Charley Crockett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charley Crockett
Crockett in 2020
Background information
Born	(1984-03-24) March 24, 1984 (age 41) San Benito, Texas, United States
Genres	Americana country blues Southern soul Tex-Mex
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Son of Davy Thirty Tigers

Charley Crockett (born March 24, 1984) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He plays a mix of blues, country, and Americana music. Since 2015, he has released many studio albums. His album Lil G.L.'s Blue Bonanza reached number 11 on the US Billboard Blues Albums chart. His album The Man from Waco even made it onto the main US Billboard 200 chart.

In 2023, Charley was nominated for Artist of the Year and Album of the Year at the 2023 Americana Music Honors & Awards. He also received his first Grammy Award nomination in 2025 for his album $10 Cowboy.

Early Life and Musical Start

Charley Crockett was born in San Benito, Texas. He grew up in a trailer park in Los Fresnos, Texas, raised by his single mom with his older brother and sister. Charley is a relative of Davy Crockett, a famous frontiersman and hero from the Alamo.

His family later moved to Dallas. During summers, Charley would visit his uncle in New Orleans's French Quarter. When he was 17, Charley left high school. He took a guitar his mom bought him from a pawn shop and started traveling.

Charley taught himself to play guitar and write songs right away. He said he didn't even know the names of chords for many years. But his ear for music was very good! He learned to play in any key just by listening. His first musical inspirations came from hip hop music. He loved how artists used samples from older songs. This led him to discover artists like Curtis Mayfield and Nina Simone.

As a teenager, Charley played music on the streets in New Orleans and Dallas. Later, he traveled even more, hitchhiking and riding freight trains. By 2009, he was playing music on the streets of New York City. He got better at performing and even started a street band called the Trainrobbers. A representative from Sony Music noticed him. She signed him to a management contract for two years.

After a while, Charley got tired of street life. He moved to Northern California, where he worked on farms and communes while still performing. He then lived on the streets in Paris, France, for a year. He also spent short times in Spain and Morocco.

Music Career Highlights

In 2015, Charley returned to Texas and settled in Dallas. He released his first album, A Stolen Jewel, by himself. This album helped him win the Dallas Observer Music Award for Best Blues Act. The next year, he released In The Night, which focused more on blues music. This album included his own songs and a cover of "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" by Freddy Fender. Critics praised his soulful voice and swinging music. Charley spent the next year touring a lot, playing over 125 shows. He toured with popular bands like the Turnpike Troubadours and Lucero.

After moving to Austin, Texas, Charley released Lil G.L.'s Honky Tonk Jubilee in 2017. This album was a collection of classic country songs. He covered songs by famous artists like Roy Acuff, Tanya Tucker, and Hank Williams. His unique Texan singing style made these old songs sound fresh.

In 2018, he released Lonesome as a Shadow, which featured only his own original songs. This album was recorded in Memphis, Tennessee. After the album came out, Charley toured again with his band, the Blue Drifters. He played at famous places like the House of Blues and at big music festivals.

Later in 2018, Charley released Lil G.L.'s Blue Bonanza. He uses "Lil G.L." as a special name for his cover projects. This album was mostly covers of blues songs. It included songs by Jimmy Reed and Tom T. Hall. Lil G.L.'s Blue Bonanza reached number 10 on the Billboard Blues Albums chart.

In early 2019, Charley faced a health challenge. He had a heart condition that needed surgery. But he bravely continued his music journey. He released The Valley in September 2019. This album included the song "Borrowed Time," which he wrote with Evan Felker.

On April 3, 2020, Charley released Field Recordings, Vol. 1. This was a collection of 30 songs, both covers and originals, recorded simply. He used old recording equipment to give it a unique sound. He said these songs were like the ones he used to play on the streets.

His seventh album, Welcome to Hard Times, came out on July 31, 2020. This album was released after his heart surgery. It received great reviews, with many praising how Charley blended country, soul, blues, and folk music.

On February 26, 2021, Charley released 10 For Slim: Charley Crockett Sings James Hand. This was a special album to honor another musician, James "Slim" Hand. It was highly praised by music magazines like Rolling Stone.

Charley's ninth album, Music City USA, was released on September 17, 2021. The lead song, "I Need Your Love," was called a "sweet and sultry slice of southern soul." Later that month, he won the "Emerging Artist of the Year" award at the Americana Music Honors & Awards in Nashville. He also performed on Austin City Limits and CBS This Morning.

In March 2022, he announced Jukebox Charley. This was another album of cover songs, featuring classic country tunes. It was the fourth album in his "Lil' G.L." series.

Charley has also performed on popular TV shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Daily Show. In 2023, he performed for NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series. He was also featured on the cover of Texas Monthly magazine. In September 2023, he released Live From The Ryman, an album and concert film from his sold-out show in Nashville.

In early 2024, Charley announced his album, $10 Cowboy, which was released on April 26. He performed the title track on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to celebrate.

Discography

Awards and Nominations