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Mississippi Delta Country Star, Steve Azar, Writes Campaign for McDonald’s Breakfast
In 2015, McDonald’s burger chain announced that the company will start serving an all day breakfast menu at its locations and country music singer and Mississippi native, Steve Azar, is part of that campaign.
Proven to be successful, McDonald’s restaurant reported a increase in sales in the company’s third quarter of 2015, after it started offering certain breakfast items on its all day menu in on Oct. 6. According to Forbes, the company expects their number of customers per restaurant to increase to 753,000 people by 2022, which would be a five percent increase from today.
According to Azar, he was asked to write and record a song for the All Day Breakfast Campaign, and in true Delta fashion, Azar added a touch of Mississippi Delta flare to the song and video. From riding across the Mississippi River bridge in Greenville, passing crop fields and adding a Blues guitar sound to the mix, which the Delta is known for, Azar’s artistic abilities add a touch of Southern Charm to the All Day Breakfast Campaign.
“I was asked to write and record a song more (for) my friends “The Retzer’s” and their McDonald’s All Day Breakfast campaign,” Azar said to his fans on Facebook. “They have been so generous to our Foundation and supportive of Music Festival, and appreciate them so much. So, here ya go, the video debut. And just FYI, I seriously dig an egg white delight! Just sayin’.”
Born and raised in Greenville, Mississippi, Azar grew up being influenced by Delta Blues legends such as B.B. King, Sam Chattom, Little Milton, Albert King and Roosevelt (Booba) Barnes. While in college at Delta State University, Azar became a popular headliner at the university and well-known Blues clubs.
“Where I grew up in the Delta, there was always something new that came into my life and inspired me to write music,” Azar said. “Whether its pain, hope, joy, laughter or sadness, there are always emotions that you experience, we all do. I’ve written about those emotions since I was about 11 years old.”
After moving to Nashville and landing a record deal with the record label, Mercury Nashville, Azar released his first hit album on country charts called “Waitin’ on Joe”. His first single on that album, “I don’t have to be me ’till Monday” reached No. 2 on country charts across the nation and still one of the top five country songs played today. Another single from that album called “Waitin’ on Joe” reached No. 1 on the country charts and enlisted the help of actor and Mississippi native, Morgan Freeman, to help tell a story about life along the Mississippi River.
Today, Azar lives in Greenville, where he is raising his family in the Delta. Azar is the founder of the Mighty Mississippi Music Festival and spends time doing charity work and his apart of Ride Records.
Congratulations Steve, from one Deltan to another!
Emily Newton is a staff writer for hottytoddy.com and the editor of Experience Oxford magazine. A recent graduate of the University of Mississippi Meek School of Journalism and New Media, Emily was raised in the Mississippi Delta and has listened to Azar’s music since childhood. She can be reached at emily.newton@hottytoddy.com.
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