There’s a whole lot more to Craig Morgan than meets the eye. Yes, he’s an award-winning successful singer/songwriter and country music icon as well as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, but he’s also a proud veteran of the United States Army, an award-winning television host and avid philanthropist. We recently spoke to him about his strong calling to give back to those in need, especially the military and children.
Craig Morgan, who was recently named 2017 Operation FINALLY HOME Ambassador, is combining his “American Stories Concert Series” with the efforts of the organization. By combining the two, Morgan will assist in providing military families with mortgage-free homes in select cities during his two-month tour. Operation FINALLY HOME is a national nonpartisan/nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides mortgage-free homes to veterans and their families. He describes his process for determining which organizations to associate himself with by “Looking at the impact the organizations are having and what they are doing. We try to make sure the majority of the money is going back to the people they set out help and we focus on those helping military and children.” Morgan describes himself and other veterans/first responders as “Sharing a particular gene that requires you to do something to help others and having a positive impact on the lives you are intending to help.”
Operation FINALLY HOME fits Morgan’s mission perfectly because, as he explains, “They help struggling service members coming home who are facing physical, mental, and financial hardships,” and goes on to say that it’s hard for civilians to truly comprehend the transition, it’s still hard for him at times. “The people helped by Operation FINALLY HOME didn’t ask for help, let alone ask for a home and the organization works hard to seek out its recipients,” he says. As a tour sponsor the organization is able to present some of the recipients with homes at various tour stops, a truly special opportunity for everyone involved.
Morgan enthusiastically tells us that his American Stories Tour is his “Absolutely the most favorite thing I do as far as shows go.” The tour is a limited engagement concert series running through November of this year. It’s a series of unscripted variety shows with special guests from both Morgan’s music and military friends. The show celebrates true American values through the use of storytelling as well as music. Each week a different military member and songwriter join Morgan making each and every show a completely unique experience. Special guests include: Mac Powell, Dana Bowman, Clint Romesha, Anthony Smith, Taya Kyle, Jimmy Fortune, Tate Stevens, Marla Cannon-Goodman, Phil O’Donnell, and Greg Strube. He will bring the tour to Nashville’s City Winery on November 11th, Veteran’s Day.
In addition to his American Stories Tour, Morgan and his family have recently opened their first family owned and operated storefront housed in a 104 year old building on Main Street in Morgan’s hometown of Dickson, TN. The Gallery at Morgan Farms features unique hand-made products and items made from recycled, reclaimed and re-purposed materials and each item comes with a personalized note from Morgan’s wife Karen describing its significance. “The objective of the Gallery is to make things that people will use not only as a table item but as a story piece,” he shares.
The store features one-of-a-kind, hand-carved wooden items such as bowls, spoons, cheese boards, cutting boards, wooden art and more all created by members of the Morgan family. Prints painted by local artist Kimberly Daniel featuring various scenes from the Morgan’s farm are also available for purchase in the store. In the future, the store will sell items created by some of Morgan’s fellow musician friends, including Zac Brown, Eric Paslay and more. Morgan says that being able to focus on the Gallery has allowed him to cope with the tragic loss of his son Jerry last year in a boating accident. He’s used the wood working as a therapy method.
Morgan is also the host of the award-winning “Craig Morgan: All Access Outdoors” show on the Outdoor Channel, now in its eighth season. “It’s a hobby that allows me to maintain some sense of tranquility, allowing me to recharge my batteries,” he says. In addition, he is also involved with many other charitable organizations such as The Spirit of Blue Foundation, The Dickson County Craig Morgan Foundation, and Folds of Honor.
One of the greatest privileges I have as an outdoorsman is to introduce others to the outdoors. https://t.co/Ggbm03R6Dt @OUTDChannel pic.twitter.com/U1BJXdlxuh
— Craig Morgan (@cmorganmusic) September 14, 2017
For more information on Craig Morgan, his American Stories Tour and other ventures, visit his website. Visit Operation FINALLY HOME to learn more.