Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:06] Speaker B: Thank you very much for watching another episode of your best you real conversations around mental wellness. Not only that, it's a starlight spotlight where we're focusing on people within the entertainment industry talking about their success and their psyche. With us today, we have headliner of the Sound of Nashville benefit concert happening on October 6th at the Bartvon here in Poughkeepsie. He's a grand old Opry member, ACM and CMT award nominee, platinum selling artist, known for hits like Redneck Yacht Club, International Harvester, Almost Home. He's serving as Chief Warrant Officer 2 with the 313th U.S. army Band. With us today we have singer, songwriter, musician and activist Craig Morgan. Craig, how are you?
[00:00:44] Speaker A: I'm good. I'm curious about my activist part. What am I an activist at?
[00:00:48] Speaker B: Well, with all the work that you're doing with the US army and everything that you're doing to help veterans, soldiers, that is 100 activism.
[00:00:55] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, it's funny because I don't consider myself an activist. I consider myself a soldier. And I think it's important as soldiers that we. That we take care of each other.
[00:01:02] Speaker B: Amen to that. That's a really good frame of mind that you have with it. But you know what? You truly are an activist. You truly are a soldier, and you truly are an inspiration. When it comes to being an inspiration, everybody that I've talked to in regards to this concert, whether that be Maggie Rose, Ian Flanagan, Jake Banfield, Brooke Morber, they have all spoken so highly of you. I believe you've only met Maggie, but the rest of them are familiar with your music and are very excited to be working with you. How do you feel to be joining this concert, helping out mental health services here in Poughkeepsie for this wonderful event with these very talented musicians, I think
[00:01:34] Speaker A: it's important, extremely important. And I tell people all the time, our mental health is just as important as our physical health. In fact, your mental health can impact your physical health, your emotional status, everything about you. It's imperative that we pay attention to our mental health as individuals and as groups, people, family, friends. It's important that we're attentive to that.
[00:01:54] Speaker B: Beautiful. I definitely want to touch more about the work that you're doing in the mental health realm. But I want to stay on the topic of being an inspiration. You went viral several months ago when you formally invited Jelly Roll to the Grand Old right after he spoke to Joe Rogan about his recovery, specifically citing Almost Home as an inspiration during that tough period while he was incarcerated. How does it feel nearly 25 years later when it resonates with your peers, contemporaries and fans? What does that mean to you?
[00:02:21] Speaker A: It's very humbling. I'm grateful for the opportunity for one to get to do what I do for a living, to get to sing and write songs. And I mean, that's how I get paid. So I still have to pinch myself sometimes 20 plus years later thinking about it. But I will tell you the two words I use to describe it. Most are grateful. I'm grateful beyond words. And I'm. And I'm humbled by the fact that I still get to do this. One and two, knowing that it's impacting the way that it is. I've always had a great deal of appreciation of how music impacts and changes people's lives. But it's different when you're that guy who had a song or songs that impact people in such a way that it changes their lives. And I don't take that for granted. I will tell you, I don't take any of the credit. I give God all the credit to him, be the glory. Because I do believe that he's laid it all out. And as long as I'm pursuing my relationship with him, he'll use me in ways that. That I could never do or a record label could never do or no one could ever put together. And for that I'm grateful.
[00:03:11] Speaker B: Amen. God is great in that way. And that's great that you're able to express your faith in that degree. Would like somebody like Jelly Roll. Not only were you able to invite him into the grand old Opera, you've actually had a moment to record Almost Home Together a couple years ago. What was that like, bringing two generations of musicians together to create something that is everlasting and timeless?
[00:03:33] Speaker A: Oh, it was awesome. And I love Jelly. I've come to be a friend. He's a good friend, a good dude. I love where this is a guy who has such an inspirational story and he's using it for the betterment of not only himself, but everyone around him. And he's also. I will tell you, when I first met Jelly, he has an entourage of people, from family to friends, to everybody. There's 20, 30, 40 people around him all the time. But when we went to work in the studio, he literally drove himself in, walked in the studio by himself. He is a normal person who's had an abnormal and an extremely exceptional story. And I think that's important to use that again to try to help other people. And that's exactly what he has done and is doing still today.
