Craig David

Artist Image: Craig David
Attribution
Image Credit: Raph_PH (https://www.flickr.com/photos/raph_ph/41036810784/in/dateposted/), CC BY 2.0

Biography

Craig Ashley David (born 5 May 1981) is an English singer-songwriter who rose to fame in 1999 featuring on the single "Re-Rewind" by Artful Dodger. David's debut album, Born to Do It, was released on 14 August 2000, after which he has since released five further studio albums and worked with a variety of artists such as Tinchy Stryder, Kano, Jay Sean, Rita Ora and Sting. David has been nominated for twelve Brit Awards—three times for Best British Male, and twice received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.David was born in Southampton, Hampshire, the son of Tina (née Loftus), a retail assistant at Superdrug, and George David, a carpenter, and grew up in the Holyrood estate. David's father is Grenadian and David's mother is English and related to the founders of the Accurist watch-making company; David's maternal grandfather was an Orthodox Jew and his maternal grandmother a convert to Judaism. David's parents separated when he was eight and he was raised by his mother. He attended Bellemoor School and Southampton City College. David's father played bass in a reggae band called Ebony Rockers. As a teen, David began accompanying his father to local dance clubs, where DJs let him take the microphone. David's earliest exposure came when he worked on a b-side to British group Damage's cover of "Wonderful Tonight". He then started doing vocals for a few tracks with garage act Artful Dodger. Wildstar Records first became aware of Craig David when the artist's then manager Paul Widger met the label's co-owner Colin Lester and played some of his music. Lester later told HitQuarters that he was particularly impressed by the first song he heard, "Walking Away", saying "That was an absolute stand out ... It struck me that any seventeen year-old that could write a song like this had huge potential." The Wildstar boss was further won over when, on later visiting the artist's home in Southampton, he found that David's tiny bedroom stacked from floor to ceiling with 12" vinyl records, commenting: "That convinced me he was the real deal and not just some kid acting out the part." At that point Lester offered him a development deal with his label. When Lester later heard the song "7 Days", he said he immediately heard a #1 record and promoted the contract to an album deal the same day. The song "Re-Rewind", from the Artful Dodger album It's All About the Stragglers, hit Number 2 on the UK charts in 1999; thus, paving the way for a solo career. David's first single, "Fill Me In", released on Colin Lester's and Ian McAndrew's Wildstar Records, made him the youngest solo male artist ever to reach Number 1 in the United Kingdom (he was 18 years old at the time). This was the first of a string of four Top 10 singles from his debut album Born To Do It, which eventually sold more than seven million units worldwide, earning multi-platinum status in more than 20 countries. The song "Key To My Heart", taken from the US version of the album, was also featured on the award-winning Warner Brothers animated film Osmosis Jones.#

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1999
Number of Albums 36
Record Label Sony Music Entertainment Downloads LLC
Website craigdavid.com
Wikipedia Craig David on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

What does he rarely drink, doesn't smoke and writes lyrics that are decidedly what?

tame

...ed. He rarely drinks, doesn't smoke and writes lyrics that are decidedly tame when compared to other charttopping artists. Growing up with my mum, I t...
What did it give me more respect for?

women

...sts. Growing up with my mum, I think it gave me so much more respect for women in general, and to not be vulgar in the way you go about writing songs,...
What was Craig's mother's musical interests?

Stevie Wonder and Terence Trent D'Arby to The Osmonds

...r's diverse musical interests, which ranged from Stevie Wonder and Terence Trent D'Arby to The Osmonds . Though his parents split when he was eight, bo...
By what age was Craig already MCing?

14

...ng of his growing interest in music. Within two years he was writing songs, and by age 14 he was already MCing on a small pirate station and in clubs....
Who is Craig David?

British singer

...Known for his smooth, garagetinged R&B, British singer Craig David achieved worldwide attention when his single Fill Me In and debut album Born to Do ...
When did Craig David's single Fill Me In and debut album Born to Do It reach the top of the U.K. charts?

summer of 2000

...um Born to Do It both reached the top of the U.K. charts during the summer of 2000 . Only 19 years old at the time, David became one of the youngest Br...
How old was Craig David at the time?

