Biography

Contact Info:
Daniel Crabtree
info@DanielCrabtreeMusic.com


Click here to go to Daniel Crabtree's Music Page


“I think you will enjoy this cd by Daniel Crabtree. His delivery of the true to life songs he has written here will speak to all.” - Larry Sparks - 2004 and 2005 International Bluegrass Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year Award

“Danny Crabtree is a constant source of pride for me these days. I have watched Danny embrace songwriting and wear the results like a favorite pair of shoes, natural and comfortable. His songs ring true, every bit of everyday living and ready for the world to hear. It is my great pleasure to have been a part of introducing Danny’s brand of music to you!” - Donna Ulisse - Producer

“I like to write at home. I have a songwriting nook in my library that my wife set up. I’ve always stored my instruments and practiced music in there, so it seemed like the perfect place to write. I sometimes collaborate with other songwriters at their homes or at songwriting camps as well.” - Daniel Crabtree



Release Date: September 25, 2019

Singer/Songwriter Daniel Crabtree has been no stranger to bluegrass radio over the last few years with his release of two gospel projects, The Gospel Road and In the Shadow of His Wings. But now he emerges as a secular writer and performer with his new release The Storyteller in Me. The album varies from champion horses to life in the country to bluegrass standard trains.

The Storyteller in Me is chock-full of strong songs that are presented by talented musicians. His clever arrangements have a traditional bluegrass flare.


THE STORYTELLER IN ME

Executive Producer: Daniel Crabtree
Producer: Donna Ulisse
Recorded at: Digital Underground Recording Studio
Recording Engineer: Scott Vestal
Mix & Mastering: Scott Vestal
Graphic Design: Danielle Crabtree

Musicians on The Storyteller In Me:
Daniel Crabtree: Lead Vocals
Scott Vestal: Banjo
Mike Bub: Upright Bass
Rob Ickes: Dobro
Cody Kilby: Guitar
Patrick McAvinue: Fiddle, Mandolin
Pat Bergeson: Harmonica
Donna Ulisse: Background Vocals
Rick Stanley: Background Vocals


SONG BY SONG IN THE ORDER ON THE CD

1. WHO I AM (2:59)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree / Three Girls I Work For Publishing / ASCAP

ISRC: QM2PK1720929


2. BIG RED (3:05)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree / Three Girls I Work For Publishing / ASCAP

ISRC: QM2PK1720915


3. GROVER (3:09)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree / Three Girls I Work For Publishing / ASCAP

ISRC: QM2PK1720916


4. HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL (4:17)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree / Three Girls I Work For Publishing / ASCAP

ISRC: QM2PK1720917


5. MONEY IN THE BANK (2:45)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree / Three Girls I Work For Publishing / ASCAP

ISRC: QM2PK1720918


6. SHE CAN FLY (3:34)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree / Three Girls I Work For Publishing / ASCAP

ISRC: QM2PK1720919


7. PIEDMONT TRAIN (3:39)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree / Three Girls I Work For Publishing / ASCAP

ISRC: QM2PK1720923


8. SHE'S MY LITTLE TURTLE DOVE (2:57)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree / Three Girls I Work For Publishing / ASCAP

ISRC: QM2PK1720921


9. DON'T TRUST A MAN WHO ALWAYS SMILES (2:59)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree / Three Girls I Work For Publishing / ASCAP

ISRC: QM2PK1720922


10. THE STORYTELLER IN ME (4:00)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree / Three Girls I Work For Publishing / ASCAP

ISRC: QM2PK1720920


11. I'M GONNA RIDE (3:07)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree / Three Girls I Work For Publishing / ASCAP

ISRC: QM2PK1720924


12. JESUS AND JILL (3:22)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree / Three Girls I Work For Publishing / ASCAP

ISRC: QM2PK1720925


13. DON'T COUNT ME OUT (3:07)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree / Three Girls I Work For Publishing / ASCAP

ISRC: QM2PK1720926


14. STORMIN' ALL OVER ME (2:56)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree / Three Girls I Work For Publishing / ASCAP

ISRC: QM2PK1720927


15. YOU AND ME (3:25)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree / Three Girls I Work For Publishing / ASCAP

ISRC: QM2PK1720928


16. ARLINGTON (4:22)

Songwriter, Publishing & PRO:
Daniel Crabtree / Three Girls I Work For Publishing / ASCAP

ISRC: QM2PK1720929



Daniel Crabtree is a bluegrass gospel singer and songwriter revered for his storytelling talent.

Crabtree initially became interested in music at age 15 when winter weather left him trapped inside and bored, but his affinity for the art form would have surfaced sooner or later, regardless of the circumstances. “Daddy always had an old guitar sitting around the house that he played,” he recalls. “We had an ice storm that came through that winter and we had no electricity for about nine days. There wasn’t very much to do, so that is when I first remember taking the time to pick up that old guitar and learn how to play it.” 

As a teen, Crabtree honed his picking skills by practicing square dance songs that a friend’s dad taught him. His hobby turned into a calling when he and his friends formed a bluegrass gospel group called the Lights Chapel Boys at their local church in Crabtree’s hometown in Tennessee. The band played covers of famous gospel songs for decades before Crabtree decided to take a stab at songwriting, and when he brought his first song to church, his friends—some of whom had years of experience in the music industry—responded positively. “They told me they thought it was pretty good,” he says, “so that gave me the encouragement to try to write some more.” 

Soon, Crabtree could not stop penning songs, and he compiled enough tracks to record his debut album, 2016’s The Gospel Road. He has since released four additional albums, 2017’s In the Shadow of His Wings, 2019’s The Storyteller in Me, 2021’s The Way I See It and 2022’s Closer Than I’ve Ever Been, with his projects consisting of a mixture of gospel and bluegrass music.

Bluegrass Unlimited calls Crabtree a “gifted and divinely inspired songwriter with an engaging roughhewn vocal style.” Crabtree previously received recognition by the Independent Music Awards, which named his single “Piedmont Train” as the Best Bluegrass Song of 2019. He also earned a nomination for Best Bluegrass Song (“Sally Sunday”) at the International Acoustic Music Awards. 

As a songwriter, Crabtree is always searching for the perfect singer to pair with his material. He has been privileged to have his songs recorded by famous bluegrass artists such as Larry Sparks and Valerie Smith. Sparks’ rendition of “The Scarlet Red Lines” was nominated for Gospel Recording of the Year at the 2023 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, while Sparks’ versions of “Don’t Take Your Eyes Off of Jesus” and “All Over Me” reached No. 1 on the Bluegrass Today chart. 

Crabtree’s sixth album, Storms on the Ocean, featuring 12 new self-written songs and an all-star bluegrass band, is expected to be released in November 2023. He recorded the project at Scott Vestal’s Digital Underground Recording Studio.