Al McCree's Biography

In addition to being a professional speaker, songwriter, entrepreneur and retired Air Force fighter pilot, Al McCree is CEO and owner of Altissimo! Recordings, a record label featuring music of the U.S. military bands, orchestras and ensembles.

McCree founded Altissimo! Recordings in 1991, after retiring from the service. While in the Air Force, McCree was asked by a general to write and record a song in honor of Air Force families. The result was "We Are All A Family," which led to McCree's interest in military recordings, licensing and the musicís commercial release.

"I discovered there was a vast collection of music that had never been commercially available. I obtained the rights to the music, formed Altissimo!, and decided to share these wonderful recordings with the public," said McCree.

Altissimo! Recordings now catalogs 23 albums, with four new projects released each year. The music, all licensed from the U.S. Armed Forces, includes brass concert standards as well as jazz and bluegrass.

In addition to "We Are All A Family," which became the theme song for U.S. Air Force families, McCree has written hundreds of customized songs for his clients and several award-winning jingles. Other song credits include "America Works," the official theme for National Payroll Week; "Unsung Heroes," the official theme song for Mississippi Special Olympics; the title song for the Greek version of "The Owl and The Pussycat;" and the theme song for the 1983 International Marathon, held in Athens, Greece.

A native of Orlando, Florida, McCree graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1969 and attended pilot training in Columbus, MS. He was then assigned to Vietnam where he flew 196 combat sorties and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and numerous Air Medals.

He was next stationed in Texas. As an instructor pilot, he was twice named Instructor Pilot of the Year, and was recognized as the Best in the Air Force for his abilities to lead and organize voluntary community efforts. He also earned a Masters Degree in Systems Management from St. Mary's University in San Antonio. He subsequently was assigned to the F4 fighter and flew extensively in Germany and throughout Europe.

After attending the Air Command and Staff College in 1982-83, McCree was assigned to the American Embassy in Athens, Greece as a liaison officer. Returning to Columbus, MS., he served as the T-38 Squadron Operations Officer until he became the Commander of an aircraft maintenance organization. Under his leadership, this 550-person squadron consistently received outstanding ratings in evaluations and competitions. His last assignment was as Deputy Base Commander.

He retired from the Air Force in 1989, and moved to Brentwood, Tennessee, where he formed Altissimo! Recordings.

As a speaker, McCree has conducted programs on such topics as leadership, sales, customer service, and professional development for corporations and associations throughout the country. His corporate clients include Featherlite Trailers, Apple Computer, Gulf Stream Aerospace, Maytag, The Franklin Life Insurance Company, and Lanier Worldwide. His association clients include the National Association of Life Underwriters, the Association for Service Management International, the Kentucky Petroleum Marketers Association, the Tennessee Safety Congress, and the National Fraternal Congress of America. Educational organizations include the National Association of Teacher Educators, the Maryland/DC Association for School Business Officials, The Tennessee Academy of School Leaders, and ASBO International.

Today, Al McCree continues with his successful run as an accredited national speaker, accomplished songwriter and owner of a growing independent record label.

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