Craig Morgan might have endured unimaginable loss, but he can still find plenty of reasons to be hopeful. The 55-year-old will release God, Family, Country on May 22, marking his eighth studio album, and a new chapter for him as well. Included in the record is the lead single, “The Father, My Son and the Holy Ghost,” written about the loss of his 19-year-old son, Jerry, in a diving accident in 2016, but the project is far from sad. Instead, all 10 songs –– some new, some reimagined versions of previous hits –– offer both a reflection into the life Craig has lived, and the things he is still looking forward to in the future.
“This album is based on everything that’s happened in my life and my career,” Craig said in a statement about God, Family, Country. “I feel like I have some of the most quality songs I’ve ever recorded, and there is a new energy here. After all I’ve been through, I’m at one of the most inspired places I’ve ever been.”
God, Family, Country also includes the light-hearted “Sippin’ on the Simple Life,” which began as a joke before Craig realized he had a potential hit on his hands.
“This song came together after a show with the USO in Washington DC. Justin and Andrew are both Army Airborne Rangers and they came up to me and said ‘We want to write a song with you tonight,’ the Army veteran recalled to One Country. “I joked and told them it doesn’t work that way, but me and my bandleader Mike sat down with those guys, we all ordered a round of drinks, and we wrote this song.
“Not long after they were deployed to Afghanistan,” he added. “I really love how it turned out and when I called to tell them I was putting it on my record, they about lost their minds.”
Craig recently performed to an empty audience at the Grand Ole Opry, while the venue remains closed due to COVID-19.
“It was really unusual,” Craig told Taste of Country. “It felt uncomfortable, but the whole time we were doing it I just had to appreciate the millions of people that were watching it and listening to it on the radio.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Monarch Publicity / Nate Griffin