Our Artist of the Week – Craig Campbell
Craig Campbell Bio
In a world fueled by the smoke and mirror act of overnight success, Campbell has long
been admired for his patience and persistence on the road less travelled. A consistent
balancing act of traditional values and modern industry trends, Campbell is also
considered by many to be one of the most talented yet under the radar stars, across all
genres. The magic of the keys brought him his hunger for music as a child. The good
ole’ down home boy grew up playing his mother’s piano and singing in church. After
graduating high school, he took a job as a corrections officer in his hometown of Lyons,
Georgia. But music never left his side. Taking a cue from the sounds of classic country
and idols like Travis Tritt and Randy Travis, Campbell started a band and played local
and national bar gigs. When the guitar player quit, Campbell took that as a sign to
chase his dreams all the way to Nashville, Tennessee.
With two Starting in 2002, the young hopeful spent the next several years paying his
dues as a demo singer by day and Lower Broadway gigger by night. He connected with
fellow South Georgia native Luke Bryan and started touring as his keyboard player. A
year and a half long keyboard stint with Tracy Byrd soon followed, and he took over as
bandleader down at The Stage on Tuesday nights on his non-touring days. His smooth
chops and hot blooded stage presence soon caught the eye of industry execs and in
2009, Campbell signed his first record deal.
His debut single, “Family Man,” hit the Billboard top 15 in 2011. “Outta My Head” also
cracked the top 15, catchy tune “Fish” garnered more than 10 million demand streams.
His 2014 breakout hit “Keep Them Kisses Comin’” was on its way up the charts when
Campbell got the unexpected that his label had closed. He and his devoted team
continued to press radio stations around the country, so much so that the single ended
an impressive run well inside the Top 10, which is unheard of for a song with no
financial backing.
He signed with Red Bow Records, a division of the Broken Bow umbrella, and
“Tomorrow Tonight” made it into the top 40, followed by perhaps his most poignant and
well-known work to date, “Outskirts of Heaven.” “Outskirts” showcased Campbell’s
vulnerability and deep rooted faith and was praised by Rolling Stone and Taste of
Country, among others.
The impact of “Outskirts” prompted media appearances and memorable performances
at nationally televised NFL games, the TODAY show, CMA Fest, and the Grand Ole
Opry, the latter of which he has made over 50 appearances to date. And in a full circle
moment, the down home Georgia boy reunited with buddy Luke Bryan on his highly
successful 2017 Huntin’, Fishin’, and Lovin’ Every Day Tour.
In the summer of 2018, Campbell released his first new music in five years with his “See
You Try” EP on Broken Bow. The title track became an instant crowd pleaser with its
confident, flirty lyrics and boot stompin’ melody. The EP also found a home for both an
electric and acoustic version of “Outskirts of Heaven.” By August of 2018, Campbell and
Broken Bow had mutually parted ways. After a two-year break, he came back last year
with the highly anticipated single, “It’s About Time.”