Welcome to Craig’s Blog!
Sunday, April 19th, 2026
Hey there and welcome to my blog (or rant) page! This is where I’ll be sharing/updating information about our band, my work with C.F. Martin & Co., Inc. and general information that you may find helpful/interesting. Please stop by from time to time and if you have any questions, please use the contact page to get in touch.
Last week we played two sold-out shows: Thursday night at Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem, PA and Friday night at the Bell Tower Arts & Cultural Center in Bangor/Martin’s Creek, PA. Audiences for both shows were just wonderful.
We’d like to extend our thanks to the great folks who run (and volunteers) at both venues. Of course, sincere thanks to all of you who attended, you were awesome! Looking forward to returning to both venues in the coming year!
This show featured our quartet with Chico Huff, Cliff Starkey, Billy Wear and yours truly.
Link to a performance clip at the Bell Tower:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17arBJoeEa/
https://www.godfreydaniels.org
https://belltowerculturalcenter.org
Monday, April 20th, 2026
My new guitar which I purchased last week from Emerald City Guitars in Seattle, Washington, https://EmeraldCityGuitars.com should be arriving today. It is a 1970 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Goldtop, exactly what I had purchased new in December, 1969 from Sine’s Music Center, in Quakertown, PA. This was my very first, really good guitar when I was a kid. My dad and I saw it in the shop window display at Christmas time. It was the prettiest guitar I’d ever seen at that time…I had to have it. So we went into the store spoke with the owner, Dale Sine, and he said I could put it away and pay weekly on it until it was paid off. It cost $380 brand new, with the case, a rather large sum of money for a 13 year-old kid at that time. Considering I had a daily paper route (7 days per week, mornings), along with a Saturday job as a busboy at a local Quakertown restaurant (Mr. D’s) it was still going to take a while for me to pay off the guitar, but I did it.
Christmas, 1970
Tuesday, April 21st, 2026
I wrote a new song for Earth Day last night. Here are the lyrics:
EVERY DAY IS EARTH DAY–
Craig Thatcher-copyright Thatchmo Music, 2026
Every day is earth day, we all must do our share
Try and save our planet, show the world we care
Rivers overflowing, with garbage and debris
Plastic in the ocean, killing dolphins in the sea
Refrain:
We only have one planet, but we just can’t agree
Climate change is real, but there’s a remedy
Gather up your cardboard, plastic, tin and glass
Don’t toss it in a landfill, where it will forever last
You can do your own part, we all must lend a hand
Recycle for the water, and the beauty of the land
Refrain:
It’s a legacy we’re building, day by day its getting worse
Situation’s critical, we gotta set this in reverse
Every day is earth day, we all must do our share
Try and save our planet, show the world we care
Thursday, April 23rd
I posted on Facebook re: the passing of Dave Mason. He left us on Sunday, April 19th. Dave, as many of you know, was the co-founder of, “Traffic,” with Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood. Traffic has been one of my top fav bands since I first heard, “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” in 1967. Though Dave did speak with an American accent (having lived in America for so long), he was in fact born in Worcester, England, in 1946.
Dave played acoustic 12-string guitar on Jimi Hendrix’s recording of, “All Along The Watchtower,” which was recorded in 1968. I have studio outtakes of Jimi teaching Dave the rhythm guitar part. It was tricky–not the part, per se, but the timing. Listen to the intro and you’ll hear what I mean (try and count it…it’s challenging).
Of course DM had wonderfully long and lasting solo career. “Only You Know And I Know,” and “We Just Disagree,” were just two of his huge hit 70’s songs.
As I grow older and witness many of my musical “mentors” passing away, I’m reminded of the ones who never made it this long: Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jim Croce, Nick Drake and many others being some of the earliest. How young they were to have created such iconic, lasting music (soundtrack of my life). We do have their musical legacies which will remain to influence new generations for years to come. Now Dave Mason has joined that fraternity. Rest peacefully, Dave Mason.
On a lighter note, last evening, Chris Martin IV and I presented our Martin Experience at George’s Music in North Wales, PA. The enthusiastic and warm crowd of over 100 people filled the shop and made us feel right at home. It was really nice to do this close to home and not experience jet lag as we’re often far across the country or in Europe, UK, or Asia doing these events. I made it home in 30 minutes!