19

...t both reached the top of the U.K. charts during the summer of 2000. Only 19 years old at the time, David became one of the youngest British male solo...
How many countries did David earn platinum sales in?

18

...ting number 11 on the Billboard 200, as well as earning platinum sales in 18 additional countries. David has remained a chart favorite in Britain, rac...
How many U.K. Top 40 singles has David racked up?

20

...nal countries. David has remained a chart favorite in Britain, racking up 20 U.K. Top 40 singles and continually hitting the Top 20 with albums like 2...
Which Motown tribute did David perform in 2010?

Signed Sealed Delivered

...Goes..., and 2007's Trust Me. Following his 2010 Motown tribute Signed Sealed Delivered , he again topped the U.K. album chart with 2016's Following My...
What was David's profession prior to his breakthrough?

radio jock

...rior to his breakthrough, David, a native of Southampton, was a local radio jock and later found himself spinning records at clubs, which enabled him ...
Who produced and wrote the song Rewind?

Artful Dodger

...paths with some of England's upandcoming producers. Two years later, Artful Dodger produced and wrote the mellow yet rhythmically tricky Rewind, for w...
What was the name of the song that David provided the lead vocal for?

Rewind

...er, Artful Dodger produced and wrote the mellow yet rhythmically tricky Rewind , for which David provided the lead vocal the release was billed as Artf...
Rewind went to what number on the U.K. pop chart?

two

... billed as Artful Dodger Presents Craig David and the song went to number two on the U.K. pop chart. The release of David's first proper solo single, ...
What was David's first solo single?

Fill Me In

...itish singer Craig David achieved worldwide attention when his single Fill Me In and debut album Born to Do It both reached the top of the U.K. charts...
Who collaborated with David on Fill Me In?

Hill

...proper solo single, Fill Me In, came in April 2000. A collaboration with Hill , the song went to number one and propelled sales of Born to Do It, the d...
What is the name of the British singer, songwriter, rapper, DJ, and record producer who rose to fame in 1999?

Craig Ashley David

... Craig Ashley David MBE (born 5 May 1981) is a British singer, songwriter, rapper, DJ and record producer who rose to fame in 1999, featuring on the si...
When was David's debut album, Born to Do It, released?

2000

...rtful Dodger. David's debut studio album, Born to Do It, was released in 2000 , after which he has released a further five studio albums and worked wit...
When was David's first album released?

Born to Do It

...on the single ReRewind by Artful Dodger. David's debut studio album, Born to Do It , was released in 2000, after which he has released a further five s...
David has sold over how many records worldwide?

15,000,000

...id has 20 UK Top 40 singles, and seven UK Top 40 albums, selling over 15,000,000 records worldwide as a solo artist. David has been nominated for four...
How many times has David been nominated for a Brit Award?

fourteen

...0,000 records worldwide as a solo artist. David has been nominated for fourteen Brit Awards: five times for Best British Male, and twice receiving a G...
What is David's father's ethnicity?

AfroGrenadian

...rd nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. David's father is AfroGrenadian and David's mother is AngloJewish and related to the founders of th...
Which song did David write and release?

Johnny

...was bullied by other students at school. He wrote and released the song Johnny in 2005 about his memories of being bullied. David's father played bass...
What reggae band did David's father play bass in?

Ebony Rockers

...of being bullied. David's father played bass in a reggae band called Ebony Rockers . As a teen, David began accompanying his father to local dance club...
Where did David accompany his father to as a teen?

local dance clubs

...d Ebony Rockers. As a teen, David began accompanying his father to local dance clubs , where DJs let him take the microphone. Wildstar Records first be...
What year was Craig Ashley David born?

1981

...Born Craig Ashley David on May 5, 1981 , in Southampton, Hamptonshire, England; son of George and Tina David. Craig David was barely out of his teens w...
Who was the father of Craig David?

George and Tina David

...id on May 5, 1981, in Southampton, Hamptonshire, England; son of George and Tina David . Craig David was barely out of his teens when he leaped onto th...
What was David's father's occupation?

carpenter

...d parents, David found his musical talent early in life. His father, a carpenter , also played reggae bass in a band called Ebony Rockers, a group that...
When was Ebony Rockers popular in Britain?

