, I sang ‘Mary, Did You Know?’ in Christmas Eve services before the church service started with my friend Cody Wilson. He would play a little drum and I would play the guitar. “Music is a very important part of Christmas time for me and everybody else.” Beginning today, McCreery’s official site, www.ScottyMcCreery.com, will have an exclusive CD offer for fans to pre-order an autographed copy of the CD, receive a video message from Scotty and enter for a chance to meet or speak to McCreery. “There will be some fun things to promote this album,” he says. “For example, I’ll making Christmas calls to 100 random fans who purchase the album from my site and everyone who buys the album from my site will get an autographed copy and will be entered to win a fun meet and greet with me.” McCreery quickly emerged as the most successful new country artist of the last year. He won New Artist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards in April, the same award he received at the American Country Awards in December. He also won the USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year for “The Trouble With Girls” at the 2012 CMT Music Awards. He was ranked No. 1 on Billboard’s list of Top New Country Artists for 2011 and has been touring as part of Brad Paisley’s “Virtual Reality Tour 2012” presented by Chevrolet. Christmas with Scotty McCreery, an 11-song collection produced by Mark Bright, follows his history-making debut album, Clear As Day, which was certified platinum for sales of more than 1 million units in just three months. Clear As Day debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and Top Country Albums charts, making him the youngest man in history to open at the top of the all-genre chart with a debut release. It also garnered the highest sales of any country solo album released last year and held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for six weeks. The album’s first two singles, “I Love You This Big” and “The Trouble With Girls,” have also been certified gold.
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Post by grg_straitfan on Sept 9, 2012 21:46:42 GMT -5
Really looking forward to that Christmas Album!! Yay!
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Post by Kim on Oct 6, 2012 7:11:30 GMT -5
CMT News OFFSTAGE: Scotty McCreery Falls Asleep With His GuitarOctober 3, 2012 Written by Alison Bonaguro Scotty McCreery is off at college now, and I'm assuming he brought his guitars with him. And I'm also assuming he doesn't have a lot of downtime to play them. But I remember last time I interviewed him, he told me a story about how he sometimes makes time for guitar at the end of the day. He just falls asleep with it. "Every now and then, I go to bed sometimes, and I'll be playing some tunes or trying to write something and I just fall asleep in the middle of it," he admitted. He has a lot of guitars to choose from, too. "I have one Taylor I got before Idol, one Gibson I got during Idol, and then I've got a 1957 Gibson J-45. It's beautiful," he told me of the guitar he named Rhett. "My producer gave that one to me for going platinum." As for the tunes he plays right before going to bed, McCreery says he's not perfect but that he's more in practice songwriting mode. "I'm by no means 100 percent developed in my craft like the guys in Nashville are. I'm looking forward to spending more and more time with the experts, learning about the art of songwriting." www.cmt.com/news/cmt-offstage/1694831/offstage-scotty-mccreery-falls-asleep-with-his-guitar.jhtml
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Post by Kim on Oct 6, 2012 7:13:57 GMT -5
Scotty McCreery Gets His Own Exhibit at North Carolina Museum October 2, 2012 How many teenagers can say that they have an entire museum exhibit devoted to them? The North Carolina Museum of History launched a special exhibit to celebrate the success of Scotty McCreery, which displays several important pieces of memorabilia from the American Idol Season 10 winner. Local media outlet WRAL reports that the collection includes Scotty’s Idol finale wardrobe — his black leather coat, jeans, shirt and cross necklace — along with the lyrics sheet for his final performance (“Live Like You Were Dying,” which he sang alongside Tim McGraw), the gold record for his first album, Clear As Day, and his mother’s backstage pass to the Idol finale rehearsal and show. Sounds like the folks in North Carolina are awfully proud of their homespun country crooner! The exhibit will be on view until January 4, 2013 and admission is free. www.wetpaint.com/american-idol/articles/scotty-mccreery-gets-his-own-exhibit-at-north-carolina-museum
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Post by Kim on Oct 6, 2012 7:35:41 GMT -5
