Stats
Biography
Campbell’s earliest excursion as a musician came when he played the piano in his mother’s Baptist church from the age of 10 to 18. Under the strong influence of gospel and country music, and still in his teenage years, Campbell formed the band Out of the Blue, and began his journey of spell-binding audiences. The singer subsequently moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue his country music dream, and ended up providing demo sessions for other artists and earning residency at the revered club The Stage.
With persuasion from singer Luke Bryan, Campbell began recording demos, which, along with a live performance at The Stage, caught the attention of Keith Stegall of Bigger Picture Music Group. In July 2010, after signing with Bigger Picture, the musician released his debut single “Family Man”. The single peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs, and introduced Campbell’s deep, expressive and sincere vocal delivery. The EP “Five Spot” arrived shortly after, followed by the singer-songwriter’s debut self-titled album released in April 2011. Issued by Bigger Picture Music Group, the album peaked at No. 65 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the subsequent hits “Fish” and “When I Get It”.
Ahead of his sophomore album, Campbell released the EP “Outta My Head” at the tail end of 2012, featuring the single of the same name. The single “Keep Them Kisses Comin’” subsequently arrived in 2013, which marked the singer-songwriter’s most successful hit. Taken from the full-length “Never Regret”, the single aided the album’s favourable reviews and respectable chart placement.
Live reviews
Striking country musician Craig Campbell has captured imaginations and a number of hearts with his lyrics and paired good looks. He is a huge success Stateside where there is huge demand for the country genre and he commands a large following for his live performance. He has been working the circuits for many years yet did not release his solo debut album until 2011 yet by that time the fanbase had made itself known and the record was an instant chart success.
He followed it up with an equally strong sophomore album and his ascension to larger stages continued at a fairly natural pace. He took this ascension within his stride and collated a number of supporting musicians for the performance without overcomplicating the formula. Playing a variety of hits including 'Fish' and 'Outta My Head' he demonstrates some ingenuity as an artist and an ability to react to the modern music scene with an unexpected cover of 'Royals' by Lorde. He finishes on the stomp-along 'Keep Them Kisses Coming' which has the whole audience of fans old and new singing along at full volume much to Craig's clear delight.
When you see Craig Campbell’s triumphant cowboy hat you just know that he’s in the business of making quality country music. With 5 of his songs having now seen the US country chart, creeping further up the standings with each release, we might just be seeing the beginning of this man’s career – if this success continues he might flourish into country’s next star. Thankfully he already has a star-quality live show to follow it all up with.
Craig’s voice is perfect for live, full of a classic country twang it is rich and powerful but clear enough to lead a set. His charming songs, especially ones like ‘Outta My Head’ and ‘Keep Them Kisses Coming’ make for touching experiences live, especially powerful when you are sharing the moment with your significant other. In fact Craig’s songs are powerful enough to transport the crowd into their own movie scenes, evoking memories of all the great moments in life. His shows are a feel-good country experience that will have you coming back time and time again to try and recapture the high they give.
Craig Campbell is one of my favorite country artists. Not only is he a wonderful singer/songwriter, but he is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He loves and appreciates his fans and treats them right! At the 8/25/16 "Here's to the Heroes" concert at Vapor in Saratoga Springs, NY, he did what he always does, he delivered a great performance. It was an acoustic show and instead of a set list, he just went from song to song taking requests and having fun with the audience. If he comes to your area, you do want to go see him, you will love him!
Craig was AMAZING at Eddie's Attic. This was not a full band set - he was the only one on the stage with his guitar & keyboard. His vocals were unreal, hitting every note with a full & clear sound. Craig was responsive to the small audience in this intimate setting. He played a few of his top hits, a Christmas carol, and a new unreleased song off his upcoming album. Overall - 10/10.
I've seen Craig 2 times at Eddie's Attic. Both were fantastic. Eddie's Attic is a "listening room" where acoustic sets are played in an intimate setting. No flashy lights, just uninterrupted music. Craig's voice & talent on the piano & guitar are unparalleled. Highly recommend seeing Craig in a small intimate setting or on a big stage. He really connects with the audience.