Craig Campbell got to play in front of millions of people, when he accompanied Mattie Pruitt for her American Idol audition. Campbell, who was invited by judge Lionel Richie to give Pruitt her fourth yes, also was able to connect with his good friend, and former tour boss, Luke Bryan while on Idol.
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Campbell now reveals that, while the experience of being on American Idol was fun, there was another moment of the audition that didn't make it onto Pruitt's short clip for the TV episode, and one he wishes he could see for himself.
"They chiseled it down to three minutes from 14 hours of just sitting around and twiddling our thumbs," Campbell tells Taste of Country Nights. "It was two days, from morning 'til the sun was down when we left."
Campbell goes on to say that after Pruitt got her ticket, Bryan praised Campbell to Richie.
"He looked at Lionel, he was like, 'Lionel, Craig is one of the best singers that has ever graced the microphone,' Cambpell remembers. "He was like, 'Hit 'em with something, Craig!'"
Campbell was going to play Richie's "Stuck on You," until Bryan suggested he play his own song, "Outskirts of Heaven."
"I played a little bit," Campbell remembers. "Lionel came down and shook my hand and was like, 'Dude, that was amazing!'"
Craig Campbell's New Musical Chapter
Campbell has new music of his own, out now. The 46-year-old just released "Missing You," a song that has been a decade in the making.
"I recorded this song 10 years ago," Campbell tells Taste of Country Nights.
"A couple of things jumped out at me," he continues. "The melody was sick and I just loved it. And then the message — it's just one of those songs that everybody who's ever broken up with somebody can relate to."
Campbell is releasing "Missing You" on his own, after most recently being part of Broken Bow Records.
"This is the day I've been dreaming about and planning for quite some time," Campbell said at the time. "As I said before, I wouldn't have the career, the fanbase and the touring schedule I have without the incredible support of country radio. Here we go!"
