Jonny Craig
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Jonathan Monroe Craig (born March 26, 1986) is a
Canadian-American Canadian Americans is a term that can be applied to American citizens whose ancestry is wholly or partly Canadian, or citizens of either country that hold dual citizenship. The term ''Canadian'' can mean a nationality or an ethnicity. Canadians ...
singer and songwriter, best known as the former lead vocalist of bands
Dance Gavin Dance Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
,
Emarosa Emarosa ( ) is an American rock band formed in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2006. The band currently consists of lead guitarist and founding member ER White and lead vocalist Bradley Walden, who joined the band in 2013. The group has undergone severa ...
, and Rain City Drive, as well as the co-lead vocalist of the short-lived
supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to: * Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields * Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry * Supergroup ...
Isles & Glaciers Isles & Glaciers was an American post-hardcore supergroup formed in 2008. They recorded material for their debut EP, '' The Hearts of Lonely People'' December 3–13, 2008 in Seattle, Washington and again in April 2009. It was produced by Casey B ...
. As a solo artist, he has released two studio albums, two EPs and a live album to date, and his distinct type of
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
-based singing has earned him considerable acclaim.


Early life

Jonathan Monroe Craig was born in
Minot, North Dakota Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the 20 ...
. In a further interview with the music blog ''Eat Yo Beats'', Jonny said "my mom made me listen to tons of shit when I was kid, everything from
Michael Bolton Michael Bolotin
, The Jewish Historical Society of New Haven, 1998.
(born February 26, 1953), known professio ...
to some weird ass Christian rock bands" and also that it was this that became his main influence, rather than gospel music. Craig cites some of his early idols as
Boyz II Men Boyz II Men (pronounced ''boys to men''), also known as B2M, is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan M ...
and
New Found Glory New Found Glory (formerly A New Found Glory) is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of Jordan Pundik (lead vocals), Ian Grushka (bass guitar), Chad Gilbert (lead guitar, backing vocal ...
. He was put into the school choir as a default elective but was ultimately kicked out. As a child, he says that he "had a hard time keeping out of trouble" and that "high school wasn't for him." He would explain later that that was the reason he left high school and attained his G.E.D, then focused on music full-time. "I just wanted an escape from a lot of the things when I was a child I guess. I just wanted to get away from a lot of the problems that I was dealing with at home and stuff", Craig states in an interview with KLSU radio as his reason for starting his path in music.


Music career


Beginnings as a musician (2000–2007)

After moving to America and attending high school in
Washington state Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
, Craig auditioned for bands but ultimately was not accepted into one. Craig then formed the band westerHALTS in 2000, a
garage band Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...
from Tacoma, Washington. At age 15, Craig released his first known song with them titled "Change, Leisure, and Retirement" in 2001. In an
Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
Podcast he stated that the band was "...just something to help pay for weed, something I played over the weekends." He then joined as the lead vocalist for Tacoma-based
pop punk Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
band Ghost Runner on Third in 2002. Craig said that he met the guitarist of Ghost Runner on Third in high school. He received positive reviews with this band's debut EP, Speak Your Dreams, released on January 4, 2005.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
stated that Craig was, "the band's secret weapon, a passionate vocalist. There's not a bad track to be found here, but Craig tends to outshine his bandmates throughout." Early on in his career with Ghost Runner On Third it has been cited that overwhelming drug problems led to his departure, as told by
Dance Gavin Dance Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
in an old blog post concerning Craig after he was kicked out of the band. Though Craig has denied the statements made,
Dance Gavin Dance Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
has not backed off from those remarks, which they explain was the reason for all the band's problems and partly for his former band Ghost Runner on Third. Dance Gavin Dance has also partially blamed guitarist Sean O'Sullivan's departure on Craig's behavior, although there were other contributing factors. Despite their past differences, both past and present members of
Dance Gavin Dance Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
have since become friends. Consider the Thief (O'Sullivan's previous band), was also listed in Emarosa's '' Relativity'' album on the "special thanks" section of the info-booklet.


