Craig David
Craig David |
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Craig Ashley David (born 5 May 1981) is an English R&B singer-songwriter. He has released four studio albums: Born To Do It, Slicker Than Your Average, The Story Goes..., and Trust Me with the Greatest Hits album on the way in November 2008.
Biography
Personal life
Craig David was born in Southampton, England, the son of Tina David (née Loftus), a shop assistant at Superdrug, and George David, a carpenter who played bass in a local reggae band called Ebony Rockers, which released a few records on EMI that were regional hits in the 1980s. Loves to have a rewind. David's father is a black Grenadian and his mother is a British Jew related to the founders of the Accurist watch-making company; his maternal grandfather was an Orthodox Jew and his maternal grandmother a convert to Judaism'[1] His parents separated when he was eight and he was raised by his mother. Craig is also a big fan of Southampton FC.
Career
His earliest exposure came when he worked on a b-side to British group Damage's song "Wonderful Tonight". He then started doing vocals for a few tracks with garage act Artful Dodger, of which the song "Rewind", released off the Artful Dodger album It's All About the Stragglers, hit #2 on the UK charts in 2000, thus paving the way for a solo career. His first single, "Fill Me In", made him the youngest solo male artist ever to reach #1 in the UK (he was 19 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 7 million units worldwide earning multi-platinum status in more than 20 countries.[2][3] 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.
Born To Do It
The success of his debut, which was written almost entirely by David and Mark Hill of Artful Dodger, led to the U.S. release of "Fill Me In" in May 2001. It proved a success, reaching #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Born to Do It was released in the U.S. on 17 July 2001, peaking at #11 on the Billboard 200 and sold over one million copies. The single "7 Days" nevertheless hit the Top 10 in the U.S., although "Walking Away", which had reached #3 in the UK and #5 in Australia, missed the Top 40 in the U.S. and was the last of his singles to chart there.
Slicker Than Your Average
The follow-up album, Slicker Than Your Average, was released in 2002 and fared considerably less well than his debut. None of the six singles released from the album charted in the U.S. Although "What's Your Flava?" and "Rise & Fall" (duet with Sting) received airplay on the Urban contemporary and Soft AC formats, they did not make the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Tracks chart or the Adult Contemporary chart. However, "What's Your Flava?" made the Rhythmic Top 40 (#32), Top 40 Mainstream (#24) and the Top 40 Tracks (#37). The albums' first four singles continued his streak of Top 10 hits in the UK, bringing a total of nine consecutive Top 10 hits until "World Filled with Love" peaked at #15 in 2003. According to the RIAA Slicker Than Your Average reached Gold Status in the USA.
The Story Goes...
David later signed on with Warner Music and put together his third album, The Story Goes..., released worldwide in August 2005 (excluding the U.S. where it was never released). The first single, "All The Way", returned him to the Top 3, and the second single, "Don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry)", tied with "7 Days" as his longest running single in the charts since "Rewind", spending 15 weeks inside the UK Top 75. The album's third single, "Unbelievable", debuted at #18 in March 2006.
Trust Me
In 2007, he collaborated with UK rapper Kano on his upcoming album London Town, for the single "This is the Girl". The track was released on 27 August 2007 and debuted at #18 on the UK charts.
The first single "Hot Stuff" from the album Trust Me, was released on 5 November 2007 . The single was a top ten hit, whilst the album charted at #18 on the UK Albums Chart. "6 of 1 Thing", the second single to be taken from Trust Me charted at thirty-nine on the UK Singles Chart, becoming his third lowest charting single to date.
'Officially Yours' was released on June 23rd 2008 and peaked at #158 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming his lowest charting single to date and was the final single from 'Trust Me'.
2008
Trust Me by no means meant the end of 2008 for David. In July, a new track titled 'Are You Up For This' started receiving airplay on various radio stations as part of a promo with Ice Cream Records, which also featured a remix with Witty Boy.
17th August saw David perform in a birthday tribute concert for songwriter Don Black, Lyrics by Don Black, at the London Palladium. He performed the song Ben, originally a hit for Michael Jackson.
David took part in Soccer Aid 2008 at Wembley Stadium on 7th September 2008. He picked up the 'Man of The Match' award on the night and played in the same England side as ex-internationals such as Alan Shearer, Teddy Sheringham and David Seaman.
The end of the year continued to show promise for David after receiving two nominations for the 2008 UK Urban Music Awards for 'Best Album' with Trust Me and 'Best R&B Act'[4].
On 7th November, he was recognised for his contribution to the music industry by receiving an honorary degree of Doctor of Music, from Southampton Solent University at a graduation ceremony held at Southampton Guildhall.
Greatest Hits
David will release his first Greatest Hits album on 24 November, 2008. In support of the release, David released two singles to promote the album. "Where's Your Love" featuring Tinchy Stryder and Rita Ora, a homage to his UK garage days was digitally released on 10 November 2008. The second single, "Insomnia", produced by Jim Beanz from Timbaland productions, a dance track with hard bassline beats, was released the following week on 17 November, 2008.
