By Danny Coleman
originally published: 06/25/2020
"I'm trying to; it's just such a tough business and with everything else going on," and as his voice trailed off, a pensive but forthright Billy Craig began discussing his most recent release, the status of The Brownsville Station and his current single "Margarita Way."
A guitarist who has been in music seemingly his entire life, Craig has done multiple solo records but this most recent although far different from the others does not define him or his style.
"I have five albums out and I'm working on a new one," he began to explain in his slow mid-western drawl. "My current one is my instrumental album, "Beyond the Pale." What I've done is, it's hard to explain because I hate to say that my career is somewhat eclectic but I don't have to stay in any one place really; most of the music that I've released to radio has been more in the Americana/Country vein. So, I released a song that I had from another album called "Margarita Way."
"Beyond the Pale" is all guitar and instrumental, it's something I've wanted to do for quite some time and I'm actually excited to do a sequel for it because it was just so much fun. Then at the same time the people I work with and I decided that we wanted to release a single so that people actually knew I sing and write songs (laughs). We released the single "Margarita Way" and it's kind of middle of the road Jimmy Buffett yet country and we released that nationwide and it's doing great."
"The funny thing is; I wrote four albums of country and Americana; I can't remember what album it was when Brownsville actually started doing shows again but it's funny because I kind of got re-infected with the rock 'n' roll bug and if you listen to my albums, you can see where it goes from acoustic and starts getting harder and harder. Brownsville definitely influenced me back into my rock 'n' roll roots and that transferred to the project of "Beyond the Pale" because it was just something that I've always had in the back of my mind; I think every guitar player does. This was something that I wanted to put together, I had a bunch of time on my hands, I was playing a lot and I was playing well and I just started coming up with these ideas and hashed them out; I feel it's some of my best work to be honest with you."
With that self-assessment and devotion to diversity; not only in his playing but his recorded work as well; to what does Craig attribute this?
"I think that goes back to the days when I started doing gigs in the eighth grade and when you did gigs back then; that's when bands were king," he stated with a slight chuckle. "We played high school dances but we also played weddings, so we had to play a lot of different kinds of music. My roots are really more rock 'n' roll but I always had that singer/songwriter and country feel that I was always interested in but when you write songs, they kind of pick you, you don't pick them. I don't say, OK I'm going to write a rock song or a country song, it just kind of comes out. So, I ended up writing multiple country albums and releasing songs to country radio and Americana but as far as rock 'n' roll; my claim to fame was a big band that I was in here in the Detroit area and that kind of started what you might call the odyssey of being in Brownsville Station."
Yes, those guys, Brownsville Station; so how did he land that gig and what does their future hold?
"That's an interesting story , my buddy called me and said, "Hey! We're gonna do a road trip to Sun Studio; I booked a couple of days and we're gonna record some songs but there's only one catch; you've got to write some songs and have them ready for then" and I did, that was no problem. The four of us took a mini-van from Detroit and migrated down to Memphis and I sat in the back seat with a guy named Charlie Martin and I don't know if you're familiar with that but if you listen to Bob Seger, Charlie was the drummer for The Silver Bullet Band back in those days. I listened to 14 hours of rock 'n' roll stories which I truly loved and we ended up in the studio recording and because of the Detroit roots,(Brownsville Station drummer) Henry "H-Bomb" Weck was invited because he lived in Memphis at the time. So, he was invited to the session and that's where I met him and we turned into fast friends. I had a rock band; we never got a deal but we came darn close and we had a lot of airplay in the mid-west. So, he knew who I was and we kind of became really good friends over the years and we started writing. He gave me a call and said, "Hey, I want you to listen to some stuff and tell me what you think of the mix," so I sent him an e-mail and told him I loved it and if he needed a crazy guitar player that I'd love to be part of it and that's how it started; as a matter of fact, I just talked with the lead singer a few days ago; we don't have anything official that I can say about it but to be honest with you, I'm not sure where that stands right now."
So, with Brownsville on hiatus, Craig has released and is working on releasing another solo album but he's also had time to reflect on the journey; his journey.
