Craig Morgan’s All-American Soundtrack

Once November rolls around, Craig Morgan leaves the concert stage behind and spends the winter living off-grid at his cabin in the remote interior of Alaska.

Like a bear in hibernation, Morgan usually doesn’t come back until the early spring, but this year was an exception.

When the opportunity arose to tour with good friends Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins, it was enough to bring the country star out of the bush and back to the mainland a bit early.

Morgan joined Shelton on his “Friends and Heroes Tour” in late February, marking the start of what is sure to be another busy year for the Tennessee native, who has a penchant for packing as much as he can into life, and then some.

“Being busy isn’t a bad thing, it’s a healthy thing,” Morgan says. “I attribute physical, mental, and spiritual health to living an active lifestyle. I will always stay busy.”

It’s been 25 years since Morgan became active in the country music scene, inking his first record deal in 2000. Since then, he’s blazed a trail with a pile of chart-topping hits, including “International Harvester,” “Redneck Yacht Club,” “Little Bit of Life,” “Almost Home” and “That’s What I Love About Sunday.”

Despite all of the success, Morgan still takes on his career and life in general at a breakneck pace.

The “Friends and Heroes Tour” kicked off on Feb. 27, and the next day, Morgan released his new EP, “American Soundtrack.” After the 12-show tour with Shelton wraps up at the end of March, Morgan will stay on the road performing right through to Sept. 6.

But that’s not all he’ll be doing.

For Morgan, the outdoors is equally as important as his music. If he’s going to travel the country touring, he’s going to make damn sure to fit in a few hunting and fishing trips in between stops.

“I always book my March shows around my turkey hunting. I take advantage of those opportunities as much as I can,” Morgan says.

Fueled by coffee, endless energy, and enthusiasm for life, there really isn’t any opportunity that he won’t take on, including service to his country.

Morgan is a military veteran, having served 17 years in the Army and Army Reserve with the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions as a staff sergeant and fire support specialist.

And now he’s doing it again.

On July 29, 2023, on stage in front of a sold-out audience at the Grand Ole Opry, Morgan re-enlisted in the Army Reserve. As a warrant officer, he’ll maintain his life as a civilian while also fulfilling his military duty as a member of the 313th Army Band, based in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

So, in between touring, writing and recording music, hunting, and Alaska, Morgan has also taken on the time requirement of being an Army Reservist. But with everything else going on in his career and life, why go back to the Army now?

“Anybody who serves in the military, regardless of the branch, we share a particular DNA that is different than the average human being. It’s that desire to help people,” Morgan says. “They’re not doing it for ribbons and accolades. Just doing it because they think it’s the right thing to do.”

In fact, Morgan credits his previous time in the military for being able to handle the demands of being a country music star and so much else.

“The military prepared me for this lifestyle,” he says.

It’s a lifestyle that also includes living off the land, especially in the Alaskan wilderness. Morgan takes pride in hunting and growing the food he eats, even as society has become increasingly disconnected from those ideals.

“When what you eat is something you’ve hunted, caught, or grown, it gives you a sense of appreciation for those precious commodities that the average person doesn’t realize,” he says.

Hunting as a means of subsistence isn’t the only factor that motivates Morgan to hit the woods.

Craig Morgan, the country star, is all about the music, concerts, and greeting fans. But Craig Morgan, the hunter, is just a regular person.

In the woods, celebrity and fame don’t matter, and that’s what appeals to Morgan and many of the other famous people he hunts with. “When all is said and done, no matter who I might be hunting with, it’s always about celebrating the outdoors and being grateful for the blessing that God gives us.”

The appreciation of the simple things the outdoors offers is a big reason why Morgan takes offense to those who attack hunting. Just like he isn’t afraid to put on a uniform and defend his country, Morgan is unashamedly outspoken in his defense of hunting.

“Hunters have a sense of gratitude for our resources. They’re the true conservationists, not the PETA people who are just lobbyists and liars. That’s the truth!” he says.

There have been times in Morgan’s life when it was hard to deal with the truth; however, the outdoors helped him there as well.

In 2016, shortly after Morgan and his wife, Karen, purchased a 50-acre piece of property near Trapper Creek, Alaska, their 19-year-old son, Jerry, passed away in a boating accident in Kentucky. Although Jerry never got to visit the property in Alaska, the remote wilderness proved to be a place where Morgan could heal and remember.

On the property is a stream-fed lake that Morgan named Jerry Lake in remembrance of his son.

It’s a special place, and it’s one that Morgan shares with others.

He and his other son, Kyle, run Craig Morgan’s Off-Grid Experience at Jerry Lake—an adventure retreat for those wanting to experience the brutality and beauty of the Alaskan wilderness.

The property is 7 miles from the nearest road and 45 miles to the closest store, but Morgan says the retreat isn’t as much about wilderness survival as it is about self-reflection and rejuvenating one’s soul.

And, like the benefits that Morgan realizes from hunting, time at Jerry Lake is about gaining an appreciation for the simple things in life, even in the harsh Alaskan winter.

“If you’re willing to suffer a certain level of pain, it makes the reward that much greater,” Morgan says. “When you have a cup of coffee in front of a wood stove and you know your life depends on that heat, that coffee tastes different. At night, when you had a full day of splitting wood in the bush, that glass of wine is really, really good. Even a cheap bottle.”

Country music star, soldier, hunter, and adventure guide are only a few of the hats that Morgan wears. He’s also an author (his memoir “God, Family, Country” published in 2022), woodworker, reality TV star and host, philanthropist, and staunch veterans advocate.

Sure, the demands that come with fame can be challenging, but Morgan draws on three cornerstones—God, family, and country—to stay focused and true to himself and his fans.

It’s not that hard to do, actually, considering it isn’t writing songs to appeal to a certain audience—he’s living it as well. He’s dealt with loss, defends what he loves, and isn’t afraid to speak up for his love of the country. He drives tractors, knows how to skin a buck, and enjoys the charm of a small town and the remoteness of living way out in the woods.

Those attributes are what Morgan strives to capture in his songs, especially his new “American Soundtrack” EP. Each song is filled with details reflecting hard work and country, things that comprise Morgan’s life.

“It’s about the rural places in our country, which make up the majority of our nation and even the folks in the city—we try to include something that inspires and motivates them to come see us and celebrate what we’re doing,” he says. “When I travel around this country, you go through the cities, but the majority of this nation is spread out—the farmers, welders, and also the bankers and clerks in the grocery stores. That’s our people.”

The people who work hard for a living are the ones that Morgan has in mind when he writes a song. Those people are the backbone of the country, and he feels society in general needs to accept that hard work isn’t necessarily something to dread.

“If it’s not fun, people don’t want to do it. But you know what? Not everything in life is fun. It’s not supposed to be,” Morgan says.

“We’ve gotten a little soft in our nation. We have to be willing to do the hard stuff.”

 At age 60, Morgan admitted he is nearing the point in his life where it’s time to redirect some energy. He’s done more than his share of hard work, and instead of doing 65 shows a year, Morgan might cut it back to 30 shows one day soon to spend more time hunting and fishing.  

“Whatever the future holds, I know I will always be busy. That’s who I am.”

For more on this remarkable American man, touring dates and much more, please visit craigmorgan.com.