Craig Campbell is a talented “under the radar” NRA Country artist who balances traditional values and modern industry trends in his hit songs, like “Family Man,” “Fish” and “Stick To Our Guns.” His covers of classic country hits, like Clint Black’s “Killin’ Time” and Randy Travis’ “On The Other Hand,” on his “Class of ’89” album have also garnered acclaim. In addition to all the songs released, he started his own label, Grindstone Recordings, in 2020; and, in 2023, he started the Kenny Campbell Foundation in honor of his father who died young of cancer, opened an award-winning coffee shop, Grindstone Coffee, with his wife, Mindy, and ran for city council. You can see why Craig identifies with the term “grindstone!”
VS: You’ve had a crazy couple of years releasing music with “The Lost Files: Exhibit A&B,” “Class Of ‘89” and now “Almost Greatest Hits.” Tell us about that.
CC: The reason I released 33 songs in 2023 is because I had all those songs on hard drives and figured they needed to be released instead of collecting dust. They were songs recorded over the course of 10 years, and I felt like the world needed to hear them. “Class Of ‘89” is a passion project I wanted to do for a very long time, but every record label I was with shot the idea down. When I became an independent artist, it was one of the first things I wanted to check off my list. “Almost Greatest Hits” was an idea I had to re-release all the songs that did well for me on country radio with a fresh 2024 sound. None of them went to #1 on the country charts, though, which is where the title came from.
VS: Your celebrity cornhole tournament raised over $28,000 for the Kenny Campbell Foundation this year. Tell us about the Foundation.
CC: The KC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) we started in honor of my late dad, Kenny Campbell. He was 36 years old when colon cancer took him from us. Since then, it has been my mission to spread the word about getting screened and having early detection. That is what we do with all the funds raised from the cornhole tournament.
VS: Your love of the outdoor lifestyle shows through your videos and interviews. What activities do you enjoy with your family?
CC: We love the outdoors. Whether it’s riding side-by-sides, hitting the lake or traveling the world, we love to be outside.
VS: What does freedom mean to you?
CC: Freedom means everything. It’s something we have, and sometimes it is taken for granted. If you look around the world at the people that don’t have freedom the way we do, it puts it into perspective.
VS: Tell us about your new single, “Stick To Our Guns.”
CC: That song is about the Second Amendment and how awesome it is. There is a reason why it was the Second Amendment—right after the First. It is the bedrock of America. It is God-given. We have to support it!
NRA Country is a lifestyle and a bond between the country music community and hard-working Americans everywhere. It’s powered by pride, freedom, love of country, respect for the military and the responsibilities of protecting the great American life. For more information visit nracountry.com, follow us on Facebook facebook.com/nracountry, Twitter @NRACountry, and NRA_Country on Instagram.
[Editor's Note: This article was corrected in two places to reflect the song title "Stick to Our Guns" instead of "Stick to Your Guns."]
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