ONE SONG IN 1974.
At 78, songwriter and storyteller Craig Whitley has created 543 original songs spanning more than 20 musical genres—and he’s still writing.
ORIGINAL SONGS
IN HIS FIRST 365 DAYS
SONGS AND COUNTING
ON AUGUST 14, 2026
MUSICAL GENRES
AND JUST
GETTING STARTED
ONE SONG IN 1974.
At 78, songwriter and storyteller Craig Whitley has created 543 original songs spanning more than 20 musical genres—and he’s still writing.
ORIGINAL SONGS
IN HIS FIRST 365 DAYS
SONGS AND COUNTING
ON AUGUST 14, 2026
MUSICAL GENRES
AND JUST
GETTING STARTED
Then Everything Changed.
On July 17, 2025, Craig Whitley was one month shy of his 77th birthday and had never published a song. One day later, he completed the melody and published a song that had been sitting in his desk drawer for 51 years.
One year later, he had written and published 521 original songs.
On his 78th birthday—August 14, 2026—the Craig Whitley catalog reached 543 songs…and counting.
1974
One song written and put in a desk drawer.
2025
Songwriting returns after 51 years.
2026
521 songs in 365 days. 543 songs and counting.
ORIGINAL SONGS IN HIS FIRST 365 DAYS
SONGS AND COUNTING ON AUGUST 14, 2026
MUSICAL GENRES
AND JUST GETTING STARTED
An Extraordinary Range of Music.
Country / Folk
Hear a representative sample.
Blues / Soul / R&B
Hear a representative sample.
Rock / Pop
Hear a representative sample.
“I Didn’t Have 50 Years to Build a Catalog.”
500 — THE GOAL
521 — SONGS IN 365 DAYS
Watch the Stories Come to Life.
On the Pine Needle Path
Official music video
Sealed Memories
Official music video
Oh Tennessee
Official music video
Help Others Discover It.
Independent music grows one listener at a time. Send a song to a friend, share a Reel or video, or add the music to a playlist.
Explore Opportunities
Cover My Songs
Love a song? Make it your own. Craig welcomes artists and producers who hear their own possibilities inside one of his songs.
- Get permission to record
- Release your own version
- Reach new listeners
- Give a great song another life
Sync Licensing
A broad, story-driven catalog for film, television, advertising, documentaries, games and other visual media.
- Original music with a story
- Find a fit for your scene or mood
- Clear professional inquiry path
- Explore songs across 20+ genres
Book a Podcast
Craig’s late-life songwriting story opens into conversations about creativity, technology, aging, reinvention and a lifetime of experience.
- A remarkable late-life story
- Music, creativity & AI
- International life experience
- Comfortable behind a microphone
Hear the stories. Discover the songs.
Listen, watch, follow, share, cover, license—or simply discover the next song that stays with you.
about me
“There was a silly damn bird called a phoenix back before Christ, every few hundred years he built a pyre and burnt himself up. He must have been the first cousin to Man. But every time he burnt himself up he sprang out of the ashes, he got himself born all over again. And it looks like we’re doing the same thing, over and over, but we’re got on damn thing the phoenix never had. We know the damn silly thing we just did.”