[00:04:12] Speaker B: That's incredible. And that's so powerful that you guys were able to birth this friendship out of this music again. When you wrote the song, you didn't expect where it would take you in life and the people that you were going to meet and the resonance that it would still have all this time later, which is incredible. You said a moment ago you don't see yourself as an activist, you see yourself as a soldier. And I want to talk about that a little bit. One of the things that we're really excited about here at MHA is the fact that you have this incredible military background. MHA of Dutchess county has one of the biggest veterans programs here in New York with advocacy groups, recovery, social events, so much more. So I know a huge population of our community is really excited. To learn more about your story. You originally joined the US army back in 85, and then nearly 40 years later, you reenlisted on the Grand Old Opry stage. We're still talking Randall Opry right now. And today you're assigned to the 313th Army Band working on soldier led suicide prevention initiatives using music therapy. Walk us through why you even reenlisted and tell us about the power of the work that you're doing today.
[00:05:10] Speaker A: Well, I'll start with the reenlistment. I reenlisted because when I left, I had about 17 years time in service.
And it's a lot to walk away from. But at the time, I will tell you, hindsight's 20 20, had I known then what I know now, I would have stayed in and finished my time and, and probably more. But I didn't feel like at the time that I was able to do justice to both employers, the army and the music industry. And my career was at a point that I, like I said, I was so busy. I just didn't feel like I was doing justice to both. Not seeing that I was, I made the decision to just walk away. So when offered the opportunity to come back in, I thought it was great. And again, experience showed me that I could do both. And so I was able to reenlist and join and marry both of my relationships back together again in the Grand Ole Opry, which was just one, it had never happened.
So to be a part of something like that, it was really special. And I take that very serious. I take my, my career in the military very serious. I love the United States Army. I love what it stands for, I love how, what it represents. And this year as we celebrate our 250th, you know, it's, it's even more impacting. And I'm a part of that, not only as a, as an entertainer, but as a soldier. So to be a part of that is really exceptionally rewarding and humbling and, and again, I'll always revert to those words. I'm just so grateful to be able to do it all. That's why I went back in. I still didn't actually really answer your question. The reason I went back in was I wanted to get that letter that hangs on my wall that says, you know, retired from service to your nation. Having that much time invested and not having that letter that says, you know, you get good conduct after every three years, it says thank you for your service, but having that retirement letter says you fulfilled your commitment to your nation. And I've always wanted that. So I'm grateful that I will be able to have that. And it just reignited that relationship with the folks in the, in the military. Not just past, but even current military service members. You know, I feel like I have a lot to offer them, even as far as, you know, experience in the military, combat, all of these things where I can communicate those learning thought processes to all of these new members in the military. So that's why I went back in. Wow. And the current situation, what I'm working on right now is a soldier led music initiative. So it's all, we have army band folks that are singing, playing engineers in the initial recordings, all of this stuff. And I would, because I do this for a living in my civilian occupation, I got to marry all, all of that with my civilian counterparts. And we've developed a product of, of six songs that I think are going to absolutely change the mindset of some of these service members that might be going through some tough times. And not only the service members, but their families, friends, the civilian populace. We created a music project that will make people think, and that's the whole idea. Our objective is to stop soldiers and stop anyone really. But for me as a soldier, I want to stop soldiers from doing that. I want to stop soldiers from going into those bad places and doing the things that remove them from the lives of others. I don't want them to kill themselves anymore. It's just that simple. I'm say it. And that's where we're at. And, and I, you know, I told someone one time, I'm not trying to save one, I'm trying to save them all. And I think that should be our Mindset we should stop trying to get away from. If I can just say one, I. We need to save every one of them. We need to stop them from thinking that that is the only way out. And I think that this music will be a door opener for that thought process.
Yeah.