Dance Gavin Dance and Emarosa (2007–2012)

Jonny Craig's singing in Dance Gavin Dance's debut EP Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean and debut full-length album,
Downtown Battle Mountain ''Downtown Battle Mountain'' is the debut studio album by American post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance, released on May 15, 2007, on Rise Records. The album serves as a follow-up to the band's debut extended play, '' Whatever I Say Is Royal O ...
, received positive reviews from critics.
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
stated that "co-frontman Jonny Craig's regularly hysterical yelping may change your mind forever." In March 2007, it was explained that Jonny Craig came up with the name ''Dance Gavin Dance'' and had planned to name his previous band, "Ghost Runner On Third", by that name. After being kicked out of Dance Gavin Dance after the "Saints and Sinners Festival" in New Jersey, Jonny Craig immediately filled in for
A Skylit Drive A Skylit Drive is an American post-hardcore band from Lodi, California. The band has released one DVD, one EP and five studio albums: '' Wires...and the Concept of Breathing'' (2008), '' Adelphia'' (2009), '' Identity on Fire'' (2011), ''Rise ...
's Lead Vocalist Jordan Blake while he was ill. The band said at shows, and on their website, that he was not the new lead singer and the situation would only be temporary. It had been only two weeks since he quit
Dance Gavin Dance Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
in which he joined
Emarosa Emarosa ( ) is an American rock band formed in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2006. The band currently consists of lead guitarist and founding member ER White and lead vocalist Bradley Walden, who joined the band in 2013. The group has undergone severa ...
who was left without a lead singer. On August 18, 2010,
Dance Gavin Dance Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
parted ways with vocalist Kurt Travis, and Jonny Craig, along with other original vocalist, Jon Mess, returned to the band to record a new album. The reunited lineup would also embark on a headlining run the following spring. Craig was to remain in Emarosa as well. The rapper
Game A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...
and
DJ Skee Scott Keeney (born 15 November 1983), better known by his stage name DJ Skee, is an American artist, television host, radio personality, and entrepreneur. Skee rose to fame as the first DJ to discover and play superstar artists on the radio incl ...
sampled Craig's vocals on the song "Heels & Dresses" from their Break Lights mixtape album, which comes from the song "The Robot With Human Hair Pt. 1." Rapper
Bizzy Bone Bryon Anthony McCane II (born September 12, 1976),Whitburn, Joel (2008) ''Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–2006'', Record Research, , p. 97 better known by his stage name Bizzy Bone, is an American rapper, singer and the youngest member o ...
also sampled Craig's vocals on the song "Bottled Up Like Smoke" from his Crossover EP and Crossroads album, using portions of "I Still Feel Her pt. III" from his debut solo album, "A Dream Is a Question You Don't Know How to Answer." On April 11, 2011, Emarosa publicly announced that Jonny Craig would no longer be a member of the group. According to a statement made by the band, "This decision has been a hard one to make, but we feel it is in the best interest for the band going forward." "Jonny Craig" was the top trending topic on
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
the day of the announcement. On August 13, 2012, Jonny Craig was "kicked out" of Dance Gavin Dance yet again for reasons pertaining to Craig being "publicly scolded by the owner of
Sumerian Records Sumerian Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and London. The label was founded in 2006 by Ash Avildsen.

Isles & Glaciers (2008–2010)

