CRAIG WOOLARD BAND

After twenty-seven years singing with The Embers as one of North Carolina’s Official “Ambassadors of Beach Music”, he is now on his own!

Craig has won many awards with The Embers, and is proud of his tenure with the group as lead singer. A veteran of the music industry since he was 14 years old, Craig has performed for Presidents, governors, and ambassadors (Including Elizabeth Dole’s and former President Clinton's inaugurations); appeared on stage with famous groups as The Four Tops, The Temptations, the Beach Boys, Percy Sledge, Archie Bell, and Alabama. He has played such events as the 100th Celebration of The Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk. His music has been heard from the Caribbean, to New York, to California, Chicago, Atlantic City and as far away as Hawaii and Europe. For the past 2 years, he has co-hosted the acclaimed the Carolina Beach Music Awards (affectionately known as the “CAMMYS”) held each November at the Alabama Theatre in Myrtle Beach. And once again, Craig was the Grand Marshall for the ever so popular SOS parade held each spring at Myrtle Beach, SC. He is currently working with Petty Enterprises producing a Beach Music CD to benefit Victory Junction, a camp for seriously ill children, as well as a TV show spotlighting Beach Music.

On May 7, 2005, The Craig Woolard Band performed right on the racetrack at the Darlington Dodge 500 in front of 120,000 NASCAR and Beach Music Fans! But there’s more - Craig was honored to be invited to sing the NATIONAL ANTHEM at the race, which was aired on FOX TV for Millions of people!
As further recognition for his accomplishments throughout his career, Craig Woolard has received the following awards, with the most recent at the 2004 CBMA:

Entertainer of the Year

2004 Male Vocalist of the Year

Best Duo for “Cruisin’” with Marsha Handcock

Male Vocalist of the Year for many years, including 2002 (Cammy Awards)

Producer of the year (with Chris Biehler) 2002 (Cammy Awards)

Collaboration of the Year 2002 (Cammy Awards)

Song of the Year 2002 (Cammy Awards)

Male Vocalist 2002 (Rhythm & Beach Awards)

Song of the Year 2002 (Rhythm & Beach Awards)

One of 4 #1 Songs in 2002 (Rhythm & Beach Awards)-“Love Don’t Come No Stronger”

Other awards while with The Embers include: Most Charted Songs, Entertainer of the Year, Group of the Year, Blues Song of the Year; the list goes on.

Furthermore, Craig is one of the most loved entertainers in Beach Music today. He will go out of his way to help his many fans…singing at a five year-old’s class birthday party, entertaining at a school function, performing for a Christian Businessman’s Luncheon. or at a Fundraiser for a person in need. You may see his eight year-old daughter on stage with him at many shows, and his son (who appeared with him since he was in diapers and is now at UNCW) is writing songs everyday!

The Craig Woolard Bandis committed to giving their audience MORE than their money’s worth. When you attend a function with Craig as the featured performer, you WILL be caught up in the fun! More than just an artist, Craig relates to the crowd, and insists that they have as good a time as he has. Many people can sing, but Craig has a special gift that puts him light-years above the rest,he is a Showman, and That's the difference!

The Craig Woolard Band’s audience knows no age boundaries" he appeals to the young and the old and everyone in between. Small children at town festivals adore him…College kids at fraternities and beach music concerts scream for him …the more mature crowd comes away with the sweet memory of that special someone from a lifetime ago…

His #1 Beach Music mega-hit, “Love Don’t Come No Stronger (Than Yours or Mine) has become more than just another Beach hit. It is also the theme song for the VJG Camp and appears on the CD produced by Craig to raise money for the camp “Totally Beach For The Kids”. This great song transcends the genre, reaching people who are not even into the Beach Scene. It is the longest-charting Beach song ever (over 2 1/2 years and still on the charts as of this writing 1/04) and has been predicted to be the song of the decade in our market by many who know and understand the music! His second recent solo release “What In The World Am I Gonna Do Without You” has just become #1, and is destined for enduring success as well. Craig even has a great new song out with his long-time friend and renown gospel singer, Gerald Hinton called "Meet Me In the Middle", which is distributed nationally on the Malaco/Savoy label and due out July 2004. Craig’s newest release single, released at Fall 2004 SOS “Til the Day After” is already climbing the charts to #1. (Made #1 Fall 2004, still there as of 5/2005!)

And more than just Beach Music, The Craig Woolard Band strives to please as many different tastes as possible….he likes it all, and it shows! A crowd-pleaser for years, you cannot go wrong with a tried and true veteran like Craig, who keeps the music and the act fresh, while continuing with what has made him so well-known and loved. (Just ask anyone who has been fortunate enough to have seen him!)

Craig’s catalog of music is well diversified. Included, of course, are all the standard songs you would expect to hear from a legend in Beach Music, but with The Craig Woolard Band you get so much more. If you were to hear him sing “Georgia on My Mind”, you would swear Ray Charles was in the house. His version of “Hot Legs” and “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” might even fool Rod Stewart. Tina Turner might even move over for his version of “Rolling on The River”, or “Let’s Stay Together”. Other artists that will remind you of Craig are Huey Lewis, James Brown, Bob Seger, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Al Green, Sam Cook and David Ruffin of the Temptations. He IS the “Soul Man”, but he’s got his own unique style too! And if that weren’t enough, he plays a mean saxophone too!

