Biography:

Craig Michael Strickland, 29, of Springdale, Ark., passed away Dec. 27, 2015, along with his good friend Chase Moreland, due to a boating accident on Kaw Lake during winter storm Goliath while on a hunting trip near Ponca City, Oklahoma. He was born June 2, 1986 in Fort Smith, Arkansas to Randy Strickland and Joanne Craig.

Craig was a 2004 honor graduate of Alma [Ark.] High School and earned a BA in Marketing from the University of Arkansas. Craig was a member of CrossChurch-Springdale; he led worship at different churches in the area and was passionate about sharing his faith. He was one of the lead vocalists for Backroad Anthem. His many hobbies included hunting, golfing, singing, writing music, spending time with friends, family, and fans, and his number one love was spending time with his beautiful wife Helen.

Craig was a founding member of the non-profit organization Beyond the Game, allowing him to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to children from the Dominican Republic through his love of baseball. In 2012 he became the f8rst star host of The Arkansas CW Channel and also hosted a monthly cooking segment called “Cooking with Craig”. His love for performing led to the start 9f the country rock band Backroad Anthem. Building relationships was valuable to Craig and it came natural to him. Craig’s zeal for life, a smile that would light up a room, and his heart for people, made up his dynamic personality that touched everyone he met.

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