From Prison Guard to Country Star & Coffee King w/Craig Campbell :: Ep 50 Circling the Drain Podcast

Traditional country singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, and Eagleville city councilman Craig Campbell sits down with the Circling the Drain crew to talk about his wild ride from small-town Georgia to Nashville stages and successful coffeehouse-venue brand Grindstone Cowboy.

Craig shares how playing piano in church led to Lower Broadway gigs, touring with Luke Bryan and Tracy Byrd, and eventually landing his first record deal that produced the hit Family Man. He gets honest about financial wake-up calls, label roller coasters, not being allowed to play on his own records, and why he’s now all-in on authenticity, entrepreneurship, and community.

The conversation dives into:

– Growing up in Lyons/Vidalia, GA and finding music through church and gospel

– Working as a correctional officer in a level 5 men’s prison before chasing his Nashville dream

– Cutting his teeth as one of the few piano players on Lower Broadway and singing countless demos

– The story behind Family Man, its music video, and how his family shaped his songwriting

– How a misheard phrase became Grindstone Cowboy, and why COVID pushed him into the coffee/restaurant business

– Trace Adkins helping pack the grand opening and literally working behind the bar

– Serving on Eagleville city council and protecting the town’s growth while growing his own business

– The rapid shift from albums to downloads to streaming, and now AI demos with tools like Suno

– His concerns for musicians in the AI era, but also how broke songwriters can use tech to get ideas off the ground