Gene Watson Peer's Quote from Charlie Craig: February 2010
Gene Watson's peers within the country music industry believe in the sheer talent of this unassuming man from east Texas, so much so that Gene is regarded by many of them as 'the singer's singer' - and rightly so!
All of Gene Watson's Peers who were contacted during 2010 were most gracious with their time and words. It is here, within this special part of the Gene Watson Fan Site, that you have an opportunity to read a quote from Charlie Craig, which he submitted to this site on Thursday 4 February 2010.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Charlie Craig who made a special contribution to this unique part of this online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.
Charlie Craig
This quote was submitted on Thursday 4 February 2010.
'Sean, yes, I am co-writer (with Keith Stegall) on 'Atlanta Anymore' that Gene Watson recorded. Thank you for the nice compliment.
As far as Gene Watson is concerned, I consider him to be one of the best country music vocalists of all time. His delivery of a song is always heartfelt and his sound is refreshingly unique.
I have had the pleasure of meeting Gene on a few occasions and found him to be a gentleman with a down-to-earth personality.
I hope Gene Watson never stops singing and recording because the world of country music is always blessed whenever we get the opportunity to hear him perform'.
Thank you, Charlie Craig, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Charlie Craig...
Charlie Craig was born on Friday 30 September 1938 and was raised in Watts Mill, South Carolina, a cotton mill village two miles from the city square in Laurens, South Carolina. Charlie Craig performed on a Saturday morning 'live' radio show at the age of fifteen in Laurens singing as a duet with a high school friend.
Charlie Craig began working clubs, high school auditoriums and theatres after graduating from high school. In 1968, Charlie Craig moved to Nashville and began a forty-year song-writing career which lasted right up until his death on Friday 1 July 2011.
In his autobiography 'Old Memories And Me', Charlie Craig states: 'Looking back on my life in this dazzling world of country music, I sometimes wonder if I am somebody else and not that kid from Watts Mill, South Carolina that used to sit up on an iron rail across from the cotton mill and daydream about the life I have been living in this business of country music for more than forty years.
How could I possibly have known that the Sears and Roebuck Silvertone guitar I got when I was about fourteen years old would lay the musical path to Nashville and pair me up with the likes of Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 - Friday 12 September 2003) and a lot of other great stars. It still amazes me how this all happened.
I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I didn't know anybody important. I didn't even have a rabbit's foot. So why me? I don't honestly know. I do believe that God gave me a gift and something inspired me to take that gift & make it my craft'.
Some of Charlie Craig's more than three hundred recorded credits as a songwriter are listed below:
Bobby Bare recorded Charlie Craig's 'Chicken Every Sunday' (co-written with Betty Craig) and included the track on 'This I Believe' (RCA Records, 1966).
Jeannie C. Riley recorded Charlie Craig's 'Generation Gap' (co-written with Betty Craig and Jim Hayner) and included the track on 'Generation Gap' (Plantation Records, 1970).
Dolly Parton recorded Charlie Craig's 'Chicken Every Sunday' (co-written with Betty Craig) and included the track on 'Joshua' (RCA Records, 1971).
Kitty Wells (Saturday 30 August 1919 - Monday 16 July 2012) recorded Charlie Craig's 'Every Step Of The Way' and included the track on 'Yours Truly' (MCA Records, 1973).
Jeannie C. Riley recorded Charlie Craig's 'Everyday With You' and included the track on 'When Love Has Gone Away' (MGM Records, 1973).
Del Reeves (Thursday 14 July 1932 - Monday 1 January 2007) recorded Charlie Craig's 'Lay A Little Lovin' On Me' (co-written with Anne Reeves) and included the track on 'Live At The Palomino Club' (United Artists Records, 1974).
Del Reeves (Thursday 14 July 1932 - Monday 1 January 2007) recorded Charlie Craig's 'I Would Like To See You Again' (co-written with Larry Atwood) and included the track on 'With Strings And Things' (United Artists Records, 1975).
Kenny Rogers recorded Charlie Craig's 'I Would Like To See You Again' (co-written with Larry Atwood) and included the track on 'Love Lifted Me' (United Artists Records, 1976).