GAC Scotty McCreery Biography Scotty McCreery's 2012 CD Christmas with Scotty McCreery. Photo courtesy of UMG Nashville. Christmas with Scotty McCreery is the album that the history-making country phenomenon was born to make. "My stage debut was as Baby Jesus when I was first born, in the church musical," reports the million-selling sensation. "Then, in the fifth grade, I was Joseph and sang ‘O Holy Night.’ That was my first solo. I did the Children’s Choir, went to Youth Choir and participated in all that for the church. We sang ‘Mary Did You Know’ for Christmas Eve services." He had no idea then that those first performances were paving the way for a meteoric rise in country music. He recently made his first entry into the Guinness World Records Book for being the youngest male to enter the U.S. album charts at No. 1. In 2011, his debut album, Clear As Day, premiered atop the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart and was certified platinum for sales of 1 million copies in just three months. The album garnered the highest sales of any country solo album released last year and held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for six weeks. His first two singles were certified gold and he was named New Artist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards and the American Country Awards. In September, he was ranked No. 4 on Billboard’s list of "21 Under 21: Music’s Hottest Minors 2012," which was his second consecutive year to be ranked No. 4 on that prestigious list. Recently, he was among only five musical artists to be included in Variety’s Youth Impact Report 2012 that detailed those under age 21 who are driving forces in the entertainment industry. www.gactv.com/gac/cda/article_print/0,3008,GAC_26071_6041946_DS-ARTICLE-WITH-GROUPS,00.html
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Post by Kim on Oct 6, 2012 7:37:57 GMT -5
Oct 4 Scotty McCreery Reveals Details About His Christmas Album By Sarah Wyland gactv.com Scotty McCreery will release his Christmas album, Christmas with Scotty McCreery, on October 16. The project includes songs that have played an important role in his life as well as two new originals he hopes will become part of his fans’ Christmas celebrations for years to come. “Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year,” he said. “And what is Christmas without music? We start listening to Christmas songs early in the McCreery household, so it felt right. I’ve always wanted to record a Christmas album since I’ve had my music career. It’s a special thing for me. As a family, we were all really excited about making a Christmas album. Now we can add my CD to the collection we listen to.” Scotty’s goal for his Christmas album was to create a body of work that allowed both him and his fans to feel good and celebrate their faith. “I just wanted it to be holly and jolly and really lift people’s spirits in the Christmas season because it’s supposed to be a really happy time,” he said. “But I also wanted to get across the real reason for the season. ‘Christmas in Heaven’ is my favorite song on the album and it really speaks to that.” Choosing songs to record for the project was the most difficult part. There were many classic Christmas carols he wanted to include, but narrowing it down took some effort, especially when he started listening to original Christmas tunes. “I knew of a few that I just had to do, like ‘Mary, Did You Know?’ and ‘The First Noel,’” he said. “Then we heard some originals that blew me away and it was a no-brainer to put them on the album. When I heard ‘Christmas in Heaven,’ I listened to the first verse and automatically said, ‘You can stop it. That is on the album.’ “The other new song is called ‘Christmas Comin’ Round Again,’” he continued. “That’s just a great story about Christmas time and really just lifting people’s spirits. Times may be tough, but during Christmas, it needs to be a happy time.” Classic Christmas tunes on the album include “Winter Wonderland,” “Jingle Bells,” “Let It Snow,” “The Christmas Song” and “O Holy Night.” “With me being such a huge Elvis fan, I had to have one Elvis song, so I chose ‘Santa Claus Is Back in Town,’” Scotty said. Scotty has been performing Christmas carols since elementary school. He played Joseph in a Christmas play where he sang “O Holy Night” in fifth grade. “For the last few years, I sang ‘Mary, Did You Know?’ in Christmas Eve services before the church service started with my friend Cody Wilson,” Scotty said. “He would play a little drum and I would play the guitar. Music is a very important part of Christmas time for me and everybody else.” blog.gactv.com/blog/2012/10/04/scotty-mccreery-reveals-details-about-his-christmas-album/
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Post by Kim on Oct 6, 2012 7:40:58 GMT -5
"Idol" Scotty McCreery juggles college and music career"American Idol" Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery has the best of both worlds. He attends North Carolina State University Monday through Wednesday and tours with Brad Paisley Thursday through Sunday. "It's been three weeks since my first day," McCreery recently told SoundSpike via telephone from Virginia Beach, VA. "It's going really well for me so far." McCreery, a communications/public relations major, is learning the media side of his career by going to NCSU. But there's no problem there. He's a thoughtful interview who's playful while passionate about what he does. These days he's pumped about his holiday album, "Christmas with Scotty McCreery," which hits stores Oct. 16. The 11-song collection includes nine traditional songs and two originals, "Christmas in Heaven" and "Christmas is Coming Around Again." "They're two cool songs that were pitched to me and they have great messages to them," McCreery said. "I was blown away when I heard them. It was an easy choice to put them on the record. But we also have the traditionals -- 'Holly Jolly