As part of the upcoming "Greatest Hits" compilation, David has re-recorded "Walking Away" with four different artists across Europe, Monrose from Germany, Nek from Italy, Lynnsha from France and Alex Ubago from Spain. He performed on BBC's Children In Need on Friday 14th November 2008.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | US | US R&B | AUS | ITA | |||
| 2000 | Born To Do It | 1 | 11 | 12 | 2 | 7 | |
| 2002 | Slicker Than Your Average | 4 | 32 | 17 | 5 | 11 | |
| 2005 | The Story Goes...
|
5 | — | — | 9 | 5 | |
| 2007 | Trust Me
|
18 | — | 58 | 59 | 19 | |
| 2008 | Greatest Hits
|
TBR | TBR | TBR | TBR | TBR | |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions[5][6] | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B | IRE | AUS | FRA | ITA | SWE | NL | GER | |||
| 1998 | "What You Gonna Do?" (with Artful Dodger) | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | It's All About the Stragglers |
| 1999 | "Rewind" (with Artful Dodger) | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | |
| "Woman Trouble" (with Artful Dodger) | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 63 | — | ||
| 2001 | "Fill Me In" | 1 | 15 | 19 | 7 | 6 | 34 | 29 | 28 | 5 | 37 | Born to Do It |
| "7 Days" | 1 | 10 | 52 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 7 | 21 | 6 | 22 | ||
| "Walking Away" | 3 | 44 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 22 | 15 | 13 | 7 | 46 | ||
| "Rendezvous" | 8 | — | — | 29 | 28 | 61 | 49 | — | 56 | 86 | ||
| 2002 | "What's Your Flava?" | 8 | 104 | — | 22 | 10 | 20 | 12 | 31 | 24 | 35 | Slicker Than Your Average |
| "Hidden Agenda" | 10 | 119 | — | — | 24 | 70 | 20 | 49 | 28 | 65 | ||
| 2003 | "Rise & Fall" (feat. Sting) | 2 | — | — | 5 | 6 | 15 | 8 | 35 | 9 | 15 | |
| "Spanish" | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 83 | — | ||
| "World Filled With Love" | 15 | — | — | — | 32 | 83 | — | — | — | 94 | ||
| "You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til the Well Runs Dry)" | 43 | — | — | — | 180 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005 | "All The Way" | 3 | — | — | 27 | 31 | 23 | 12 | 33 | — | 38 | The Story Goes... |
| "Don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry)" | 4 | — | — | 30 | 49 | 45 | 35 | — | — | 37 | ||
| 2006 | "Unbelievable" | 18 | — | — | — | 96 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2007 | "This is the Girl" (with Kano) | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Trust Me |
| "Hot Stuff (Let's Dance)" | 7 | — | — | 19 | 29 | 15 | 18 | 10 | 37 | 37 | ||
| 2008 | "6 of 1 Thing" | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Officially Yours" | 158 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Where's Your Love" | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Greatest Hits | |
| "Insomnia" | TBR | TBR | TBR | TBR | 89 | TBR | TBR | TBR | TBR | TBR | ||
- 1 "Personal" appeared on the charts at number 18 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles, even though it wasn't released as a single. [7]
- 'Are You Up For This' which was released to clubs and radio, is a single produced by Fraser T Smith and was originally intended to be a bootleg for "Officially Yours". 'Are You Up For This' has been released on Ice Cream Records, and features a remix with Witty Boy following his fresh and acclaimed mix of Estelle.
