Country musician and songwriter Craig Campbell dishes about being a rebellious child, raising his own family, and making it on the big stage.
Country musician Craig Campbell doesn’t just sing about being a family man, his appropriately named hit single tells an autobiographical story about his experiences as a father, son, and husband. He is the “Family Man.” His first song on the big stage from his self-titled debut album has been landing in top charts in the country music business, and his humbling reputation is a blueprint for all aspiring countrymen.
Who has taught you about manhood?
I’d have to say my step-dad. He and my mom married when I was seven. I was a bad kid, and I was into some things that had me going down the wrong road. When he came in, he was a strong, southern Baptist guy, and we started going to church twice on Sundays and every Wednesday night. My mom allowed him to discipline us at his discretion. If you had asked me then, I was have said, “This is terrible. He’s beating the crap put of me, and I don’t like him.” But now, I look back, and it’s definitely the reason I feel like I am the man I am today.
What two words describe your step-dad?
Strong and morale.
How are you most unlike him?
Well, he smoked a lot. He died of throat cancer, and I watched him slowly pass away over the course of a couple years. Cancer was a pretty bad deal for him, so it’s definitely a good reason not to smoke. I definitely don’t do it because of that, which is one reason. My momma tells me that my idiosyncrasies — the way I twiddle my fingers, the way I talk, the way I look — is more like my dad, even though I don’t know him that well.
Who is the best dad you know, and how does he earn that distinction?
My girls tell me that I am. But I mean, hands down, he (step-dad) was a good guy. He saved me from going to prison or even dying. If you show somebody the right way to do things and then you make them do it at a young, impressionable age, the end result is going to be good. I owe everything to my step-dad. He was a good man, and he taught me everything I know.
From which of your mistakes did you learn the most?
When I moved to Nashville, I was living with a friend. We were roommates for a little while, and then he decided he wanted to move back home. For about two weeks, I was a little homesick, and I had nobody to talk to. I was almost fixing to come home, but then I talk to Momma, and she said, “Baby, there’s nothing here for you. You need to tough it out.” I woke up the next day, and it was almost like somebody turned on a switch — that was a turning point for me.
Have you been more successful in your public or private life?
I think I’m two for two. I married up, for sure. I found my best friend. I think we are perfect — we are so amazing. And then, heck, I got a hit song on the radio. It’s definitely good to see the fruits of my labor finally paying off and seeing the song doing so well. I’m doing well in both areas.
What was one of the best tips you ever received?
When I first moved to Nashville, I wasn’t primarily writing songs. I was good friends with Luke Bryan and it was one of the best pieces of advice that he ever gave me — he just told me to keep writing, so I really dove in. He was right — it opened up so many doors. When I write songs, it’s better for me to go to a crowd of people and say, “Here is a song I wrote,” as opposed to, “Here is a song that I like.” Not only that, every song that I write is a little bit of me.
What was one of your biggest challenges along the way?
The biggest challenge for me was meeting the right people. For the first six years I lived in Nashville, I was playing and singing, and trying to make something happen. It wasn’t until I met Michael Powers and Keith Stegall that the wheels finally started turning.
Has romantic love shaped you as a man?
She (wife) is absolutely one of my biggest fans, but at the same time, she has coached me along the way. I played piano for her for years, and then she’d come to my shows. She’d say, “You know what you’re holding your head down too much, or you’re sticking your tongue out.” She’s been an awesome coach and critic but she’s also one of my biggest fans.
When was the last time you cried?
I’d have to say when I was listening to a St. Jude Radiothon the other day, and I heard one of these stories. I just started tearing up, driving down the road.
What have you learned about being a man from being a musician?
A lot of people in the music business are very selfish and very self-centered. They will tell you anything to get stuff that they want and to advance themselves in the music business. I, on the other hand, feel like if somebody looks you in the face and tells you something, then they need to stick to it. If you’re not, then just don’t say you’re going to.
What’s the inspiration for your hit single, Family Man?
Me and a friend of mine — Joel Shewmake, he’s a great writer, great singer — had a writing appointment one day and one of the first ideas he threw out at me was Family Man. It was more of an up-tempo, rocking kind of thing. We set it aside and started working on something else. Then he was playing around on his guitar, messing around with this melody, and I said, “That is the melody for Family Man” — let’s do that. Then he started telling me more about what he was talking about, being a family man, and then he started talking about his family. I was like, wow, that is neat. I said, “You know, my wife is pregnant, so this is almost too good to be true. We gotta write this — this is a story that I want to tell.” So we got together, started writing it, and headed down a really good road with it. We ended up bringing in another guy, Jon Henderson, to finish it with us. To this day — shoot — it’s one of my favorite songs.
What advice would you give teenage boys trying to figure out what it means to be a good man?
Advice from me would be: if it feels like it’s wrong, then it probably it is. If you’re ashamed to tell somebody you’re doing something, then it’s probably wrong, so don’t do it.
For Bonus Points: What is the your most cherished ritual as a guy?
When I’m home, it’s taking my family to church.
—Photo courtesy of Craig Campbell