[00:08:18] Speaker B: Oh, my God, how powerful that is. And I apologize, I am welling up a little bit. I'm thinking about a friend of mine who was serving in the army that unfortunately took his life. I believe it was about like two weeks before he passed. And we were just messaging each other, talking about guitars. He was a huge music buff and we were always sharing that. I'm a musician too. And we're just sharing that moment together.
And then unfortunately, about like two, three weeks later, you know, he took his own life. I think about him often, so I think about the work that you're doing and what you're doing to help save those lives. I know it means a lot to a lot of the people out there for mha, but it means a lot to me. As we wrap up this interview, has there been a particular moment that you feel comfortable sharing where somebody's come up to you and said, holy crap, you saved my life?
[00:09:00] Speaker A: Oh, absolutely. I can tell you one, One story in particular. I actually wrote this in my book, A Gentleman in Washington. We played the Washington State Fair. We'd headlined that fair that year. And he came up to me and he was standing over to the side and I, for whatever reason, I think I'd launched a new album. So I agreed to, after the show to sign everybody's new album. Well, there was a line. I mean, it was a three hour line. And I told him I seen he had a prosthetic leg. I said, come on up, you don't have to wait. And he said, no, I want to wait till then. I got something to tell you. So he literally waited like three hours. And he was the last one. And I said, man, you didn't have to wait. He said, yes, I did. I had to tell you this story. He said, your music saved my life. And I said, bro, my music didn't save your life. God saved your life. But. But I. To hear how God used my music. So tell me the story. And he said, I was in Iraq in 2000, whatever. And he said, we were driving down the road and I was listening to a CD on a. On a portable CD player. And it was a song called paradise that you had written. And he said it skipped. And I leaned down to hit play on it where it would quit. Skipping and a sniper shot through the window and missed. And I was like, wow. I'm like, you know, but again, that wasn't me, that was God. And he said, yeah, fast forward a bunch of years, I was sitting in my kitchen and life was just too much. You know, I'd lost my family, I'd lost my leg, I lost a lot. You know, my life just wasn't working. And I remember having the pistol in my hand and contemplating doing this. He said I was. I was over it. I was done. And felt like this was the only way to alleviate all of these problems. And he said a song came on the radio and I heard it called Almost Home. And he said, I didn't do it. And I'm grateful to that to this day that I didn't because my life has turned back around. And I said, well, again, that wasn't me, that was God. But it is impacting. Knowing that music can change your thought process, it can change your mind. Sometimes you just need to hear it. And knowing that there is help there.
And that's what why I'm so excited about this new project. I feel like this project that I'm doing as a warrant officer in the army with other musicians, military musicians, and again, we're working with my civilian counterparts as well. My people that I've worked with is Craig Morgan to create a product that I know that when people hear it, if they are having any thoughts whatsoever, it might encourage them to seek help.
I think all of us as humans should be doing everything we can to try to help other people in that way.
[00:10:56] Speaker B: Craig, this is phenomenal. When can audiences expect this six song project? I'm very curious about this now.
[00:11:01] Speaker A: Yeah, you and me both. I don't know, it's kind of up to the Army. I'm almost done with my part and then I will turn it over, basically like turning in my project and. And the powers that be will dictate what. What our next moves and next steps are.
[00:11:14] Speaker B: Understandable, understandable. Craig, I know you got a hard cut off time. I greatly appreciate you. Is there any last little nugget you want to share with the MHA audience ahead of the Sound of Nashville concert that we're going to be having in October?
[00:11:24] Speaker A: Just really looking forward to the show. Excited about the Maggie's a sweetheart and one of the most amazing female vocalists out there. Love her. Can't wait to visit with her again. People think we all hang out all the time, but we're all working so much, our paths cross and that's our. That's our moment of regenerating that. That energy for each other. So I'm looking forward to seeing her as well as the other artists. It's gonna be a lot of fun.
[00:11:42] Speaker B: Terrific. Craig. Thank you so much. All the best on the road right now. We will see you in October. To all of you guys, come on out October 6th to the bar Divan. Craig, again, thank you. Thank you, brother Sam.