- 'My First Love' was released on 22nd September 2008 on Sex and the City, Vol. 2: More Music
As A Featured Performer
| Year | Song | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "No More" | Guru (feat. Craig David) | Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul |
| 2007 | "Bad Boy" | Kano (feat. Craig David) | London Town |
| 2008 | "Diamond Girl (Remix)" | Ryan Leslie (feat. Craig David & Mims) | Ryan Leslie |
B-Sides/Extras/Unreleased Tracks
| Title | Off Album/Single | Length |
|---|---|---|
| "Apartment 543" | Walking Away | 4:24 |
| "Are You Up For This" | 3:12 | |
| "Body Talkin'" (feat. Sebastian) | 3:41 | |
| "Can You Feel Me" | All the Way | 4:13 |
| "Cocoa Butter" | 5:20 | |
| "Exception To The Rule" | Don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry) | 4:19 |
| "Four Times A Lady" | What's Your Flava? | 5:30 |
| "Girl In A Subway (Remix)" (feat. Amastar) | 7 Days | 3:32 |
| "Girls Around The World" | 1:47 | |
| "Human" | Walking Away | 4:05 |
| "My First Love" | Sex and the City, Vol. 2: More Music | 4:17 |
| "Nobody Has To Know" | What's Your Flava? | 4:40 |
| "Say The Word" | Slicker Than Your Average | 4:50 |
| "Smoothed Out" | 4:35 | |
| "Static" | You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til the Well Runs Dry) | 4:52 |
Music Videography
| Title | Director |
|---|---|
| "Rewind" (with Artful Dodger) | Chris Vincze |
| "Fill Me In" (UK Version) | Max & Dania |
| "7 Days" | Max & Dania |
| "Walking Away" (UK Version) | Max & Dania |
| "Rendezvous" | Max & Dania |
| "Fill Me In" (USA Version) | Darren Grant |
| "Walking Away" (USA Version) | Lenny Bass |
| "What's Your Flava?" | Little X |
| "Hidden Agenda" | Calabazitaz |
| "Rise & Fall" (feat. Sting) | Max & Dania |
| "Spanish" | Calabazitaz |
| "Personal" | Calabazitaz |
| "World Filled With Love" | Calabazitaz |
| "You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til the Well Runs Dry)" | |
| "All The Way" | Max & Dania |
| "Don't Love You No More (I'm Sorry)" | Robert Hales |
| "Unbelievable" | Robert Hales |
| "This is the Girl" (with Kano) | |
| "Hot Stuff (Let's Dance)" | Justin Francis |
| "6 of 1 Thing" | Phil Griffin |
| "Officially Yours" | Barnaby Roper |
| "Where's Your Love" (feat. Tinchy Stryder) | |
| "Insomnia" | Sarah Chatfield |
| "Walking Away" (feat. Nek) (Italian Version) | |
| "Walking Away" (feat. Monrose) (German Version) | |
| "Walking Away" (feat. Lynnsha) (French Version) | |
| "Walking Away" (feat. Alex Ubago) (Spanish Version) |
Awards and nominations
- BET Awards
- 2002: Best R&B Male Artist (Nominated)
- 2002: Best New Artist (Nominated)
- BRIT Awards
- 2006: Best British Urban Act (Nominated)
- 2003: Best British Urban Act (Nominated)
- 2003: Best British Male Solo Artist (Nominated)
- 2002: Best British Album: Born to Do It (Nominated)
- 2002: Best British Dance Act (Nominated)
- 2002: Best British Male Solo Artist (Nominated)
- 2001: Best British Album: Born to Do It (Nominated)
- 2001: Best British Dance Act (Nominated)
- 2001: Best British Male Solo Artist (Nominated)
- 2001: Best British Newcomer (Nominated)
- 2001: Best British Single: "7 Days" (Nominated)
- 2001: Best British Video: "7 Days" (Nominated)
- Goldene Kamera
- 2004: Pop International
- Grammy Awards
- 2003: Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: "7 Days" (Nominated)
- 2002: Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: "Fill Me In" (Nominated)
- Ivor Novello Awards
- 2001: Best Contemporary Song: "7 Days"
- 2001: Best Dance Single Award: "Woman Trouble", shared with Robbie Craig and Artful Dodger
- 2001: Songwriter Of The Year, shared with Mark Hill
- MOBO Awards
- 2001: Best UK Act
- 2001: Best R&B Act (Nominated)
- 2001: Best Album: Born to Do It (Nominated)
- 2000: Best R&B Act
- 2000: Best UK Newcomer
- 2000: Best UK Single of the Year: "Fill Me In"
- 2000: Best Video: "7 Days" (Nominated)
- 2000: Best UK Single of the Year: "Woman Trouble" (Nominated), shared with Robbie Craig and Artful Dodger
- MTV Europe Awards
- 2001: Best Male (Nominated)
- 2001: Best New Act (Nominated)
- 2001: Best R&B Act
- 2001: Best UK & Ireland Act
- MTV Video Music Awards
- 2002: Best Male Video: "Walking Away" (Nominated)
- 2001: MTV2 Award: "Fill Me In" (Nominated)
- MTV Video Music Awards Japan
- 2006: Best R&B Video: "All The Way" (Nominated)
- 2003: Best Male Video: "What's Your Flava?"
- Radio Music Awards
- 2001: Most Requested Song: "Fill Me In" (Nominated)
References
- ^ The Jewish Chronicle
- ^ Craig David Biography
- ^ Billboard.com - Artist Chart History - Craig David
- ^ http://www.urbanmusicawards.net/uk_vote_now.php Urban Music Awards 2008
- ^ World Chart Positions. aCharts.us. Accessed 6 November 2007.
- ^ Artist Chart History. Billboard. Accessed 6 November 2007.
- ^ Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales
External links
- 1981 births
- Black Jews
- English Jews
- English male singers
- English rhythm and blues singers
- English singer-songwriters
- English people of Grenadian descent
- Jewish singers
- Living people
- Multiracial musicians
- British people of mixed Black African-European ethnicity
- People from Southampton
- Warner Music Group artists
- Black Britons
- UK garage musicians