Craig Douglas Wilson

Craig Douglas Wilson, age 45, of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away unexpectedly on March 23, 2023. Craig was born November 17, 1978 in Grosse Pointe, Michigan to Philip and Donna Wilson. Craig grew up in Grosse Pointe and he participated in swim team and began his love of music. From an early age, he learned guitar and piano, and recorded his first solo album at age sixteen. Craig attended Grosse Pointe South High School, where he participated in the show choir and took voice lessons with the late Dr. Jennifer Barnickel-Fitch, who became like a sister to Craig. After graduating high school, Craig pursued a degree in Musical Theatre Performance at Western Michigan University (WMU) in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Craig performed in many shows at WMU, including a memorable lead performance as Pippin in Pippin. After four years at WMU, he moved to New York City to pursue his dream of becoming a rockstar.

Once in New York City, Craig began performing in musicals, including a workshop of Starmites and a production of The Baker’s Wife with Joseph Stein and Stephen Schwartz. He also performed in Prospect Theatre Company’s production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in Central Park. In addition to acting, Craig continued to write, produce, and perform original music at many well-known venues around the city, such as Rockwood Music Hall, The Bitter End, The Red Lion, and CBGB. He worked with many incredible artists and musicians and made friends with every person he met. While living in New York, Craig began traveling to Nashville to write and produce music.

After journeying between the two cities for several years, Craig decided to move to Nashville full time. He spent nearly a decade in town, writing, producing, and performing original music. He became known as “the mayor of Nashville” among his friends, as there wasn’t a person in town that Craig didn’t know. From writing and producing numerous billboard charting songs to playing countless arenas and stages across the country—including the Grand Ole Opry, Bridgestone Arena and Madison Square Garden—Craig truly fulfilled his dream of becoming a rockstar. 

Craig was born with songwriting in his blood and spent most of his life working on his craft. He spent his career as a champion for the underdog and always saw the best in others. He made friends everywhere he went and was an incredible connector within the industry. As a writer, he was a strong force behind every song he wrote and left his mark on every project in which he was involved. He always knew how to help an artist find their voice. He was genuine in everything he did. He always knew the right words to say and lifted up everyone in his life. He led with kindness and was a loyal and true friend to everyone. He brought many people together and created a unique community bonded by his friendship and generosity. His passing is a huge loss for the music industry and for everyone who knew and loved him.

Craig was preceded in death by his parents Philip and Donna Wilson. He is survived by his brother Perry, many cousins, students, co-writers, and countless friends.

The memorial service and visitation will be on May 12^th, 2023 from 4:00PM CST to 8:00PM CST at the Williamson Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Services. The address is 3009 Columbia Ave, Franklin, TN 37064.

The memorial concert will be on May 13^th, 2023 from 12:00PM CST to 2:00PM CST at City Winery Nashville. The address is 609 Lafayette St, Nashville, TN 37203. For more information please follow the link. https://citywinery.com/nashville/Online/default.asp?BOparam%3A%3AWScontent%3A%3AloadArticle%3A%3Apermalink=NSH-Craig-Wilson-Memorial-Brunch-5-13-23-12PM&BOparam%3A%3AWScontent%3A%3AloadArticle%3A%3Acontext_id=&fbclid=IwAR39cXDi5cs7yo0P2rMA4NBzNGpVHieA64ohBhlpMTqDAi-tgNgbyLF16W0

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to this GoFundMe link created by Don and Sheila Swartz to help cover the cost of services and additional estate charges. The link can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-in-memory-of-craig-wilson?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1