"My dream is to do a little vinyl with the album that I'm working on now. I've never done this before but I'm a little excited; I'm staunch on writing original material but on this album, I'm doing three covers that are kind of near and dear to my heart. I was messing around with them and thought, I'm going to redo these songs just for the fun of it. I do want to say, on "Beyond the Pale," an interesting story out of there is that one of the guys who was a big hero of mine and one of my influences that people hear and kind of freak out and say, "Really? No kidding?" was Peter Frampton. I saw him when I was probably 15 maybe 14 years old and oh my God it was like magic. That always stuck with me and one day I was messing around with the chords for "Show Me The Way" and I took it and made it with a little more swing to it and this melody just kind of jumped into my head. So, I named that particular song "Frampton" and if you Google it you can hear it. We actually did release that to radio because it has been such a long time since radio has had an instrumental that I thought maybe I'd do something different because it's important to me that people realize that I'm not just an acoustic guitar player and singer; that I'm a real guitar player. I had a point in my life, one of those moments where I remembered being a kid again. Do you remember those days when the impetus or little seed in your life was planted where you knew you wanted to be in radio? That was a big moment for me and that's when I started practicing more and started doing more on the instrumental side."
"Margarita Way" is on my second album called "Next Exit Paradise." I was out in California for the holidays and we were all having a lot of fun and I kind of had an epiphany where I was like; ok so what do I do now? I had the instrumental album out but I wanted people to remember that I do sing songs so I sent the song out. I released it because there was a station over in Great Britain or Ireland that was playing the heck out of it and I realized that I'd never released it as a single in the United States. That was always stuck in my head and I just kind of let go of it; then all of a sudden, I'm in California looking at the palm trees and I'm thinking, people really do love the water and they love boats. That's what that song is all about is that whole Margarita feel and I decided that when I got home, I was going to release it as a single; "Margaritaville" did well for Jimmy Buffett so I thought; who knows? (laughs) Maybe there's room for an American guy who also plays the hell out of the guitar. (laughs)
To find out more about Billy Craig, please visit https://www.billycraigmusic.us/
That's it for this week! Please continue to support live and original music and until next week....ROCK ON!
This week's event listings
Arts Council of Princeton 102 Witherspoon Street Princeton
(609) 924-8777
Fri. 7 p.m. "Story & Verse LIVE: A Storytelling and Poetic Open Mic" (This event takes place outdoors at Pettoranello Gardens) (FREE / Masks Required)
Sat. 7 p.m. Cafe Improv. $2
Broken Goblet Brewing 2500 State Road Bensalem, PA
(267) 812-5653
Fri. 8:45 p.m. Beauty and the Beard
Candlelight Lounge 24 Passaic Street Trenton
(609) 695-9612
Thurs. 6 p.m. Thursday Night Blues Jam Hosted by The Mojo Gypsies. $5 (Includes hot buffet)
Clubhouse at Mountain View 850 Bear Tavern Road Ewing
(609) 771-0400
Thurs. 6 p.m. NDHS Class of 87 "Post Apocalyptic" Happy Hour
COARadio.com 125 South Main Street Hightstown
(609) 241-7103
Sun. 7 p.m. "Rock On Radio" feat. Shirley King & Steve Hackett
Cooper's Riverview 50 Riverview Plaza Trenton
(609) 393-7300
Fri. 7 p.m. Witzend
Sat. 7 p.m. "Social Saturdays" feat. The Fredz
All Events Ages 21+
Cream Ridge Winery 145 Route 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 259-9797
Sun. 1 p.m. Ronnie Brandt
Dog & Bull Brew House 810 Bristol Pike (Rte. 13) Croydon, PA.
