Gabi Dugal Knew Scotty McCreery since They Were Kids – All We Know about the Singer's Wife

2011 "American Idol" winner and famous country music singer Scotty McCreery and his wife, Gabi Dugal, married in 2018 and welcomed their first child, Merrick Avery, in 2022. The couple has known each other since their kindergarten days.

Scotty McCreery was born in Garner, North Carolina, on October 9, 1993. His musical breakthrough came after participating in the tenth "American Idol" season. His outstanding guitar-playing and singing skills saw him win the competition and marked the launch of a successful music career.

His music career aside, Scotty is also doing well in his private life. He managed to tie the knot with his gorgeous wife and longtime girlfriend, Gabi Dugal, in 2018. In 2022, they announced that they were expecting their first child together.

Who Is Gabi Dugal?

Like her husband, Gabi Dugal was also born in Garner, North Carolina. She was born six months after her husband, on April 8, 1994. After high school, she went to study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill while her then-boyfriend attended their rival -- North Carolina State University.

She eventually graduated from the university with a degree in nursing in 2016. She immediately started working in the Pediatric Cardiac ICU at Duke Hospital in Durham, North Carolina.

Her husband was on hand to congratulate his wife. A picture posted on Instagram of them at the graduation ceremony had a caption that read:

"If you know anything about me, you know wearing that shade of blue in chapel hill is something I would normally only do if I lost a bet. But I was proud to wear it today in support of her graduating from the school of nursing at UNC-CH."

How Did Scotty McCreery and His Wife First Meet?

Gabi Dugal and Scotty McCreery have known each other since they were toddlers. The two first met in kindergarten at Timber Drive Elementary School.

During their days at nursery school, Gabi already had a vision of being Mrs. McCreery one day. During an interview with Harry Connick Jr., Scotty revealed, "She'll kill me for saying this, but in her kindergarten diary, she had 'Mrs. Gabi McCreery' written in hearts all over."

Nevertheless, the preschool classmates only started dating much later in their lives as high school seniors at Garner Magnet High School. This was when Scotty's musical career began to take shape, having won "American Idol" while still in high school. They then dated for another five years before they finally got engaged.

Gabi Dugal and Scotty McCreery Get Married

After half a decade of courtship, Scotty McCreery, with a specially designed ring, went down on one knee and asked his high school sweetheart to marry him. The engagement took place on top of a mountain, providing great views for the couple's special day. Speaking on their engagement, an ecstatic Scotty said:

"I've been planning this moment for so long that it feels surreal for it to have finally happened. Gabi is the perfect girl and my true love, and I cannot wait to begin building our life together as husband and wife."

Gabi and Scotty were joined in holy matrimony the following year, in June 2018. The wedding took place in the mountains of North Carolina, just like their engagement. This time though, it was at Twickenham House and Hall and with more than 200 guests in attendance.

Life As a Married Couple

Having known each other since their kindergarten days, grown up together, and spent six years dating before eventually getting married, the couple, who had never lived together prior to their wedding, did not have any trouble adjusting to their new life as a married couple.

Gabi Dugal's husband was excited about the prospect of being a father.

After they got married, they moved into their new house in Raleigh, North Carolina, which is closer to Gabi's workplace. Accompanying them in moving into their new home were various personalized wedding gifts, including a McCreery clock and cutting board.

Does Scotty McCreery Have Kids with Gabi Dugal?

When Scotty McCreery and his wife, Gabi Dugal, began their marriage, they decided they wanted to live a free life, doing things such as traveling without parental responsibilities. Years into their marriage, Scotty told People that the couple had done what they had set out to do, and the conversation about having kids had started.

The following year, in June 2022, they announced that a new member would be joining their family soon. The country music singer said he had known since February that he would be a father by the end of the year. Combining that news with his "Damn Strait" success, Scotty said he had not stopped smiling.

Gabi Dugal's husband was excited about the prospect of being a father. He was already thinking about the kind of father he would be, saying: "I want to strike that balance of he's my best friend, but I'm also his father. I'm there to help him, try to raise him to be a strong, respectful man."

On October 24, 2022, eleven days earlier than expected, Gabi and Scotty welcomed Merrick Avery McCreery. The baby boy was named after Gabi's father. He was delivered weighing 7 lbs., 13 oz., and measuring 21 inches at birth.

From crushing on each other in kindergarten to being high school sweethearts, and with a rivalry between their colleges that did not affect them, with Scotty even walking around Chapel Hill in his girlfriend's scrubs on several occasions after losing bets, Scotty McCreery's wife, Gabi Dugal, has been by his side through it all.