God, family, country. Those are not just three simple words. They stand for the precious values that country music star Craig Morgan lives by and rigorously upholds every single day. He celebrates those deeply heartfelt values on his latest EP, American Soundtrack. It was released on February 28 from BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville. (Stream it HERE.)
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Per his web site, Morgan, 60, made it to the very top of the music industry a long time ago. "Over the years, he's earned nearly 2.5 billion streams and charted over 25 songs, including such memorable hits as "International Harvester," "Redneck Yacht Club," "Little Bit of Life," "Almost Home" and "That's What I Love About Sunday," which spent four weeks at the top of the chart...." He earned coveted membership in the Grand Ole Opry in 2008.
In a recent conversation with Wide Open Country, Morgan talked about what American Soundtrack means to him, touring with his pal, Blake Shelton, and the one singer he would like to someday collaborate with.
Listen To The Title Track From 'American Soundtrack' Here
Craig Morgan Is Rightfully Proud Of This New EP
The content of American Soundtrack is revealed in the titles of its six songs. Besides the title track, there is "Roots," "God's Problems," "Country Education," "Blue Collar Prayer," and "Who I'm From." Morgan co-wrote all the songs except "God's Problems." He co-produced the EP with Phil O'Donnell.
The key themes of God, family, and country emerge loud and clear - and Morgan would not have it any other way. "I'm excited about it because it's new music," he says with a hearty guffaw. "It's what we do for a living, so anytime we get to put out new music and appease our fan base and hopefully increase our fan base by giving them something to listen to, that's what we do. And we love it. I personally love doing new music."
He added, "These are songs about what I believe are the cornerstones, it's my foundation - God, family, country. It's what I've always talked about and sung about and what I believe the majority of people in this nation believe in and celebrate. These songs really touch all of those things better than I've ever done it before."
Craig Morgan Is Currently Performing On His Buddy Blake Shelton's 'Friends & Heroes 2025' Tour
The tour kicked off in Lexington, Kentucky, at Rupp Arena on the night of February 27. Morgan was still fired up about it the next day when we spoke. Other artists who are on the tour include Trace Adkins, Deana Carter, and Emily Ann Roberts.
"I'm excited to do this," Morgan said. "Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins are two of my best friends in this business. Blake is very down-to-earth. He's honest - what you see is what you get. I love him to death. We've been friends for a long time. He's also one of the goofiest, funniest guys I've ever met."
He Did Not Originally Foresee Himself As A Performer In The Music Industry
Morgan had other ideas about his career trajectory back in the day. He said that he scarcely imagined himself on stage as a singer. "Oh no, not at all," he replied when asked if performing was his lifelong goal. "I really thought I would retire from the military when I was in and get a get a job as a sheriff in some small town somewhere. I thought that was my life. That was what I intended to do. But God had different plans, so here I am."
Morgan said this when questioned about his military service. "It's who I am. I served in the Army initially for seventeen-and-a-half years. (He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve on July 29, 2023 on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, per usar.army.mil.) We all share something in our DNA that requires us to do that and be a part of that. It's not for medals and accolades and heroic pats on the back. It's for us to do and to give. And it will never go away."
This Is A Super Busy Time For Him
In addition to promoting American Soundtrack and touring, Craig Morgan said he "has his hands in other businesses." He mentioned that there is "potential interest" in his book God, Family, Country: A Memoir becoming a movie or TV series. And that isn't all.
He thrives on being involved in all aspects of the music scene, including writing and producing. "I probably enjoy the writing and the producing as much as or even more than I do the performing. I didn't get in this business initially to be an artist. [Being a singer] came about as a by-product of my desire to write and produce music. I just absolutely love that part of it."
