Craft, Paul (12th August 1938–18th October 2014)

Multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Proctor, Arkansas, who joined the United States Coast Guard Reserve in 1960 whilst attending the University of Virginia. As if that didn’t keep him busy enough, he started playing banjo for Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys in 1961. In 1963, he graduated, but remained active in the USCGR through 1966, and continued performing and recording with the aforementioned band until the end of the decade.

In 1974, he reached #55 on the Billboard chart with his recording of “It’s Me Again, Margaret”. The Eagles recorded “Midnight Flyer” and Linda Ronstadt included “Keep Me From Blowing Away” on her 1975 album, Heart Like a Wheel. (Paul was the guitarist.)

Between 1975 and 1976, Paul had 35 songs recorded by various artists, including a trio of top-10 hits. One of them was Moe Bandy’s recording of “Hank Williams, You Wrote My Life”, which went to #2 on the chart in America’s bicentennial year. One of his most famous songs, “Dropkick Me, Jesus”, was recorded by Bobby Bare and peaked at #17.

He stuck with the Jesus theme with “Lean on Jesus (Before He Leans on You)”, one of three hit records he would enjoy on the RCA label. In 1977, he was nominated twice in the Grammys’ Best Country Song department, for the aforementioned Moe Bandy and Bobby Bare recordings.

In 1979, Gail Davies took his “Blue Heartache” to #7 on the Billboard chart. Ray Stevens covered “It’s Me Again, Margaret”, and managed a modest #74 in 1985. In 1988, T. Graham Brown returned him to the top ten with “Come As You Were”. Then, Mark Chesnutt put him on top of the charts with his rendition of “Brother Jukebox”. Paul would release an album of the same name in 1998.

In 2002, he issued another CD, Raised by the Railroad Line. He re-released his first album, Warnings!, in 2008. His other albums include Too Bad You’re No Good and The Outer Banks, with Billy Edd Wheeler. For more information on all things Paul, please visit his website, listed below.

In October 2014, just two weeks before his death, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

He passed away in hospital in Nashville on 18th October 2014 when he was 76 years old.

Joe Stampley recordings
Backslidin’ (Lewis Anderson/Paul Craft)

Sources:

Craft, Paul (12th August 1938–18th October 2014)

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