Edwin graduated from
Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville, South Carolina
[2] Long time touring friends with
Hootie and the Blowfish, the Edwin McCain band signed with same label,
Atlantic Records. In 1994, he recorded his first major-label album,
Honor Among Thieves under the
Lava Records imprint (
Matchbox Twenty,
Kid Rock and
Jewel). The record was then released in 1995. His second album,
Misguided Roses, spawned "
I'll Be", a major hit single in 1998. This song is also featured on the charitable album,
Live in the X Lounge, along with a live version of "Solitude". It was also featured in the 2000 drama television show,
Higher Ground, as well as the 2004 teen flick,
A Cinderella Story.
Having fulfilled his four-album contract, McCain split from Lava/Atlantic at the end of 2001. In early 2003 he released a collection of acoustic versions of songs both old and new called
The Austin Sessions via
ATC Records, a
Nashville-based independent record label (at which McCain was the first artist signed following its creation in 2001.)
Sessions, recorded in roughly 20 days, punctuated McCain's major-label departure with an intentionally stripped-down sound, and offered some fan favorites from his early days of touring, including
Dire Straits' "Romeo and Juliet". The album, coupled with McCain's first DVD,
Mile Marker: Songs and Stories from the Acoustic Highway (2002) – which consisted of interviews, live performances and other material – served as a thank-you to long-time followers. In a May 2003 interview with
Billboard, McCain noted, "The whole package is sort of saying, 'I'm back doing what I started doing.'" Around the same time, the ever-busy musician also hosted "Inside Music With Edwin McCain", a syndicated show on the
Sirius radio network.
Mid-2004 saw the arrival of his first studio album in three years, entitled
Scream & Whisper, which was released on another indie label,
DRT Entertainment. Later that same year, McCain made time in his tour schedule to run the 35th Annual
New York City Marathon. In an interview in the August 2004 issue of
Runner's World, McCain said of training on the road: "You just pick your spots. One of the things that comes in handy depends on how far away the hotel is from the venue...For example, the other day the hotel was five miles away from the club where I was performing, so once we got to the club and got sound checked I threw on my running clothes then ran back to the hotel. Little things like that help." In late 2004 McCain released his second DVD,
Tinsel and Tap Shoes. It was his first live concert DVD, recorded at The House of Blues in
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Co-written & performed with singer/songwriter
Maia Sharp, McCain released a single, "Hold Out a Hand." This song, available for a 99-cent download on
iTunes, gives all profits to the relief of the hurricane victims of 2005.
McCain's next album,
Lost in America, was released on April 11, 2006 on
Vanguard Records. Said to be a true "rock 'n roll" collection,
Lost in America contained three singles: "Truly Believe", "The Kiss" and live-favorite "
Gramercy Park Hotel", which pays homage to the New York City landmark and its colorful patrons (including baseball legend
Babe Ruth.)
Edwin's subsequent recording, a collection of R&B cover songs entitled "Nobody's Fault But Mine", was produced by
Tor Hyams and released through Saguaro Road Records on June 24, 2008 and included a version of
Soul Brothers Six song "Some Kind of Wonderful."
On May 17, 2009, Edwin performed on board
USS John C. Stennis, while the carrier was on a Western Pacific deployment in the vicinity of Guam.
The following year saw the release of The Best of Edwin McCain, a twenty-year career retrospective that included a cross-section of material as well as a new single, "Walk With You" (produced by
