For Craig Stephen Raymo, aka Craymo, music began long before the stage lights and songwriting awards. One of his earliest memories is standing on his parents’ bed at just three years old, singing a Beatles song into his mother’s hairbrush and pretending it was a microphone. By high school, he was writing his own songs, performing in the school choir and band, and playing saxophone in the marching band. Music remained a constant throughout his life, eventually leading him to a successful 30-year career as a nightclub and radio DJ.
Today, Craymo creates music rooted in EDM, dance, and pop, drawing inspiration from influential artists of the 1980s and 1990s, including Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, Bronski Beat, and Dead or Alive. His sound carries the energy of that era while allowing room for his own personality and emotional songwriting. As an independent artist, however, one of his biggest challenges has been building recognition in an increasingly crowded industry and learning how to promote himself while continuing to create.
One of the defining moments of his journey came in 1989 when he appeared on Star Search. Waiting backstage before his performance, the stage manager looked at him and said, “Don’t worry kid, only a million people around the world are going to see your performance.” For a brief moment, Craymo says his heart stopped. Then something changed. Instead of letting the pressure overwhelm him, he stepped onto the stage with the confidence to give the performance everything he had. It remains one of those moments that still represents the power of believing in yourself when the stakes suddenly become real.
Craymo’s proudest accomplishments have also come from music with a deeper purpose. After 9/11, he released “One Love One World,” a song about equality and world peace that he co-wrote and produced with his longtime friend Brandon Jarrett. The song became a Top 10 free download on the United Nations Project UNESCO website for more than a decade, eventually reaching teachers and students around the world. He has also earned songwriting awards for deeply personal songs dedicated to his late parents, as well as “Having A Moment,” a song created to raise awareness around suicide prevention and dedicated to his cousin Michael.
His current musical chapter is gaining recognition as well. Craymo is currently promoting his song “Don’t Hold Back (Carpe Diem),” which has already received two award nominations at the 2026 Hollywood Independent Music Awards (HIMA) and two additional award nominations at the 2026 Indie Music Channel Awards in Los Angeles. The recognition adds another milestone to a career built on persistence, creativity, and a willingness to continue evolving as an artist.
Despite the difficult moments and the people who tried to discourage him along the way, Craymo has stayed committed to being himself. He makes an effort to respond to messages, emails, and posts from listeners because he values the people who take the time to connect with his work. If he could give his younger self one piece of advice, it would be simple: do not let other people’s negativity define your path. Through managers, agents, industry figures, and critics, he learned that protecting your own voice can sometimes be the most important part of surviving the business.
His next chapter also includes a cover of “Under the Milky Way,” originally recorded by Australian rock band The Church. Released in 1989, the song has remained one of Craymo’s personal favorites for decades. Working with British composer Matt Winter, who arranged and recorded the instrumental elements, Craymo brought his own interpretation to the track through newly recorded lead and background vocals. He is also preparing for another collaboration with Ralphy Grey, continuing to build toward the next stage of his career.
From singing into a hairbrush as a child to standing under the lights of Star Search and now earning multiple award nominations for his latest work, Craymo has never stopped believing that music could take him somewhere bigger. And if his journey has proven anything, it is that the defining moment may not be behind him at all. It could still be waiting just beyond the next song.
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