(215) 788-2855
Sat. 4 p.m Tiltin' Catz
Hopewell Valley Vineyards 46 Yard Avenue Pennington
(609) 737-4465
Fri. 6 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. Acoustic DuoVer
Sat. 6 p.m. "Music & Merlot" feat. Acoustic Road
Sun. 3 p.m. "Jazzy Sundays" feat. Hopewell Valley Vineyards Jazz Ensemble
Iron Plow Vineyards 26750 Mount Pleasant Road Columbus
(732) 306-9111
Fri. 6 p.m. The Sweet Spot
Sat. 6 p.m. Ronnie Brandt
Sun. 1 p.m. Bud & Maggs
Killarney's Publick House 1644 Whitehorse-Mercerville Road Hamilton
(609) 586-1166
Thurs. 6 p.m. "Girls Night Out"
Laurita Winery 85 Archertown Road New Egypt
(609) 752-0200
Sat./Sun. 11 a.m. "Dads and Grads Food Truck Festival w/ Fire Pits"
McGuinn's Place 1781 Brunswick Avenue Lawrence
(609) 392-0599
Fri. 9 p.m. Whiskey Vinyl
Sat. 9 p.m. Nate Ginnetty
Ages 21+
Newtown Brewing Company103 Penns Trail Newtown, PA
(215) 944-8609
Fri. 6 p.m. Two For Flinching
Patriots Crossing 1339 River Road Titusville
(609) 737-2780
Thurs. 8 p.m. Open Mic Night
Wed. 7 p.m. "Quizzo"
Tavern On The Lake 101 Main Street Hightstown
(609) 426-9345
Fri. 9:30 p.m. Complicated Matter
Temperance House 5 South State Street Newtown, PA
(215) 944-8050
Thurs. 7 p.m. Steve Guyger & Filthy Rich
Tues. 8 p.m. Trivia w/ Righteous Jolly (outdoors)
Terhune Orchards 330 Cold Soil Road Princeton
(609) 924-2310
Sat. 1 p.m. Lindsay Ketofsky
Sun.12 p.m. "Sunday Music Series" feat. Briz Conard
The Cool Cricket 216 Burlington Street Fieldsboro
(609) 291-9110
Sat. (2 p.m.) "4 Bands 4 a Cause" feat. Unleashed, Einstein Bridge, Classic Pie, Polish Nannies (Benefits Recovery Advocates of America, Inc / Donations welcomed) (9 p.m.) Asylum Choir
The Ivy Inn 248 Nassau Street Princeton
(609) 921-8555
Thurs. 10 p.m. Karaoke w/ DJ Rockin' Ron
The Roost 181 Rte. 539 Cream Ridge
(609) 208-0050
Sat. 8 p.m. Diablo Sandwich Band
The Vibe Lounge at MastorisRoute 130 and Route 206 Bordentown
(609) 298-4650
Tues. 7 p.m. Trivia
Train Wreck Distillery25 Madison Avenue Mount Holly
(609) 288-6300
Fri. 8 p.m. Modern Mojo
Sat. 7:30 p.m. SuperLemonade
Trenton Buzz 702 Pine Street Trenton
(609) 392-6000
Fri. 8 p.m. Live Band & Open Mic.
Sat. 10 p.m. "Buzzed Saturdays" w/ Bockman
Trenton Social 449 South Broad Street Trenton
(609) 989-7777
Fri. 5 p.m. DJ ItsJustAhmad
Mon. 9 p.m. "Monday Night Karaoke" Hosted by Sweets
Tues. 7 p.m. Open Mic Night w/ Kyle & Mike
Triumph Brewing Company (New Hope, Pa. Location)
400 Union Square New Hope, Pa.
(215) 862-8300
Thurs. 8 p.m. Trivia
Sun. 7 p.m. Open Stage
All shows 21+
Working Dog Winery 610 Windsor Perrineville Road Hightstown
(609) 371-6000
Sat. 1 p.m. Dave Kelly
Sun. 1 p.m. Jeff Lyle Friedman
WWFM 89.1 FM HD2 RadioMCCC Old Trenton Road West Windsor
Jazzon2.org
Mon. 7 p.m. "Danny Coleman's Got The Blues"
Yardley Inn Restaurant & Bar 82 East Afton Avenue Yardley, PA
(215) 493-3800
Sat. 8 p.m. Jonathn Ashe
About the author:
Danny Coleman is a veteran musician and writer from central New Jersey. He hosts a weekly radio program entitled 'Rock On Radio' airing Sunday evenings at 7:00pm EST on ThePenguinRocks.com where he features indie/original bands and solo artists.
