Coral Reefer Mac McAnally has a new single out:

Mac McAnally, musician, songwriter and singer, is out with his first single for ShowDog Nashville “You First”. The song is the first from his upcoming debut CD for the label.

Last month, McAnally, a member of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, had a number song he wrote for Kenny Chesney, Down the Road. He sang on the track with Chesney, his sixth number one as a writer and his first as a recording artist.

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The Florence, AL Times Daily caught up with Mac McAnally following his CMA win on Wednesday night for Musician of the Year (pictured at right accepting the award. photo by John Russell/CMA) :

Mac McAnally still has a hard time believing that he’s the Country Music Association’s Musician of the Year.

A fixture in the Shoals music scene since the early 1970s, McAnally was gracious in victory, but first and foremost, complimentary of the other nominees, including Jerry Douglas, who McAnally called the best dobro player in the world, steel guitarist Paul Franklin and guitarists Brent Mason and Dann Huff.

“Those are all guys I get the honor of sitting and playing with,” McAnally said. “It meant a lot to be thought of in that context. It’s certainly an honor, not something I would ever expect.”

McAnally has been nominated for the award in 2007 and 2008, mostly, he said, for his work with George Strait and Jimmy Buffett.

“Buffett keeps me busy more than anything,” McAnally said. “We’re good song writing buddies.”

He said Buffett gives people the impression of an artist kicked back on the beach in flip flops, but he’s really thinking of things to do every day.

But the work is always fun, McAnally adds.

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Veteran Coral Reefer Band member Mac McAnally has been nominated by the Country Music Association for Musician of the Year. Here are the other nominees in the category:

• Jerry Douglas (guitar)
• Paul Franklin (steel guitar)
• Dann Huff (guitar)
• Brent Mason (guitar)

McAnally was also nominated in 2007 for Musician of the Year, but did not win.

Be sure to watch the CMA Awards on Wednesday, November 12th on ABC!

Good luck to Mac!

Kenny Chesney’s upcoming new album, “Lucky Old Sun”, will include a version of Coral Reefer Mac McAnally’s “Down The Road”. Mac also sings on the track, according to the listing at Amazon.com.

You can watch Mac’s music video for “Down The Road” from 1994 in our Video Gallery.

This isn’t the first time that Chesney has recorded a McAnally song. A perennial favorite on tour, “Back Where I Come From” was recorded for Chesney’s 1996 album “Me And You”, and also appeared as a live track on the 2000 “Greatest Hits” album.

You can pre-order “Lucky Old Sun” now at Amazon.com by clicking here.

Also, visit our sister site… ChesneyWorld.com.