Craig David is one of the biggest British artists of all time - and it's no wonder, with hits like '7 Days', 'Walking Away' and 'Rewind'!
Although he's well-known for his brilliant songs, incredible writing skills and stunning vocals, Craig is also a hugely talented DJ - having performed his TS5 set all over the world.
How did Craig David become famous?
After Craig worked on a cover of 'Wonderful Tonight' by Damage, he began working with Artful Dodger, appearing as a vocalist on their tracks 'Something' and 'What Ya Gonna Do'. He started writing and recording his own music, like 'Walking Away' and '7 Days', and then featured on 'Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta)' by Artful Dodger which went to Number 2 and made him a household name.
Craig released his debut album 'Born to Do It' in August 2000, hitting the top spot in the UK charts and being certified 6x Platinum here too.
Did Craig David take time out from music?
He didn't go on an official hiatus, but resented the caricature of himself on Leigh Francis' TV show Bo' Selecta!, in which he was frequently parodied. Craig told The Sunday Times in 2007, "The whole Bo' Selecta! thing was killing me for a while because this idiot had a cult following and I was the main caricature. It was hurtful beyond belief. There were times when I thought I just want to knock this guy out."
Has Craig David won any awards?
He sure has! As well as 14 BRIT Award nominations and two GRAMMY Award nominations, Craig has also won three Ivor Novello Awards, all in 2001: Best Contemporary Song for '7 Days', Best Dance Single for 'Woman Trouble' with Robbie Craig and Artful Dodger and Songwriter of the Year.
Craig has also bagged five MOBO Awards: in 2000, he won Best UK Newcomer, Best R&B Act and Best UK Single of the Year for 'Fill Me In', in 2001 he won Best UK Act and in 2016 he took home Best Male Act.
What is Craig David's TS5?
TS5 is the name of Craig David's DJ set, something he has performed at venues all over the world including music festivals. It's named after his apartment in Miami where he hosted house parties, which then encouraged him to start DJ-ing.
Is Craig David married?
No he's not! Craig has always stayed very private about his personal life and romantic relationships.
How many albums has Craig David brought out?
Seven! Craig has brought out a whopping seven albums in his 23-year career: 'Born to Do It' in 2000, 'Slicker Than Your Average' in 2002, 'The Story Goes...' in 2005, 'Trust Me' in 2007, 'Signed Sealed Delivered' in 2010, 'Following My Intuition' in 2016 and 'The Time Is Now' in 2018.
On 31st May 2019, David released a new single "When You Know What Love Is" from his upcoming eighth album and he even made an appearance on Love Island, performing the single as a DJ at a Ministry of Sound pool party.
On 30th December 2020, he was announced on the Queen’s New Year Honours List to receive an MBE in recognition of his services to music.
On 29th April 2022, Craig shared a video message with his fans confirming that his next album would be released in 22 weeks. His eighth studio will be called '22' and in the video, Craig said: "Hey guys, I just wanted to jump on here to give you all an update on my new album '22'. It's been an amazing journey to get it to sound exactly how I wanted it..."
Did Craig David perform at the Platinum Party at the Palace?
The show took place on 4th June and also saw performances from Eurovision singerSam Ryder,George Ezra, andMabel. Craig performed an extended version of his track 'Ain't Giving Up'.
Watch Craig David perform at Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee concert:
Music is definitely in Craig David's blood. As a child, he was surrounded by music. His father George even played bass in a reggae band. Despite being well-known in the underground MC world in the 90s and writing songs for British group Damage, Craig David only got his big break in 1999 when he featured on the track 'Re-Rewind' by garage duo Artful Dodger. The song reached Number 2 in the charts and Craig soon became a household name.
Craig's debut album 'Born To Do It' was released 14th August 2000 by Wildstar Records. It went to Number 1 and eventually went 6x Platinum. It also achieved major success in the US, selling over a million copies. Hosting smash singles including '7 Days' and 'Walking Away', the album placed Craig at the top and earned him three Ivor Novello Awards as well as six BRIT Award nominations in 2001. Later in April 2009, MTV viewers voted 'Born to Do It' as number 2 on their 'Greatest Album of All-Time' poll. What an accolade!
