Biography
Born 10 September 1900 in Dickson, Tennessee, USA, and deceased 19 November 1966 in Sewanee, Tennessee, USA, Craig mastered the piano during childhood. Following his World War I military service he assembled an ensemble for regular engagements at Nashville’s Hermitage Hotel, remaining there more than twenty years while maintaining a steady broadcast schedule. Among the musicians and vocalists linked to the group were Phil Harris, Dinah Shore, future Casa Loma Orchestra vocalist Kenny Sargent, and James Melton, who later performed tenor roles at the Metropolitan Opera.
In 1947 Craig secured national exposure by cutting his own composition “Near You,” lyrics supplied by Kermit Goell, which highlighted his signature keyboard approach and featured a vocal by Bob Lamm. The track became the inaugural success for the independent Bullet label, moved more than two million copies, and was chosen by comedian Milton Berle as his theme song; revenue from the recording helped finance Nashville’s first record-pressing facility. The next year another Craig original, “Beg Your Pardon,” written with Beasley Smith, also enjoyed strong sales and reached number 3 on the US charts. After this brief period of prominence Craig receded from widespread attention yet continued performing until his death in 1966. Additional compositions from his catalogue comprise “A Broken Heart Must Cry,” “Tennessee Tango,” and his theme “Red Rose.”
In 1947 Craig secured national exposure by cutting his own composition “Near You,” lyrics supplied by Kermit Goell, which highlighted his signature keyboard approach and featured a vocal by Bob Lamm. The track became the inaugural success for the independent Bullet label, moved more than two million copies, and was chosen by comedian Milton Berle as his theme song; revenue from the recording helped finance Nashville’s first record-pressing facility. The next year another Craig original, “Beg Your Pardon,” written with Beasley Smith, also enjoyed strong sales and reached number 3 on the US charts. After this brief period of prominence Craig receded from widespread attention yet continued performing until his death in 1966. Additional compositions from his catalogue comprise “A Broken Heart Must Cry,” “Tennessee Tango,” and his theme “Red Rose.”
Singles