In early September 2008,
Chiodos Chiodos (, ) was an American post-hardcore band from Davison, Michigan. Formed in 2001, the group was originally known as “The Light-hearted Carpet Knights” before changing their name to "The Chiodos Bros," the band's name was a tribute to fi ...
and
Cinematic Sunrise Cinematic Sunrise was a pop punk American band signed to Equal Vision Records. It consisted of Craig Owens (vocals) and Bradley Bell (piano), along with Bryan Beeler (guitar), Marcus VanKirk (bass), Nick Martin (guitar), and Dave Shapiro (drums). ...
vocalist
Craig Owens Craigery "Craig" Owens (born August 26, 1984) is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist of Chiodos. He has also had an involvement in various projects such as Cinematic Sunrise, The Sound of Animals Fighting, Isles & Glaciers, ...
, announced that both he and Jonny Craig would be recording an EP record by the end of the year, also mentioning
Vic Fuentes Victor Vincent "Vic" Fuentes (born February 10, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known for his work with the American post-hardcore rock band Pierce the Veil. Biography Fuentes was born on February 10, 1983, in San Die ...
and others. On December 15, 2008,
Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
officially announced and revealed the name and lineup of this new project,
Isles & Glaciers Isles & Glaciers was an American post-hardcore supergroup formed in 2008. They recorded material for their debut EP, '' The Hearts of Lonely People'' December 3–13, 2008 in Seattle, Washington and again in April 2009. It was produced by Casey B ...
. The band's first EP, The Hearts of Lonely People, was produced by Casey Bates in Seattle, Washington, was reworked in April 2009 in
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
and was released March 9, 2010. A tweet reading in part "...and people wonder why we won't do another I & G record." was sent out by
Craig Owens Craigery "Craig" Owens (born August 26, 1984) is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist of Chiodos. He has also had an involvement in various projects such as Cinematic Sunrise, The Sound of Animals Fighting, Isles & Glaciers, ...
in 2011, as the MacBook scandal was breaking. This suggests that Isles & Glaciers will be unlikely to release any further albums, at least with a lineup that includes Jonny Craig. Jonny Craig talked about Isles and Glaciers in an interview stating he would be willing to participate in making a new record, but suspects tension with what he calls, "the more popular people in the group".


Solo work (2009–2014)

Jonny Craig released his debut solo album ''
A Dream Is a Question You Don't Know How to Answer ''A Dream is a Question You Don't Know How to Answer'' is the debut studio album by Canadian recording artist Jonny Craig, released on August 18, 2009 via Rise Records. Background On July 13, Jonny Craig posted two songs from his solo album on ...
'' on August 18, 2009, through Rise Records. This is the first individual artist on the label. For promotional purposes he took press photos for the release in late 2009 with photographer Gage Young in Orlando, Florida. He further released three songs on his Myspace profile from the solo album, titled; "Istillfeelher III", "Children of Divorce" and "7 AM, 2 Bottles And The Wrong Road". Craig went on his first solo tour from November through December, supporting acts
AFI AFI may refer to: * ''Address-family identifier'', a 16 bit field of the Routing Information Protocol * Ashton Fletcher Irwin, an Australian drummer * AFI (band), an American rock band ** ''AFI'' (2004 album), a retrospective album by AFI rele ...
,
Cinematic Sunrise Cinematic Sunrise was a pop punk American band signed to Equal Vision Records. It consisted of Craig Owens (vocals) and Bradley Bell (piano), along with Bryan Beeler (guitar), Marcus VanKirk (bass), Nick Martin (guitar), and Dave Shapiro (drums). ...
, and then headlining with support from Tides of Man and Sleeping With Sirens. He was headlining a tour with support from
Tides of Man Tides of Man is an American progressive rock band formed in Tampa, Florida in 2008. The now-instrumental band currently consists of members Spencer Gill (lead guitar), Josh Gould (drums), Alan Jaye (bass guitar), and Daniel Miller (guitar). The ba ...
and
Eye Alaska Eye Alaska was an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 2006. Two members, Brandon Wronski and Cameron Trowbridge, were former members of Dead Letter Diaries. Eye Alaska signed to Fearless Records in February 2008, and ...
and will be playing
The Bamboozle The Bamboozle is an annual three-day music festival which was held in New Jersey from 2003 to 2012, and is scheduled for a 2023 revival by its founder. Every year, new bands competed for spots during the two days. The event evolved out of the ...
festival and
SXSW South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...
. Craig headlined the "White Boys With Soul" tour with Fight Fair, Breathe Electric, Mod Sun, and The Divine. Craig has also recently revealed that he is recording another solo album. In an interview at Warped Tour with MindEqualsBlown.net, Craig revealed he's attempting to work with Alex Deleon of The Cab on a B-side from his solo album. Craig announced on January 16, 2011 that he would be taking an indefinite hiatus to "pursue the filming of his documentary", stating that all his currently planned records and tours would be canceled. He later added that he would play out the tours with Dance Gavin Dance and Emarosa. On January 21, 2011, Craig announced that he would not actually be taking this hiatus, stating: "hate me all you want people I love what i do and im great at it. IM NEVER GONNA STOP. 'sic''.html" ;"title="sic.html" ;"title="'sic">'sic''">sic.html" ;"title="'sic">'sic'' He later stated that he was going to quit because he had been touring and recording "NON STOP" for seven years, and stated "Now i know there's nothing out in the world for me". Craig was featured in Alternative Press's issue #288 that was released June 5, 2012. In November 2012, somebody hacked Craig's personal e-mail that contained some demos that circulated on the internet; Craig stated the leaked material will not be on his upcoming solo EP. From Craig's personal Twitter page: "don't trip the songs that leaked are not what my album is going to sound like. that was me just fucking around with some stuff." Craig set up an account on Indiegogo where fans donated money to produce Craigs upcoming EP. He also confirmed in a recent interview that he has bought out his contract with Rise Records. He released his solo EP, Find What You Love and Let It Kill You, on September 24, 2013, as an independent release. On November 26, 2013 Jonny has released the Special Edition of Find What You Love And Let It Kill You. The Special Edition includes a new song, which features two people that paid to be on the album from the Indiegogo campaign. He has also released a new song, "Dirty Christmas" which is available also on November 26, 2013. In an interview with rockforevernagazine, Jonny has said he wants to do "maybe one or two more tours(before recording), with me as like a third spot... Maybe a Circa tour?" He also said that his new second album may be coming out next year. He also has stated him and Kyle Lucas are making an album together. On January 15, Jonny stated he was starting a new band. The following day, he tweeted that the band's name would be Slaves. According to ''Under the Gun Review'', along with Craig as lead vocalist, Slaves will consist of guitarists Jason Mays, Alex Lyman, and Christopher Kim, drummer Tai Wright, and bassist Colin Vieira.