Not content with performing only Beach Music, Craig recalls the seventies and eighties with all the great dance music from that era…..”Brick House”, “Play that Funky Music White Boy”, “Bad MammaJamma”, etc… You might hear songs by Chicago, Tower of Power, Little Feat, Def Leoppard, AC/DC, ZZ Top, Los Lonely Boys, Jimmy Buffet …. A whole set of dance music… whatever type of music it takes to please your crowd is what you'll get from Craig Woolard …If the band doesn’t know a certain song, they will do their best to learn it! With Craig as your entertainment, you get more than just a band-you get personal attention. Craig WANTS you to enjoy yourself, and he will do just about anything it takes to see to it that you do have fun at his performances.

On a personal note, Craig was born and raised in Washington, NC. where he was voted class President at Washington High. Craig went on to attend Duke University. His dad, now deceased, was an attorney, and had high hopes of Craig following in his footsteps that didn’t happen. Craig was destined to be an entertainer. He now resides in Cary and has 2 great kids. Craig who is in college, and his precious little girl, who has taken her brother’s place on stage, in elementary school. They have a dog and 2 cats! He has been blessed!

In 2004, Craig and The Embers parted ways and Craig went on to a new adventure. Thus.

The Craig Woolard Band was born!

SONG LIST:

Love Don't Come No Stronger- Craig Woolard
New Old Songs- Coastline Band
Gone Fishin' - Charmen of the Board
Easy Comin' Out - William Bell
Is The Magic Still There - Gary Brown
Party 'Til The Lights Go Out - The Hardway Connection
Dixie Moon - Mark Roberts
Untie Me - The Tams
I'm Man Enough - The Holiday Band
I Slipped - Roy Roberts
What We Gonna Do About That - Casey York
Baby Say Yes- Sea Cruz
My Kind of Girl- Billy Scott
Shama Lama Ding Dong- Band of Oz
Shotgun Boogie- Holiday Band
Shakin' the Shack- The Fantastic Shakers
Only You Will Do- Second Nature
Trickle Trickle- Breeze Band
It Won't Be This Way Always- Men of Distinction
It's Gonna Rain- The Coastline Band
Hold On to Your Promise- Rickey Godfrey
That's Summertime to Me- Gary Brown, Johnny Barker,JD Cash & Craig Woolard
Savannah in the Rain- Griff
Soothe Me- Gary Bass
Finders Keepers- Terri Gore
Cruisin'- Marsha Hancock & Craig Woolard
Return to Sender- DK Davis
A Summer Place- JD Cash
That's Summertime to Me- Dale Van Horn
Only Love Can Mend a Broken Heart- Susan Trexler
I Wanna Make Love to You- Jay Proctor
Just Like We Never Said Goodbye- Russell Thompkins, Jr.
Eye Ballin'- Legendary Dukes
Jimmy Reed Medley- Showvinistics
Tribute to Junior- Louie Lupo & The Swaggers
Baby, I'm Calling You Now- Terri Gore (featuring Russell Thompkins, Jr.)
What Am I Gonna Do Without You - Craig Woolard
My Unknown Love- Jackie Gore
My Life is So Wonderful- Softones
Miss Grace- Smitty Smoothe Band
Lounge Lizard- Danny & The Juniors
The Night is Long- Brian Lindsay
Rock and Roll Heaven (Beach Music Heaven)- Sammy O'Banion & Kenny "Duke" Earl
Dream Lover- Rita Angelucci
When You Come Back to Me- Casey
Timeless- Paul Craver
Like the Rain- Fabulous Jelly Rolls
Can't Change My Heart- Rickey Godfrey Band
Wahtusi- Magnificent Men
Loving My Baby- Memphis All-Stars
I Like the Music- Men of Soul
Love Don't Grow On a Love Tree- Sea Cruz
If I Don't Say So Myself- Second Nature
Going Back to Carolina- Smith No Luggage
Itch- Mike Stewart
Heartache Tonight- Big John Thompson
Tired of Pulling This Train- Donnie Trexler
Cruisin'- Craig Woolard & Marsha Hancock
Seven Chances- Legendary Dukes
Nip Sip- Susan Trexler & Big John Ruth
Concrete Jungle- Jackie Gore & The Tams
Zippity Doo Dah- Danny & The Juniors
Maybe Baby- Shovinistics
Dreamlove Mistreated- Softones
Stay a Little Longer- Terri Gore
What's a Matter Baby- Jay Proctor
Fools Fall in Love (In a Hurry)- Bob Meyer
What's Wrong With You- Michael Wayne Deese
Don't Change Your Pretty Ways- Hank Ballard
I'm Forgettin' About You- Roy Milton
Young Love- Susan Trexler
Memphis Style- Joe Swank
That's Alright- Steve Smith & the Nakeds
Til the Day After-Craig Woolard
Back That Thang Up -Tyrone Davis
Chasin' Dreams -North Tower
No One Loves You Better Than Me -The Rickey Godfrey Band
Nine Times a Man -Wilson Pickett
One Step -Casey York w/The Main Event Band
Something Smooth -Rick Strickland
TLC -The Batson and Chase Band
I Slipped -Roy Roberts
Lovin' On Ocean Drive -Tim Cashion
Don't Let the Green Grass Fool Ya -Still Cruzin
Wrong When I'm Right -The Main Event Band
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy -The Flashbacks
Summer Girl -Goldrush Band
Slowburn -Johnny Cobb & Donna Vallance
La Di Da -The Holiday Band