Matthew Charles Crockett (born March 24, 1984)[1] is an American blues, country, and Americana singer, guitarist, and songwriter.

Charley was born in San Benito, Texas to Branton Eddens Crockett and Jan Onda Applehans.

[8] Raised by a single mother[9] with an older brother and sister, Crockett grew up in a trailer park in Los Fresnos, Texas.

[12][13][14][15][16][17] His mother relocated the family to Dallas,[11] and Crockett spent the summer months with his uncle, who lived in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

[18] Upon leaving high school at the age of 17, Crockett decided to travel with his guitar acquired by his mother from a pawn shop.

[19] Crockett played music on the streets in the French Quarter of New Orleans and in Deep Ellum, Dallas as a teenager.

[18][10] As he improved his performance skills, Crockett organized a street band called the Trainrobbers, which caught the attention of a Manhattan-based representative for Sony Music.

[9][18] Eventually tired of life on the streets and the pending expiration of the contract, Crockett relocated to Northern California, where he combined working on farms and communes with performing for three more years.

[10] Tracks included the Roy Acuff-penned "Night Train to Memphis",[9] Tanya Tucker’s "The Jamestown Ferry" and Hank Williams' "Honky Tonkin'", all incorporating Crockett's clipped, hiccuped Texan drawl.

[9] Other tracks on the album were originally recorded by Ernest Tubb, Loretta Lynn, and Webb Pierce ("I Ain't Never").

[10] His dates included venues such as the House of Blues in Houston, Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club, The Mint in Los Angeles and The Fillmore in San Francisco.

[29] It was produced by Mark Neill and includes songwriting contributions from The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and singer/songwriter Pat McLaughlin.

[31] It received glowing reviews, including from American Songwriter, who raved, "Crockett finds the sweet spot between country, soul, blues and folk on deceptively modest songs, effortless in their easy-going groove,"[32] while Texas Monthly stated, "Crockett makes a beeline for the album's central theme: wily survival in a socially, politically, and economically rigged system.

[34] It was met with critical acclaim from Rolling Stone,[35] The Boot,[36] Austin American-Statesman,[37] Forbes,[38] and American Songwriter[39] among others.

[44] He followed that up a couple months later with an appearance on CBS This Morning's "Saturday Sessions" performing "I Need Your Love," "Music City USA" and "I Feel For You" off his latest album.

covers series, the album was released on April 22 and featured classic country tunes from Tom T. Hall, Willie Nelson, George Jones, and more.

[47] It was followed by an appearance on Comedy Central's The Daily Show in April, where he was interviewed by the host Jordan Klepper, along with a live performance of "Name on a Billboard" from his 2022 album, The Man from Waco.

[52] In January 2025, it was announced that Crockett had signed with Island Records and will release his first album via the label, Lonesome Drifter, on March 14.