Slaves (2014-2019)

Artery Recordings have announced the signing of Jonny Craig's new band,
Slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
, which also features members Alex Lyman and Christopher Kim ( Hearts & Hands) with Tai Wright (
Four Letter Lie Four Letter Lie was an American post-hardcore band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. History The group formed in 2004 and quickly released an EP entitled ''Her Escape'' in May 2005. They followed the release with a heavy tour schedule, which includ ...
). The band have released their debut album in the summer of 2014 via Artery. They've released a short video trailer, which features clips of the new music. The band's debut album entitled Through Art We Are All Equals, was released June 24, 2014 via Artery Recordings. The album features guest vocals from Kyle Lucas, Tyler Carter of Issues and Vic Fuentes of Pierce The Veil. Its lead single "The Fire Down Below" premiered April 22, 2014. In early 2015, Craig released the albums ''
The Blueprint For Going In Circles ''The Blueprint for Going in Circles'' is a collaborative compilation album by Jonny Craig, Kyle Lucas, and Captain Midnite released on January 27, 2015 via Gold Standard/Artery Recordings Artery Recordings is an American record label based i ...
'', in collaboration with singer-songwriter Kyle Lucas, and ''The Le Cube Sessions'', respectively. In 2017, Slaves released a new single entitled "I'd Rather See Your Star Explode" along with an accompanying music video. The group's third studio album, '' Beautiful Death'' was released on February 16, 2018. An acoustic EP called "Revision" was released on January 18, 2019. The following Thursday, January 24, 2019, in a message posted on the band's official Twitter account, Slaves announced that they had removed Jonny Craig from the band. The message stated, in part, “We all have struggles in our daily life, but for some, those struggles are personally and physically dangerous. It is no secret that Jonny has battled with addiction in his personal life, sometimes those battles are won, and most recently lost. It's also unfair for a band to rely on someone who just can't rely on themselves. Addiction is a disease, and we hope Jonny gets the help that he needs. Unfortunately, Jonny chose his addiction over the band and left them high & dry while checking in for their international flight while he boarded a plane back home.” Currently, Jonny Craig remains a solo artist, with his second and most recent solo album release being "The Places We'll Never Be" on September 10, 2021.


