Thanks to that bloody kestrel Kes and a certain Channel 4 sketch show, Craig David is often viewed these days as a pop flop. However, in the early '00s, the R&B star was briefly considered a groundbreaker when he moved from the UK garage scene into the mainstream. His star may have faded in recent years, but he is back this month with a new single ('One More Lie (Standing On The Shadows)') and album (Signed Sealed Delivered) to remind us of his musical worth. Keep reading for ten facts about Southampton's greatest musical export.1. Craig Ashley David was born on May 5, 1981 in Southampton, Hampshire.2. Music was always likely to be Craig's career choice. It was in his gene pool as his carpenter father George was the bassist in reggae group Ebony Rockers. The group are credited with bringing the reggae sounds of inner-city Southampton to the rest of the UK at the ends of the '70s.3. Craig is a self-confessed trainer addict. There's nothing he loves more than a massive sniff of some fresh sneakers. "That box fresh smell is incredible," he claims. "I put them in a special cupboard in my dressing room. I'm excessive but never too excessive. There's four or five [pairs] of the same trainer - maybe that is excessive."4. He may have become a figure of fun in recent years, but Craig has an impressive record of scoring hits. He became the youngest ever male artist to score a number one when he released his debut 'Fill Me In' in 2000. Since then, he has scored ten more Top 10 hits and released two multi-platinum albums. A record not to be sniffed at.5. "Six nominations, no Brits for C.D," was David's infamous line at the 2001 Brit Awards, where he was cruelly snubbed six - yes six! - times. Despite being one of the biggest-selling acts of the early '00s, David has still never won a Brit gong. With 12 nominations in total, he can count himself pretty unlucky to have never done so. A1, Basement Jaxx, Ms Dynamite and Lemar are among the acts to have ruined Craig's parade.6. He may not be popular with the Brits panel, but David has some indie credibility at least thanks to the Arctic Monkeys. The Sheffield band's drummer Matt Helders confesses to knowing all the words to CD's Born To Do It disc. "I don't know why I love it, but I just can't help but sing along," he said.7. Oasis, Nirvana, Pixies, REM, Prince, Eminem, The Smiths... pah! Craig knocked back all these acts and many more in a recent MTV 'Greatest Album Ever' poll. David's Born To Do It debut finished second, with only Michael Jackson's Thriller beating it.8. Q. Who are Craig's man crushes? A. Brad Pitt and David Beckham. "They're hot, you can't deny it," he admits. "Every guy in the world thinks so."9. Give Craig David a football to kick around with and he can compete with the best of them. The popstar took the 'Man Of The Match' title at the 2008 Soccer Aid game, which featured major international footballers such as Alan Shearer, Paolo Di Canio, Teddy Sheringham and David Seaman.10. Craig's efforts and impact on the music industry were finally rewarded in 2008 when he was given an honorary degree as Doctor of Music by Southampton Solent University. So show him some respect, people!
