It can be said that artists never really die because what they create in this life lasts forever.
As a musical artist, Craig Strickland’s body of work is relatively small, given that he and his band, Backroad Anthem, were on the brink of chasing the big time. But music was only part of what the talented young man with the big heart left behind following his untimely death in 2015, recalls his father, Randy Strickland.
“Craig graduated from Alma High School and earned a degree in marketing from the University of Arkansas. He co-founded a mission organization right out of college called Beyond the Game,” Randy says. “They went to the Dominican Republic to provide baseball camps and had opportunities to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. He later became a TV host for the CW Channel and led worship music at different churches in NW Arkansas and the River Valley. Everybody loved Craig; he was just so full of joy. He made everyone feel like they were so important.”
While working with the youth group at Cross Church in Springdale, Craig was asked to provide some country cover songs for a sponsored hayride, which proved to be the birth of Backroad Anthem. It was a life turn that would have been unthinkable to people who knew Craig in high school.
“Craig was not interested in music growing up; he was into playing baseball, golf, and hunting,” Randy says with a chuckle. “When Craig was a senior in high school, he had a youth pastor who was right out of college. That youth pastor was single and spent a lot of time with our family, especially around dinner time. He would bring his guitar and teach Craig to play. That was when his interest in music took off.”
By October 2012, Backroad Anthem was formed among friends and started making its mark on the music industry. The six-piece group, of which Craig was one of the vocalists, lived the life of a fledging modern country band looking to get noticed.
“Yes, they were doing some tours,” Randy says. “They had a Sprinter van with a trailer, and I think the farthest they traveled was to Columbus, Ohio. They played in South Carolina and had gigs in Athens, Georgia, Louisville, Kentucky, and Dallas, Texas. They were expanding a little bit more than just this region.”
Craig’s stepmother, Julie, went to many of their shows and marveled at his ability to connect with audiences on stage and off.
Randy says, “My wife and I usually ran the merchandise tent, and we’d keep waiting for Craig to get there after the show. He spent a lot of time just talking with his fans. He made everyone feel so special and had so many close friends. So many people have said to us, ‘He was my best friend.’ I was like, how can you have so many best friends? But he did. He found time for all of them.”
Backroad Anthem would eventually open for major artists, including Chris Young, Gary Allan, Dierks Bentley, Jennifer Hudson, and Arkansas native Justin Moore. The band also opened for Lynard Skynard at the Walmart Shareholders Meeting in front of 10,000 associates from all over the world at Bud Walton Arena. They were in the process of moving to Nashville for the next chapter in the band’s career. They’d even shot a professional video for their song “Torn,” which showed the band’s potential.
It was as close to the big time in music as Craig would ever get. The day after Christmas 2015, Craig and his friend, Chase Morland, packed up from Arkansas and headed for Oklahoma’s Kaw Lake for some duck hunting. Weather conditions worsened from Winter Storm Goliath, and their boat capsized. Morland drowned; his body was discovered on December 28, the same day Craig’s hunting dog, Sam, who had been along, was found alive. The search for Craig would continue for several days.
On January 4th, Craig’s body was discovered on an embankment, the young man having succumbed to hypothermia. He was just twenty-nine years old.
Randy’s calm retelling of the worst incident any parent can imagine reflects the deep faith that guides the Strickland family and by which Craig lived his life.
“My faith in Jesus and the support from family and friends got me through that,” he says. “God is the giver of life, you know. Psalm 139:16 says, ‘Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.’ Craig’s number of days was known to our Savior, and there weren’t any other days. Those were the days he was given. We’ve got to be grateful, hold true to that, and know that now Craig is in the brilliance of heaven with Jesus. I can’t imagine how people who do not have faith get through something like that.”
The family’s grief turned into action in the form of the Craig Strickland Foundation. Randy reached out to another Arkansas family, the Burlsworths, about their foundation. They, too, had experienced the pain of losing a son, Brandon Burlsworth, in the prime of his life. Before Craig’s passing, he had provided a recording of “I’ll Fly Away” that was used in the movie Greater, which was based on Brandon’s life.
The nonprofit, which launched nearly one year to the month of Craig’s accident, focuses on music, faith, and scholarships. The foundation offers support to young people, from sending kids to music camps to funding scholarships for high school seniors, most of whom have demonstrated a love for athletics or music the way Craig did. The foundation also supports a variety of causes related to faith-based activities for young people.
“We’re primarily supported by friends and family,” Randy says. “We also have a golf tournament every year. We’ve had a few other fundraising events such as a ping pong tournament, speaking engagements, and some corporate participation along the way as well.”
Randy’s joy in talking about his son is obvious. He is equally joyful in talking about the lives that have been changed in Craig’s name. Over 300 students have been impacted by the foundation. Randy considers this a legacy for his son and a fitting extension of the faithful Christ-centered person he was in life. Every scholarship they hand out and every cause they get behind helps keep Craig’s spirit alive. The most recent foundation impacts have been the Institute for the Creative Arts in Fort Smith naming the campus recording studio the Craig Strickland Recording Studio and donating three beautiful guitars to the Alma, Mulberry, and Mountainburg libraries for their guitar lesson programs. These donations ensure that Craig’s love for music will continue to inspire and develop young talents in these communities.
To learn more or to donate, visit the organization’s Facebook page, website, craigstricklandfoundation.org, or email Randy directly at craigstricklandfoundation@gmail.com.
