God, Family, Country: A Memoir

Craig Morgan · Jim DeFelice

Sep 2022 · Blackstone Publishing

About this ebook

Country music icon, army veteran, father, outdoorsman—Craig Morgan shares all aspects of his life, revealing stories even his most avid fans don’t know.

Written with Jim DeFelice, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller American Sniper

In 1989, as US news outlets declared an end to Operation Just Cause, Craig Morgan was part of an elite group of military operatives jumping into the jungle along the Panamanian border on a covert operation. Fans know the country music star from his hit songs and acclaimed albums, but there’s a lot more to him—a soldier who worked with the CIA in Panama, an undercover agent who fought sex traffickers in Thailand, and a dedicated family man who lives the values he sings.

Craig details these many facets of his life and more in God, Family, Country. An on-stage appearance with his father’s band at age ten may have planted the seeds for life as a country star, but first he trained as a paratrooper in the army. After earning numerous distinctions, his path to sergeant major was all but assured. Then came a momentous decision: he left the active military to pursue music.

With unwavering support from his wife and a pack of part-time jobs, he toughed out the lean years and achieved his first big success with the poignant ballad “Almost Home.” Other hits soon followed, from party songs like “Redneck Yacht Club” to the soul-rending “The Father, My Son, and the Holy Ghost.” Born from the anguish of his son Jerry’s passing, the song’s tribute has consoled and inspired millions across the world.

Duty to country has been a constant throughout his life and globe-spanning career. In 2006, as “That’s What I Love about Sunday” topped country radio charts, Craig was riding in a convoy of Humvees in Iraq. An avid outdoorsman, a former sheriff’s deputy who’s still a member of the auxiliary, and always a husband and father first, Craig Morgan will inspire you with his life lived by the deepest values: God, family, country.

Ratings and reviews

This is a wonderful book that felt more like a conversation than reading a book. Throughout the book, the author was interesting, insightful, and real. His story, and his path to music stardom, was non-traditional and filled with twists and turns. Prior to reading this, I had no idea that he had a military career prior to pursing music, or the variety of jobs he held prior to his success. The author shared deeply personal thoughts and events in such a way that it felt like I was listening to a

About the author

Craig Morgan has made a name for himself as a country music icon, TV personality, celebrated outdoorsman, and patriotic army veteran. One of country music’s best-loved artists, Morgan is a member of the Grand Ole Opry and has charted twenty-five songs on Billboard. He spent seventeen years serving in the US Army and Army Reserve, and is the recipient of the USO Merit Award and the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal.

Jim DeFelice is the author of more than sixty books, including sixteen that have been on the New York Times bestseller list. He is the author of American Sniper with Chris Kyle, among other works. His most recent coauthored biography, Everyman a Hero, the bestselling story of World War II army medic Ray Lambert, won the US Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Writing Award. Jim lives in New York’s Hudson Valley with his wife, Debra.