Controversies


Internet scam and drug-related issues

In February 2011, several of Craig's fans accused him of being involved in an internet scam. According to the alleged victims, Craig would claim to be selling a used MacBook through his Twitter account. After accepting an online payment on average between 600 and 800 dollars for the product from at least 16 individuals, Craig was reported to have discontinued communication with the buyers, and the people who had purchased the MacBooks never received them. He initially denied the accusations and claimed that his Twitter had been hacked and he had no involvement. However, the following week it was announced that Craig had dropped off his current tour in Emarosa with Chiodos to enter
detox Detoxification or detoxication (detox for short) is the physiological or medicinal removal of toxic substances from a living organism, including the human body, which is mainly carried out by the liver. Additionally, it can refer to the period of ...
in order to treat his ongoing battles with
heroin addiction Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a substance use disorder characterized by cravings for opioids, continued use despite physical and/or psychological deterioration, increased tolerance with use, and withdrawal symptoms after discontinuing opioids. Op ...
. Rise Records and the Artery Foundation assumed financial responsibility for the internet scam and intended to reimburse anyone who had been victimized.
Tilian Pearson Tilian Pearson (born July 12, 1987), also known mononymously as Tilian, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer born in Clearwater, Florida. Since 2012 he has been the third clean vocalist for the post-hardcore band Danc ...
, formerly of
Tides of Man Tides of Man is an American progressive rock band formed in Tampa, Florida in 2008. The now-instrumental band currently consists of members Spencer Gill (lead guitar), Josh Gould (drums), Alan Jaye (bass guitar), and Daniel Miller (guitar). The ba ...
, substituted for Craig during his absence from
Dance Gavin Dance Dance Gavin Dance is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. The band currently consists of vocalists Jon Mess and Tilian Pearson, lead guitarist Will Swan, rhythm guitarist Andrew Wells, and drummer Matthew Mingus. ...
. A public apology was issued by Craig after his detox treatment was completed on March 8, 2011. In October 2011, Craig was jailed for two counts of possession of narcotics, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, and one count of
failure to appear A "failure to appear" (FTA) occurs when a defendant or respondent does not come before a tribunal as directed in a summons. FTAs are also known as "bail jumping." In the United States, FTAs are punishable by fines, incarceration, or both when com ...
on a felony charge with bail set at US$15,000. As a result of this incident, Dance Gavin Dance cancelled their upcoming tour and went on hiatus. Craig was released from jail a few weeks later and was scheduled to enter a court-ordered rehabilitation facility. His follow-up hearing was scheduled for April 30, 2012. Dance Gavin Dance went on with their tour as planned but without Craig. He completed a 30-day court-ordered detox and was released March 30, 2012. On April 2, 2014, Craig was accused of using narcotics again by an ex-girlfriend. Craig addressed the issue in a now-deleted video where he took a drug test on screen. He is quoted saying, "just woke up to a nice surprise from the ex. So I'm headed right down to the office to prove to you guys without a doubt I'm not using and that those videos are old. She's crossed a line and needs to get it through her head that this isn't the way you deal with someone not loving you anymore. So let's go! I have nothing to hide". On April 14, 2016, a few days following Slaves' split, Craig posted an open letter via the band's official Facebook page, confessing that he was continuing to struggle from his addiction and will seek the help he needs following his already booked solo tour. The tour consisted of the US and a few European dates with Slaves (with select members). On May 20, 2016, Jonny announced on Slaves's Facebook page that the band was going through difficult times but had not broken up. Jonny and Colin were the only members remaining at this point. On January 24, 2019, in a Twitter post made by the official account for Slaves, it was announced that Jonny Craig had been kicked out of the band. The message said in part, "We all have struggles in our daily life, but for some, those struggles are personally and physically dangerous. It is no secret that Jonny has battled with addiction in his personal life, sometimes those battles are won, and most recently lost. It's also unfair for a band to rely on someone who just can't rely on themselves. Addiction is a disease, and we hope Jonny gets the help that he needs. Unfortunately, Jonny chose his addiction over the band and left them high & dry while checking in for their international flight while he boarded a plane back home.” The Bristol UK show after this post was cancelled, but the tour resumed with
Matt McAndrew Matthew Brendan McAndrew (born September 6, 1990) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his appearance in Season 7 of NBC's reality TV singing competition ''The Voice'', where he finished as the runner-up as part of team Adam. In Janu ...
, a former contestant from ''
The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
'', as a temporary choice for his replacement. Matt then became their permanent addition, and in 2020 they announced they would be permanently changing their name from "Slaves" after the release of their newest album, further showing their progression as a group.