Billie Jo Spears (Friday 14 January 1938 - Wednesday 14 December 2011) and Del Reeves (Thursday 14 July 1932 - Monday 1 January 2007) recorded Charlie Craig's 'On The Rebound' (co-written with Larry Atwood) and included the track on 'By Request' (United Artists Records, 1976).
Don Williams recorded Charlie Craig's 'I Would Like To See You Again' (co-written with Larry Atwood) and included the track on 'Expressions' (ABC Records, 1978).
Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 - Friday 12 September 2003) recorded Charlie Craig's 'I Would Like To See You Again' (co-written with Larry Atwood) and included the track on 'I Would Like to See You Again' (Columbia Records, 1978).
Billie Jo Spears (Thursday 14 January 1937 - Wednesday 14 December 2011) recorded Charlie Craig's 'Rainy Days And Stormy Nights' and included the track on 'I Will Survive' (United Artists Records, 1979).
Moe Bandy recorded Charlie Craig's 'Following The Feeling' (co-written with Keith Stegall) and included the track on 'Following the Feeling' (Columbia Records, 1980); the track reached No.10 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1980 and was a duet with Judy Bailey.
Moe Bandy recorded Charlie Craig's 'Loser And A Fool' and included the track on 'Rodeo Romeo' (Columbia Records, 1981).
John Anderson recorded Charlie Craig's 'Makin' Love And Makin' Out' and included the track on 'John Anderson 2' (Warner Bros. Records, 1981).
Moe Bandy recorded Charlie Craig's 'Let's Get Over Them Together' (co-written with Keith Stegall) and included the track on 'Devoted To Your Memory' (Columbia Records, 1983); the track reached No.10 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1983 and was a duet with Becky Hobbs.
George Strait recorded Charlie Craig's 'Every Time It Rains (Lord, Don't It Pour)' (co-written with Keith Stegall) and included the track on 'Right or Wrong' (MCA Records, 1983).
Ed Bruce recorded Charlie Craig's 'I Think I'm In Love' and included the track on 'You're Not Leaving Here Tonight' (MCA Records, 1983).
Conway Twitty (Friday 1 September 1933 - Saturday 5 June 1993) recorded Charlie Craig's 'I Think I'm In Love' and included the track on 'Lost In The Feeling' (Warner Bros. Records, 1983).
Moe Bandy recorded Charlie Craig's 'Your Memory Always Finds Its Way Back Home' and included the track on 'Motel Matches' (Columbia Records, 1984).
Janie Fricke recorded Charlie Craig's 'She's Single Again' (co-written with Peter McCann) and included the track on 'Somebody Else's Fire' (Columbia Records, 1985); the track reached No.2 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1985.
Reba McEntire recorded Charlie Craig's 'She's Single Again' (co-written with Peter McCann) and included the track on 'Have I Got a Deal for You' (MCA Records, 1985).
Gene Watson recorded Charlie Craig's 'Atlanta Anymore' (co-written with Keith Stegall) and included the track on 'Starting New Memories' (Epic Records, 1986).
Keith Whitley (Thursday 1 July 1954 - Tuesday 9 May 1989) recorded Charlie Craig's 'Between An Old Memory And Me' (co-written with Keith Stegall) and included the track on 'I Wonder Do You Think of Me' (RCA Records, 1988).
Marty Stuart recorded Charlie Craig's 'Matches' (co-written with Keith Stegall) and included the track on 'Let There Be Country' (Columbia Records, 1988); the album, however, was not released by Columbia Records until 1992.
Lorrie Morgan recorded Charlie Craig's 'I'll Take The Memories' (co-written with Keith Stegall) and included the track on 'Leave A Light On' (RCA Records, 1989).
Alan Jackson recorded Charlie Craig's 'Wanted' (co-written with Alan Jackson) and included the track on 'Here In The Real World' (Arista Records, 1990).
Waylon Jennings (Tuesday 15 June 1937 - Wednesday 13 February 2002) recorded Charlie Craig's 'Waking Up With You' (co-written with Roger Murrah and Waylon Jennings) and included the track on 'The Eagle' (Epic Records, 1990).
Aaron Tippin recorded Charlie Craig's 'I Miss Misbehaving' and included the track on 'Read Between The Lines' (RCA Records, 1991).