1980s

...y Rockers, a group that attained a fair amount of British success in the 1980s . The young David remained largely unaware of his father's influence unt...
What instrument did David steer his 12 year old son toward?

classical guitar

... picture on them. The elder David steered his 12yearold son toward classical guitar , according to an Entertainment Weekly article by Rob Brunner. I lo...
Who wrote an Entertainment Weekly article about David and his son?

Rob Brunner

...ard classical guitar, according to an Entertainment Weekly article by Rob Brunner . I loved the guitar, David told Brunner, but I wasn't really feeling...
How many UK Top 40 albums has David sold?

seven

...der, Big Narstie, Kano and Jay Sean. David has 20 UK Top 40 singles, and seven UK Top 40 albums, selling over 15,000,000 records worldwide as a solo a...
Where was David born?

Southampton, Hampshire

...mination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. David was born in Southampton, Hampshire , the son of Tina (née Loftus), a retail assistant at Superdrug,...
What occupation did Tina work for?

retail assistant

...as born in Southampton, Hampshire, the son of Tina (née Loftus), a retail assistant at Superdrug, and George David, a carpenter, and grew up in the Ho...
Where did David grow up?

Holyrood estate

...ant at Superdrug, and George David, a carpenter, and grew up in the Holyrood estate . David's father is AfroGrenadian and David's mother is AngloJewish...
Who let David take the microphone at local dance clubs?

DJs

...ass in a reggae band called Ebony Rockers. As a teen, David began accompanying his father to local dance clubs, where DJs let him take the microphone....
What city is southwest of London?

Southampton

...te mother, Craig Ashley David was born on May 5, 1981, and grew up in Southampton , a city southwest of London. As a young child he absorbed a wide var...
What did the DJ at the West Indian social club let him try his hand as?

MC

...ndian social club. One night, the DJ there let the boy try his hand as an MC . He proved quite popular, and was soon offered gigs at local clubs and pa...
What song did Craig David feature on in 1999?

ReRewind

...lish singersongwriter who rose to fame in 1999 featuring on the single ReRewind by Artful Dodger. David's debut album, Born to Do It, was released in ...
How many studio albums has David released since his debut?

five

...rn to Do It, was released in 2000, after which he has released a further five studio albums and worked with a variety of artists such as Tinchy Stryde...
David has sold over how many records worldwide as a solo artist?

13 million

...avid has 14 UK Top 10 singles, and six UK Top 20 albums, selling over 13 million records worldwide as a solo artist. David has been nominated for twel...
How many Brit Awards has David been nominated for?

twelve

...illion records worldwide as a solo artist. David has been nominated for twelve Brit Awards: three times for Best British Male, and twice received a Gr...
How many times has David received a Grammy Award nomination?

twice

...nominated for twelve Brit Awards: three times for Best British Male, and twice received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance....
What was Craig David surrounded by as a child?

music

...round MC to worldwide R&B superstar. As a child, Craig was surrounded by music . His father George even played bass in a reggae band. At 11, his dad en...
What instrument did Craig take at age 11?

guitar

...ven played bass in a reggae band. At 11, his dad encouraged him to take guitar lessons. He would often accompany his father to local dance clubs where...
What year was I'm Ready for the R&B boyband Damage released?

1997

...young singer wrote a song called I'm Ready for the R&B boyband Damage in 1997 . He also wrote Let's Kick Racism Out Of Football, a song commissioned fo...
What was Let's Kick Racism Out Of Football commissioned for?

Southampton FC

...e a song called I'm Ready for the R&B boyband Damage in 1997. He also wrote Let's Kick Racism Out Of Football, a song commissioned for Southampton FC ....
Where was Craig David born?

Southampton, England

...tish pop charts with his 2000 debut album Born to Do It. Born in Southampton, England , to racially mixed parents, David found his musical talent early...
Who steered his 12 year old son toward classical guitar?

The elder David

...s influence until he found albums with his fathers picture on them. The elder David steered his 12yearold son toward classical guitar, according to an...
What did David say he wasn't feeling?

classical songs

...ed the guitar, David told Brunner, but I wasnt really feeling these classical songs . I wanted to sing. David began accompanying his father to local da...