Sexual assault allegations

In 2015, Slaves were kicked off the
Warped Tour The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
after Craig allegedly sexually harassed a female merchandise worker. In 2017, numerous ex-girlfriends accused Craig of sexual assault which led to Slaves being dropped from their record label,
Artery Recordings Artery Recordings is an American record label based in Sacramento, California founded in 2010 as an imprint of Razor & Tie by Eric Rushing, owner of The Artery Foundation. On August 31, 2017, it was announced that Artery was acquired by Warner ...
, shortly before the scheduled release of their third album ''Beautiful Death''. In 2019, Craig was accused of sexual assault and domestic violence from his ex-girlfriend, Taylor Nicole Dean, in a video posted to her
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
channel. Craig threatened his accusers and their family members with legal action. She also accused him of being the one who introduced her to heroin and opened up about the abusive relationship and the dangerous behavior of Craig after and during her recovery and past relationship.


Personal life

In a 2013 acoustic set with music magazine ''
Alternative Press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. political left) ** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
'', Jonny Craig explained the story behind his single "Children of Divorce." Craig said his then girlfriend had become pregnant, and after an admission by Craig months later that he didn't love her, she left. He said he never heard from her again and was unable to see his child. Jonny is also father to his son, Storm Parker-Monroe Craig, his first child with ex-fiancée Sydney England, as they revealed their pregnancy on March 27, 2020 and announced their son's birth on July 13 2020. Craig and England's relationship subsequently broke down following a series of intervention from the authorities, including Jonny's arrest for alleged domestic battery, and the admittance of their infant son into child protective custody, where he remains in state care.] In an interview, Craig proceeded to describe himself as an atheist with a Christian background especially in music. He states that all of his music is soulful and has some kind of meaning mainly because his music career began as a child singing gospel music with his church/school. Jonny Craig gives all credit for his musical talent to his grandmother (Ruth Lyons) who he says, "taught me everything I know about music, she was super Christian, super gospel. Her husband was a preacher. She taught me everything I know about music and despite the fact that I may not believe in her beliefs, I believe in what she taught me." Craig is inspired by
soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...
, mainly artists
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
,
Boyz II Men Boyz II Men (pronounced ''boys to men''), also known as B2M, is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan M ...
, and
Craig David Craig Ashley David (born 5 May 1981) is a British singer and songwriter who rose to fame in 1999, featuring on the single "Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta), Re-Rewind" by Artful Dodger (UK band), Artful Dodger. David's debut studio album, ' ...
. He has also mentioned
Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...
acts and the band
Mewithoutyou MewithoutYou, usually styled as mewithoutYou, was an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band consisted of Aaron Weiss (vocals), Michael Weiss and Brandon Beaver (guitars), Greg Jehanian (bass guitar), and Rickie Mazzotta ( ...
as influences. Craig has performed live covers of the songs " Cry Me a River" by
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
,
Marvins Room "Marvins Room" is a song by Canadian recording artist Drake. It is the lead single from Drake's second studio album '' Take Care''. Produced by 40, it features keyboard-based instrumentation and muted bass. "Marvins Room" is performed from the ...
by
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...
and " Fuck You" by
Cee Lo Green Cee or CEE may refer to: * C, third letter of the Latin alphabet * Cee, Spain, A Coruña, Galicia * Center for Excellence in Education, US * Central and Eastern Europe * Centre for Environment Education * Centre for the Economics of Education, Lon ...
. ''Hollywood Music Magazine'' stated of Craig, "The guy's a legend and if you've yet to hear him sing you have been missing out."