Alan Jackson recorded Charlie Craig's 'Tropical Depression' (co-written with Jim McBride and Alan Jackson) and included the track on 'A Lot About Livin' And A Little About Love' (Arista Records, 1992).
Shenandoah recorded Charlie Craig's 'Leaving's Been A Long Time Coming' and included the track on 'Long Time Coming' (RCA Records, 1992).
Travis Tritt recorded Charlie Craig's 'Between An Old Memory And Me' (co-written with Keith Stegall) and included the track on 'Ten Feet Tall And Bulletproof' (Warner Bros. Records, 1994).
Aaron Tippin recorded Charlie Craig's 'She's Got A Way (Of Making Me Forget)' (co-written with Aaron Tippin) and included the track on 'Lookin' Back At Myself' (RCA Records, 1994).
Alan Jackson recorded Charlie Craig's 'All American Country Boy' (co-written with Keith Stegall) and included the track on 'Who I Am' (Arista Records, 1994).
Tanya Tucker recorded Charlie Craig's 'I'll Take The Memories' (co-written with Keith Stegall) and included the track on 'Fire To Fire' (Liberty Records, 1995).
Keith Stegall recorded Charlie Craig's 'Every Time It Rains (Lord, Don't It Pour)' (co-written with Keith Stegall) and included the track on 'Passages' (Mercury Records, 1996).
Mark Wills recorded Charlie Craig's 'Love Is Alive' (co-written with Shane Teeters and Bruce Bouton) and included the track on 'Wish You Were Here' (Mercury Records, 1998).
Alan Jackson recorded Charlie Craig's 'What A Day Yesterday Was' (co-written with Mel Besher) and included the track on 'High Mileage' (Arista Records, 1999).
Alan Jackson recorded Charlie Craig's 'Bring On The Night' (co-written with Keith Stegall and Alan Jackson) and included the track on 'Drive' (Arista Records, 2002).
Charlie Craig's other credentials include a Grammy Nomination for 'The Generation Gap', 'Nominated Song Of The Year' for 'Wanted' and 'Nominated Song Of The Year' for 'She's Single Again'.
Charlie also wrote 'One Foot Dragging', which was used on the television show 'Northern Exposure', and was performed by The Coasters.
Charlie Craig also received the honour of having five of his songs, two of which were 'The Best Bedroom In Town' and 'Champagne Ladies And Barroom Babies', included on the soundtrack of Robert Duval's Academy Award winning movie 'Tender Mercies' in 1984.
Charlie Craig is also proud to have accomplished the following:
Induction into the South Carolina Entertainment Hall of Fame in 1998
Producer of the Nashville Super Pickers - (two singles were released from this album)
Producer of two developmental acts for Warner Brothers Records
Worked in A&R for Giant Records
Worked in A&R and Promotion with Gusto Records
Worked with several special acts at the beginning of their careers, acts that went on to become super stars, including Alan Jackson, Randy Travis and The Wilkinsons
Charlie Craig was also directly responsible for the signing of Tracy Hagen and The Wilkinsons to their respective record deals.
Charlie Craig has also recorded an album, 'Old Memories And Me', on which he performed twelve hit songs he had written for some of Nashville, and country music's biggest stars.
In 2008, Charlie Craig saw the release of 'The Hit Maker' (Gusto Records, 2008).
Charlie Craig's career included a number of special anendotes, including hiring a then unknown Charlie Daniels to play guitar, paying newcomer Alan Jackson to sing a demo, spending time with cowboy hero Roy Rogers (Sunday 5 November 1911 - Monday 6 July 1998), whom he introduced to Johnny Cash (Friday 26 February 1932 - Friday 12 September 2003), and he reportedly helped get The Wilkinsons their recording deal.
Charlie Craig was twice nominated for 'Song Of The Year' and was inducted into the South Carolina Entertainment Hall of Fame in 1998; he also worked in A&R with both Giant Records and Gusto Records.
On Friday 1 July 2011, Charlie Craig passed away; Charlie was seventy-three years old and died of lung cancer.
Charlie Craig's funeral service took place at Bond Memorial Chapel in Nashville at 2.00pm on Sunday 3 July 2011.
Charlie Craig: Friday 30 September 1938 - Friday 1 July 2011
Visit Charlie Craig's Official Site