One of my fav guitars from last night’s event was the Johnny Cash 1956 Martin D-21, which Chris recently acquired from the Jim Irsay auction (see below). What a wonderful sounding/playing instrument! I played 3 songs on it last night (normally I just play one song on each guitar)!
I also played the Martin Jim Croce D-21 which is a reminder of all the great music he wrote/performed, another artist gone way too early. And I debuted my song, “Every Day Is Earth Day,” on a Martin 00L which features a beautiful art design painted top, by our friend & colleague, Robert Goetzl (below).
Thanks to those of you who took the time to attend, and thanks also to George and crew for hosting our event.
Have a wonderful day!
Friday, April 24th
Keeping in the spirit of Earth Day:
Lawn Care companies continue to be allowed to poison our earth. Health Risks: Research has linked some lawn chemicals to increased cancers in pets and potential carcinogenicity in humans.
Environmental Impact: Pesticides used to treat 80 million pounds of lawns annually in North America often run off into water systems and leach into groundwater.
The EPA allows the use of many chemicals—sometimes even those banned in other countries—if they pass certain risk-benefit analyses. They argue that when “used as directed,” these products are safe, even if they remain on grass when dry (NOT)!
Homeowners desire “perfect” lawns, and the $60 billion turf-grass industry is heavily invested in maintaining this standard. Companies argue that organic alternatives are more expensive and less effective, making them difficult to market to customers expecting instant results.
Interesting Consumer Reports article on this subject:
https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/lawn-care/a-lush-lawn-without-pesticides-a3940080625/
Monday, April 27th
Good day, friends, closing in on the end of April–I can’t believe how fast this year is flying by! Of course, we always hear this would happen when we were young…guess “they” were right about that!
So tonight I’ll be playing a fundraising benefit for my son, Nate’s, gf’s mother. She has had a lot of medical expenses so we’re all pitching; that’s what you do, right?
I’ll play two acoustic sets, 5:30-6:30pm and 7-8pm. Hoping you can join me as Chef Nate (my son) will be offering up quite a southern-style feast. Nate is an awesome chef, you will not be disappointed! And it’s for a good cause, so please pitch in if you are able to do so. Thanks!
Mother’s Day Sunday, May 10th, 2026
I hope all of you mothers out there had a wonderful day today, spending time with friends and loved ones, celebrating your special day!
“Life began with waking up and loving my mother’s face.”- George Eliot
“When you look into your mother’s eyes, you know that is the purest love you can find on this earth.” – Mitch Albom
“A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.” – Cardinal Meymillod
Monday, May 11th, 2026
Happy heavenly birthday to my father, Glennmore A. Thatcher, who would have turned 101 years old today. He died in 1989 at age 64…far too young.
I miss him every day.
Tuesday, May 12th, 2026
On this date, May 12th, 1967, the greatest debut record album in history was released. “Are You Experienced,” by the Jimi Hendrix Experience was hit the UK like a freight train. Ground breaking sounds, recording techniques and songwriting solidified JHE as the leaders in the psychedelic rock realm and for me, it has never changed or been bested.
The electric guitar was never heard or played in the same way again, once Jimi was able to capture his ideas and sounds (with the help of Eddie Kramer) he heard in his mind to vinyl. Combined with very cool lyrics, groovy chord progressions and rhythmic ideas that come from another planet, “Are You Experienced” was a ground breaking record on many different levels. Hendrix’s style of blues-rock raised the bar for psychedelia and set the stage for psychedelic soul and funk.
For me, when I first heard the record in 1967, I didn’t know what to make of it. Surely what I was hearing was not typical guitar licks or chord changes. I very quickly became a huge fan, which has lasted a lifetime. I’ve accumulated a large library of books, audio (tape, record & cd) and video (dvd and VHS tape) which some day I hope to leave to the Handel/Hendrix House on Brook Street, London (I’ve been there) for their museum. (I’ve also visited Jimi’s grave-site in Renton, WA; his half-sister, Janie, has made it into quite the spectacle, over the top).
It’s so hard to believe that Jimi has been gone nearly 56 years (9/18/1970) and Mitch and Noel are long gone as well. BTW, I did have the pleasure of meeting Mitch backstage at the Beacon Theatre in NYC, about a year before he passed.
Well, as they say, we’ll always have the music and what a fine legacy it is. I’ve listened to JH in one form or another nearly every day since that very first listen back in 1967. So if you’ll excuse me, I’m warming up the turntable just now…