Country star looking for fan who changed his life at WA State Fair years ago
A well-known country artist is asking Puyallup residents for help.
Craig Morgan, a Nashville-based singer who has released seven albums and two extended plays since 2000, performed at the Washington State Fair on Sept. 6, 2013, shortly after releasing his album, “The Journey (Livin’ Hits).”
“So after the show I did an autographed session. There was a young gentleman there who had a prosthetic leg and wanted to tell me a story. I tried to get him to go ahead and tell me his story, but he insisted on waiting until everyone was through,” Morgan wrote in a Facebook post on Feb. 3. “It was a story that changed the way I looked at what I was doing in the music world. If anyone knows who he is and can get him to respond, we would like to talk to him.”
Morgan told The News Tribune he served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve from 1995 to 2004. In 2023, he re-enlisted as a soldier in the Army Reserve and has recently been promoted to chief warrant officer.
Now, he’s working on a new extended play, which he calls a “soldier-led initiative.” The project will involve taking music written by soldiers and recording them in the army recording studio.
“I just remember, of all the stories I’ve ever heard, his story is one I’ve told over and over and over,” Morgan said. “... In doing this soldier-led initiative with the army, I can’t help but remember his story and reconnect with him and have him be a part of what we’re doing.”
Morgan said the man approached him while he was performing at the Washington State Fair and said that Morgan’s music had saved his life twice.
“He was in Iraq, driving down the road in a vehicle, he was listening to my music. There was a song I had, called ‘Paradise,’ he skipped it or something – so he reached down to the player and a sniper shot through the window and had just missed him,” Morgan said. “That was the first time. The second time, he was in a bad way, he was having a tough time, contemplating life in general – and he said the song ‘Almost Home’ came on the radio and gave him a new perspective.”
The Washington State Fair shared Morgan’s post on Facebook on Feb. 4, hoping to connect Morgan with the man he met in 2013.
“We’re sharing this to see if we can help find him! Maybe he or a relative will see this and reach out!” the fair wrote.
Stacy Van Horne, spokesperson for the fair, told The News Tribune they have not heard any new developments since sharing the post.
The News Tribune asked Morgan what led him to re-join the Army in 2023. He said he wants to earn a letter that says he completed 20 years of army service.
“I really wanted that letter so my kids and grandkids and everyone could see that I could retire in service to my nation,” Morgan said. “I think [I’ll serve] as long as they’ll have me, as long as I’m physically and mentally capable.”
The News Tribune also asked Morgan when the extended play will come out, but he said the project is in its early stages and does not have an expected release date yet.
Morgan’s latest release is the extended play “American Soundtrack,” which he released on Feb. 28, 2025. Also in 2025, he collaborated with popular country singer Blake Shelton on the song “Heaven Sweet Home,” which came out on Shelton’s album “For Recreational Use Only.” He later joined Shelton on his 2025 “Friends & Heroes” tour.
