Billy “Crash” Craddock was born the youngest of 13 children in Greensboro, NC. A good portion of his childhood was spent surrounded by music and love of his family. His father, typical of musicians of his day and time, played harmonica, spoons, washboard and buck danced. His mother and older brothers and sisters regularly sang old gospel standards and folk tunes, harmonizing beautifully amongst themselves. Craddock remembers listening to Little Jimmy Dickens, Lefty Frizzell and Faron Young on the radio, singing as they sang, knowing he would only have to hear a song once or maybe twice before he knew the lyrics and melody by heart. His family was very supportive of his talents and one brother even paid him a nickel for every song he could sing and not miss any words on. But it wasn’t until Elvis Presley stormed into the entertainment field, that a young Billy Craddock thought he, too, might be able to combine his love for music and his need for earning a living.

By this time his high school football team had given “Crash” Craddock his unusual nickname, one that would stick on and off the playing field for the rest of his life. Crash got his first recording contract with Colonial Records in Durham, NC shortly after high school and he was on his way.