Christmas,' 'Jingle Bells,' 'Let it Snow,' 'Winter Wonderland.' It's a very 'holly jolly' kind of Christmas album." McCreery said he enjoyed recording the album in August in Nashville. He said it was ironic to record in late summer as it was 100 degrees in the Tennessee city. However, the studio was decorated with Christmas lights and Christmas trees. He said he decided to record a Christmas album because "it's been awhile since we put out the first record." That record is his history-making debut, "Clear As Day," which was certified platinum for sales of more than 1 million units in just three months. "Clear As Day" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and Top Country Albums charts, making him the youngest man in history to open at the top of the all-genre chart with a debut release. It also garnered the highest sales of any country solo album released last year and held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for six weeks. The album's first two singles, "I Love You This Big" and "The Trouble With Girls," have also been certified gold. "I was really pleased" with the album's success, McCreery said. "I never expected the way it really went out there and the fans, they treated us so well. I was blown away by the success it had." As a matter of fact, he's been surprised by most things that have happened since that fateful May 25, 2011, day when he won "Idol." "I didn't know what to expect, so it was all surprising to me," he said. "The Nashville community really accepted me. You hear different things about how they don't like the 'Idol' kids because they didn't come up through the clubs growing up, but everybody there has been so supportive of me, and appreciative and gracious. "I've gotten to do so many cool things, like go to the World Series and sing. Right now, I'm on tour with Brad Paisley. It's been a crazy great year for me since 'Idol.'" An avid baseball fan who played the sport in high school, McCreery said he's proud of "Christmas with Scotty McCreery." He described his favorite Christmas. "Probably when I got my first guitar," he said. "I got my first guitar on Christmas morning when I was probably 11 or 12. My grandpa gave it to me. I wasn't no good at the beginning, but I took lessons and really tried to figure it out. Now it's taken me far with that one Christmas gift." October 2012 5 - Columbus, OH- Nationwide Arena 6 - Hershey, PA- GIANT Center 11 - North Little Rock, AR - Verizon Arena 12 - Bossier City, LA - CenturyLink Center 13 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena 15, 16 - Raleigh, NC - J.S. Dorton Arena (North Carolina State Fair) 17 - Phoenix, AZ - Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion 18 - Chula Vista, CA - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre 20 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl December 2012 8 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium www.soundspike.com/story/4812/idol-scotty-mccreery-juggles-college-and-music-career/
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Post by Kim on Jan 19, 2013 10:43:43 GMT -5
Scotty McCreery Announces First Headlining Tour Dates for 2013
What do you do when you are a college freshman and a Platinum-selling country star, balancing your second semester at school while managing your red-hot career? You become a weekend warrior. That’s just what Season 10 ‘American Idol’ winner Scotty McCreery is doing this February, as he launches his 2013 Weekend Roadtrip Tour.
The trek will be McCreery’s first headline run, after successful support slots for the likes of Brad Paisley. The tour launches on Valentine’s Day and runs through May, with Sarah Darling serving as the opening act.
The one catch? McCreery’s tour is only slated on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday nights, which fits his school schedule. The ‘Idol’ winner really is burning the candle at both ends, but he’s got both professors and fans to please! He will be playing selections from his forthcoming sophomore effort and the follow up to ‘Clear as Day’ on his roadtrip run.
“Right now, I’m balancing my music career with my second semester at North Carolina State University,” the singer, 19, said. “I go to school early in the week and get to play my music every weekend. So, calling this tour the Weekend Roadtrip Tour just made sense. Plus, what college student doesn’t love a good roadtrip?”
He’s got a point there! You’re only young once, and McCreery is making the most of his youthful energy.
Scotty McCreery’s Weekend Roadtrip 2013 Tour Dates:
2/14 – Bethlehem, Pa. | Sands Bethlehem Event Center 2/15 – Niagara Falls, N.Y. | Rapids Theatre 2/16 – Atlantic City, N.J. | Golden Nugget 2/21 – Pittsburgh, Pa. | Stage AE 2/22 – Dover, Del. | Dover Downs Hotel & Casino 2/23 – Charleston, WV | Clay Center for the Arts 3/8 – Plant City, Fla. | Florida Strawberry Festival 3/9 – Kansas City, Mo. | Uptown Theater 3/28 – Aurora, Ill. | Paramount Theatre 4/18 – Albany, N.Y. | The Palace Theatre 4/19 – Wallingford, Conn. | Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre 4/20 – Wilkes-Barre, Pa. | F.M. Kirby Center 4/26 – Robinsonville, Ms. | Horseshoe Casino 5/10 – Lancaster, Pa. | American Music Theatre 5/11 – Hampton, N.H. | Casino Ballroom 5/12 – Morristown, N.J. | Mayo Performing Arts Center
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