The Grammy Awards are just a few short days away, and Charley Crockett might leave the awards ceremony with a gilded gramophone award.
The Texas native recently received his first-ever Grammy nomination for his stellar record $10 Cowboy. Over the last nine years, Crockett has put out fifteen records and is a perfect example of how hard work gets you places.
When I think of an artist who consistently has his nose to the grindstone creating quality music, Charley Crockett comes to mind. Hence, it’s fantastic to see him (finally) get the recognition he deserves for his Best Americana Album nomination. While he’s up against some stiff competition in the category, with Maggie Rose, Sierra Ferrell, and Waxahatchee also being up for nominations, the fact he is among this group of stellar artists is a testament to his craft and musical ability.
But if Crockett does leave the Crypto.com Arena with a Grammy Award, he won’t place it on a shelf in his home. He plans on giving it to the woman who birthed him.
“I’ll give it to my mama if I ever get one.”
He told NPR during a comprehensive interview.
During the sit down with the broadcasting network, Crockett talks about his career from day one. From growing up in Texas to noting that busking in New Orleans is where he found his signature sound:
“I was seeing the culture of the French Quarter when I was 8, 9 years old, And it really was in New Orleans where I learned all the different styles. I learned drinking songs, playing in front of tourists on Royal Street. I got a sense of jazz timing, of how to really strum a guitar, how to pick a guitar to a two-beat, to a shuffle.
I’m not a jazz musician by any stretch, but I learned some jazz positions to substitute in for simple country and blues chords, there on those streets, you know?”
And speaking about life on the road with over 100 tour dates a year, Crockett is laying it all out on the line during this interview.
While the entire interview is well worth the read, the article’s ending stood out to me most. In 2019, Crockett underwent open heart surgery for a potentially fatal heart valve issue.
“I think with my heart surgery, when I woke up on the other side of it, it’s not the pain or the scar on my chest — it was that all of a sudden I realized that I was going to die.”
While some artists might want to scale back their touring and work schedule to care for themselves after such an invasive operation, it had the opposite effect on Crockett. It made him want to work harder.
Ailsa Chang and Kira Wakeam, the contributors to this article, noted Crockett’s statement about needing to do “more” makes it appear that you always feel inadequate as an artist, regardless of how successful you become. Crockett notes that’s not how he meant it, but rather relating to the “American Dream”, which is always to want to do better, be better, provide more, and reach new heights when it comes to working. That’s how we became a country many want to come to, right? There are limitless possibilities if you have a good work ethic.
“That’s what we’re taught to do. You know you got to work. You got to swing that hammer. And you know what? I’m not mad about that. I’m gonna keep swinging that f***ing hammer,”
And that hammer keeps swinging as Crockett announces his next project, Lonesome Drifter.
I sure hope Charley Crockett’s mom gets to have a Grammy Award in her home after Sunday’s presentation…
While you’re here, fire up “America,” featured on $10 Cowboy.