Craig's first album was definitely hard to beat and his second, 'Slicker Than Your Average', was released in 2002. It had huge hits, 'What's Your Flava?', 'Hidden Agenda' and 'Rise & Fall' and reached Number 4 in the charts.
2005 - Change of sound and third album 'The Story Goes...'
In 2005, Craig announced that he had signed with Warner Music and put together his third album, 'The Story Goes...'. His sound shifted slightly and he began exploring more contemporary R&B. His song 'All The Way' put him back in the Top 3 in the charts and the album still did well.
Craig switched up his look on his fourth album 'Trust Me'. He successfully sought permission from David Bowie to sample his 1983 Number 1 single 'Let's Dance'. The single was a top ten hit but his fourth record didn't perform as well as his first three. 2007 also saw him team up with UK grime legend Kano for their collaboration 'This Is The Girl' that sampled Jay Z's song 'Big Pimpin'.
In 2008, still quite early on in his career, Craig released a Greatest Hits album, full of his best known hits as well a new song 'Where's Your Love' featuring Tinchy Stryder and Rita Ora. Craig then signed another new record with Universal Motown and released sixth album 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered'. It featured covers of classics from Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye and Al Green. In 2009, he moved to Miami and took a break. Craig bought a luxurious all-white penthouse in the sunny city, and began taking major interest in body-building and getting into shape. Although he didn't go on an official hiatus, Craig reportedly resented the caricature of himself on Leigh Francis' TV show Bo' Selecta!, in which he was frequently parodied. Craig told The Sunday Times in 2007: "The whole Bo' Selecta! thing was killing me for a while because this idiot had a cult following and I was the main caricature. It was hurtful beyond belief. There were times when I thought I just want to knock this guy out."
Craig started making his way back to the mainstream in 2011 when his DJ name TS5 started uploaded the sets to Soundcloud, and on the back of this success Craig embarked on a huge world tour that took him all over the globe. TS5 remains hugely successful to this day, taking Craig everywhere from Ibiza to Glastonbury. In January 2013, David announced on Twitter that he had signed a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group, he then took his TS5 shows on tour. In 2015, Craig appeared on The X Factor and performed his breakthrough single 'Re-Rewind' with Reggie 'n' Bollie. In 2016, he signed with Sony and was preparing for the ultimate comeback.
Craig's comeback single 'When The Bassline Drops', featuring Big Narstie, flew straight into the Top 10. In September 2016, he dropped his long-awaited comeback album 'Following My Intuition' and it was his first album to hit Number 1 since his debut 'Born To Do It'. He then headed on tour and played almost every festival under the sun.
In 2017, Craig announced the release of the seventh studio album, 'The Time Is Now', which was released in January 2018 and featured hits like 'Heartline' and 'I Know You' featuring Bastille.
Two years later, he released 'Do You Miss Me Much' and 'When You Know What Love Is' - which he performed in the Love Island villa during a guest DJ slot.
In October 2021, Craig surprised fans and told them a collaboration 'Who You Are' which saw join forces with Grammy-nominated artist and acclaimed songwriter MNEK.
He's also hinted at a new album. C'mon, we're waiting...
2021 - Craig David received an MBE from Prince Charles
In December 2021, Craig David received an MBE at Windsor Castle from Prince Charles. The singer too to Instagram to share some photos of him receiving the award telling his fans: 'As I sit here after a beautiful day with my mum at Windsor Castle 🏰 I just wanna say thank you to everyone that has played a part in my career to date & to everyone that supports me & enriches my life. I'm so grateful & I Love You ❤️💫 xxx'
2022 - Craig Davi performs at the Platinum Party at the Palace
Craig David was among the talented artists who performed at the Platinum Party at the Palace concert as part of Queen Elizabeth II's Jubilee celebrations on 4th June.
After his performance, he took to Instagram to say: 'After the last few years we've all had to face our own challenges individually & collectively, but in that time I've seen so many acts of courage, humility & grace from all of You that makes an occasion like this even more special to be a part of' (sic)
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