EVENT PREVIEWS
Telegraph Quartet to Perform on the Morris Museum's Back Deck to Kick Off Its Celebrated Summer Outdoor Concerts Series
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- On Thursday, June 11, 2026, the Telegraph Quartet will return to perform for the Morris Museum's seventh annual Back Deck season. This outdoor concert series began during the pandemic, and The New York Times describes it as "Live Music Splendor in a Parking Lot." Showtime is 7:30pm.
Carteret PAC presents Jo Dee Messina
(CARTERET, NJ) -- Chart-topping country music icon Jo Dee Messina will perform at The URSB Carteret Performing Arts and Events Center on Friday, June 12, 2026. Messina is known for her powerful vocals and extensive catalog including nine number-one hits, 16 Top 40 songs, and awards and nominations from the ACM, CMA, AMA, Billboard, and the Grammys. Showtime is 8:000pm.
SOPAC to Celebrate 20th Anniversary with Gala 20: Featuring Max Weinberg's Jukebox
(SOUTH ORANGE, NJ) -- The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) will celebrate its 20th Anniversary on Friday, June 12, 2026 with Gala 20: Featuring Max Weinberg's Jukebox — a venue-wide celebration from 5:00pm–11:00pm.
Trenton City Museum presents Art & Song: A Musical Gallery on June 12th
(TRENTON, NJ) -- Trenton City Museum presents the concert Art & Song: A Musical Gallery on Friday, June 12, 2026 at 6:30pm. Versatile vocalists Tom Chiola and Pam Jorgensen, accompanied by the George Sinkler Trio, will delight audience members with selections from Broadway, Blues, Jazz, and more. Transformed into a stylish jazz café, the museum will also provide delicious food and beverages amid the art of the just-opened Ellarslie Open 43 exhibition. Doors will open at 6:00pm.
Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Jason Ricci on Friday
(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- Multiple award winning jazz, funk and blues harmonica player, singer, songwriter Jason Ricci comes to the Lizzie Rose Music Room on Friday, June 12, 2026. Doors are at 7:00pm, showtime is 7:30pm.
French Montana to Headline Grand Opening of Dream Live Performing Arts Center
(EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ) -- American Dream will celebrate the region's opening World Cup match between Brazil and Morocco with the debut of its newest venue, the Dream Live Performing Arts Center, with a postgame concert by French Montana on June 13, 2026 at 9:00pm.
Outlaw Country Comes to the Jersey Pines at Albert Music Hall on Saturday
(WARETOWN, NJ) -- The outlaw spirit of classic Country music will ride into Albert Music Hall on Saturday, June 13, 2026, as the historic Waretown venue presents a special evening dedicated to the songs, stories, and the independent spirit of Outlaw Country.
Sergio Mendes' Wife, Gracinha Leporace, Brings His 'Best Band Ever' to New Jersey
Sixty years ago, Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (A&M Records) emerged as both a masterful artistic statement and a major commercial breakthrough album. The record helped introduce the sophisticated rhythms and cool elegance of Brazilian bossa nova and samba to a truly global audience, blending Brazilian musical traditions with American pop, jazz, and contemporary studio production and repertoire.
Marc Ribler & Friends to perform Paul McCartney birthday tribute "When I'm 84" at Axelrod PAC
(DEAL, NJ) -- As a tribute to Sir Paul McCartney's upcoming 84th birthday in June, Jersey Shore musician Marc Ribler has put together an all-star lineup to perform "When I'm 84" at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center on Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14, 2026.
Levoy Theatre presents Paul Thorn on June 18th
(MILLVILLE, NJ) -- The Levoy Theatre presents Paul Thorn on Thursday, June 18, 2026 at 7:30pm. When it comes to songwriting, less is more, and simplicity is strength. Just ask Paul Thorn, who’s spent three decades turning soulful grooves and small syllables into songs that pack a big wallop.
MORE EVENTS
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