Craig David facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Craig David
|
|
|---|---|
_(cropped)_(1).jpg)
David performing at The Queen's Birthday Party in April 2018
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Craig Ashley David |
| Born | 5 May 1981 Southampton, Hampshire, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels |
|
Craig Ashley David (born 5 May 1981) is an English singer, songwriter, and rapper. He became famous in 1999 when he was featured on the song "Re-Rewind" by the group Artful Dodger.
David's first album, Born to Do It, came out in 2000 and was a huge success. Since then, he has released seven more albums: Slicker Than Your Average (2002), The Story Goes... (2005), Trust Me (2007), Signed Sealed Delivered (2010), Following My Intuition (2016), The Time Is Now (2018), and 22 (2022). His ninth album, Commitment, is set to be released in August 2025. Over his career, David has worked with many famous artists, including Sting, Big Narstie, and Bastille.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Craig David was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England. His mother, Tina, worked in a shop, and his father, George, was a carpenter. His father is from Grenada, an island in the Caribbean, and his mother is Anglo-Jewish. His parents separated when he was eight years old, and he was raised by his mother.
David attended Bellemoor School and Southampton City College. He has spoken about being bullied at school. He later wrote a song called "Johnny" about this experience to share his story.
Music was a big part of his family. David's father played bass guitar in a reggae band. As a teenager, David would go with his dad to dance clubs. DJs there would let him use the microphone, and he started to work as an MC (Master of Ceremonies) and DJ.
Music Career
1999–2003: Becoming a Star
David's career took off when he sang on tracks for the UK garage group Artful Dodger. Their song "Re-Rewind" reached number two on the UK charts in 1999. This success helped him start his solo career.
His first solo single, "Fill Me In", went straight to number one in the UK. It was the first of four top 10 singles from his debut album, Born to Do It. The album was a massive hit, selling over 8 million copies around the world. In 2009, MTV viewers voted Born to Do It the second-best album of all time, right after Michael Jackson's Thriller.
In 2002, he released his second album, Slicker Than Your Average. It also had several hit singles in the UK, including "What's Your Flava?" and "Rise & Fall", a duet with the famous singer Sting.
2005–2009: More Albums and Hits
David's third album, The Story Goes..., was released in 2005. The first single, "All the Way", was another top 3 hit for him in the UK.
In 2007, he released the album Trust Me. For the single "Hot Stuff (Let's Dance)", he got permission from David Bowie to use a sample from his famous song "Let's Dance". The song became a top ten hit.
In 2008, David released his first Greatest Hits album. It included new songs like "Insomnia" and "Where's Your Love".
2010–2015: New Music and TS5
David's fifth album, Signed Sealed Delivered, came out in 2010. It featured songs that were inspired by the classic Motown sound.
Around this time, David started hosting parties at his home in Miami, which he called 'TS5'. He would DJ and sing for his friends. This became so popular that he turned it into a radio show on Capital Xtra in 2013. His TS5 shows are now famous worldwide.
2016–2020: A Big Comeback
In 2015, David performed a mix of his song "Fill Me In" with "Where Are Ü Now" on BBC Radio 1Xtra. The performance went viral online and introduced him to a new generation of fans.
This led to a huge comeback. He released the song "When the Bassline Drops" with rapper Big Narstie, which became a top 10 hit. In 2016, he released his sixth album, Following My Intuition. It went to number one on the UK Albums Chart, his first number-one album in 16 years.
His seventh album, The Time Is Now, was released in 2018. It featured the hit single "I Know You" with the band Bastille, which reached number 5 in the UK charts.
2021–Present: New Projects
In 2022, David released his eighth album, 22. That same year, he performed at the Platinum Party at the Palace for Queen Elizabeth II's jubilee. He also released his first book, What's Your Vibe?, where he shares life lessons he has learned.
In 2025, he released several new singles, including "SOS" and "Commitment". He also announced that his ninth album, Commitment, is scheduled for release on 8 August 2025.
Bo' Selecta! Caricature
From 2002 to 2009, David was often imitated on the British comedy TV show Bo' Selecta! by comedian Leigh Francis. The show's title was even a reference to David's song "Re-Rewind".
David found the caricature hurtful and felt that people were not taking him seriously as an artist because of it. He said it reminded him of being bullied at school.
Years later, David said he no longer had hard feelings toward the comedian. In 2020, Leigh Francis publicly apologized for his portrayals of David and other Black celebrities on the show. David later said that the apology was a start, but that it's also important to learn from mistakes and talk about issues like bullying and racism.
Personal Life and Charity Work
David is Jewish and a big supporter of his hometown football team, Southampton F.C..
He is also involved in charity work. In 2010, the World Health Organization made him a Goodwill Ambassador to help fight the disease tuberculosis. He traveled to South Africa to raise awareness and help reduce the stigma of the illness.
In 2025, he worked with the charity Shelter to promote the need for more social housing. He even revisited the council home where he grew up to show how important having a safe home was for him.
Discography
- Born to Do It (2000)
- Slicker Than Your Average (2002)
- The Story Goes... (2005)
- Trust Me (2007)
- Signed Sealed Delivered (2010)
- Following My Intuition (2016)
- The Time Is Now (2018)
- 22 (2022)
- Commitment (2025)
Honours and Awards
In 2020, Craig David was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen's New Year Honours for his services to music. He received the award at Windsor Castle in 2021.
See also
In Spanish: Craig David para niños