Discography


Bands

;With westerHALTS * 2001: ''Change, Leisure, and Retirement'' ;With Ghost Runner on Third * 2005: ''Speak Your Dreams'' EP ;With Dance Gavin Dance * 2006: '' Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean'' EP * 2007: ''
Downtown Battle Mountain ''Downtown Battle Mountain'' is the debut studio album by American post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance, released on May 15, 2007, on Rise Records. The album serves as a follow-up to the band's debut extended play, '' Whatever I Say Is Royal O ...
'' * 2010: ''Live at Bamboozle 2010'' * 2011: ''
Downtown Battle Mountain II ''Downtown Battle Mountain II'' is the fourth studio album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance, released on March 8, 2011, on Rise Records. The album is a non-direct sequel to the band's full-length debut studio album, '' Downtown Battle M ...
'' ;With Emarosa * 2008: '' Relativity'' * 2009: "'' Heads or Tails Real or Not (Acoustic)''" * 2010: ''
Emarosa Emarosa ( ) is an American rock band formed in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2006. The band currently consists of lead guitarist and founding member ER White and lead vocalist Bradley Walden, who joined the band in 2013. The group has undergone severa ...
'' ;With Isles & Glaciers * 2010: '' The Hearts of Lonely People'' EP * 2014: '' The Hearts of Lonely People (Remixes)'' ;With
Slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
* 2014: ''
Through Art We Are All Equals ''Through Art We Are All Equals'' is the debut album by American post-hardcore band Slaves (American band), Slaves released June 24, 2014 through Artery Recordings. The lead single "The Fire Down Below" was released on April 22, 2014 on YouTube. ...
'' * 2015: '' Routine Breathing'' * 2018: '' Beautiful Death'' * 2019: ''Revision'' (Acoustic EP)


Solo

;Studio album * 2009: ''
A Dream Is a Question You Don't Know How to Answer ''A Dream is a Question You Don't Know How to Answer'' is the debut studio album by Canadian recording artist Jonny Craig, released on August 18, 2009 via Rise Records. Background On July 13, Jonny Craig posted two songs from his solo album on ...
'' * 2021: '' The Places We’ll Never Be'' ;Extended play * 2013: '' Find What You Love and Let It Kill You'' * 2020: ''Find Your Home'' ;Mixtape * 2015: ''The Le Cube Sessions'' ;Live album * ''Live at Bamboozle 2010'' ;Collaboration album * 2015: ''
The Blueprint for Going in Circles ''The Blueprint for Going in Circles'' is a collaborative compilation album by Jonny Craig, Kyle Lucas, and Captain Midnite released on January 27, 2015 via Gold Standard/Artery Recordings Artery Recordings is an American record label based i ...
'' ;Other songs * 2011: "Lenon Bus" and "Goddamn, I'm Good Lookin' (ft. Metasota)" * 2012: Four unreleased songs were leaked on November; "I Belong Out There", "You're Just Another Whore", "When It Rains It Pours", and "Rhythm in My Soul" * 2013: "Dirty Christmas" * 2014: Four unreleased songs were leaked on April 30; "Attention", "Burning Bridges", "Empty California Winters", and "Fake Love" * 2016: "Back to Life" (Collaboration with
Tilian Tilian Pearson (born July 12, 1987), also known mononymously as Tilian, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer born in Clearwater, Florida. Since 2012 he has been the third clean vocalist for the post-hardcore band Danc ...
) ;Covers * 2013: Cry Me a River - originally by Justin Timberlake * 2013: Best I Ever Had (ft. Stephen Parrish & Kezo) - originally by Drake * 2013: Rehab (Live Session) - originally by Amy Winehouse * 2020: I Met You In The Summer - The 12th Human Feat. Jonny Craig


Guest appearances


References


External link

{{DEFAULTSORT:Craig, Jonny 1986 births Living people American atheists American rock singers American soul singers American tenors Canadian atheists Canadian emigrants to the United States Canadian tenors Canadian rock singers Canadian indie rock musicians Canadian male singers Canadian people of French descent Canadian people of Scottish descent People from Abbotsford, British Columbia Rise Records artists Singers from Tacoma, Washington 21st-century American singers 21st-century Canadian male singers 21st-century American male singers Isles & Glaciers members Dance Gavin Dance members