Soul man

The arrivals lounge at Heathrow isn't the most orthodox place to interview the UK's most successful soul writer, but when you're trying to catch Craig David in between Japan and Rome, beggars can't be choosers.

Back in the UK after the overseas dates of his The Story Goes... World Tour, I caught the 24-year-old as he prepared to go straight into rehearsals for the UK stint a trip that will bring him to Oxford's New Theatre, for one night only, on May 15.

"It's been a crazy time. We started in Japan, then did South East Asia and back through Europe," he said.

"It was fun, but pretty tiring and it's great to be back home."

Craig Ashley David was born in Southampton on May 5, 1981, to parents Tina and George.

A good son and student, there are no 'hard luck' stories of growing up on the streets for this young star.

Within minutes of talking to him, it's clear that roots and family are high on his list of priorities.

"It will be great to see my parents," he said. "During the tour I'm playing Southampton and I expect I'll be inundated with loads of requests for tickets from all my cousins too."

Articulate and charming, he's one cool guy just what you'd expect from someone labelled "the natural successor to George Michael".

"Wow!" he says. "That's was a pretty cool thing to be called. He's an amazing guy, a real star, so to be put in the same category as him is great."

Like George Michael, Craig first experienced musical aspirations at a young age.

He began writing his own material at 12, and at 15 began MC-ing.

Encouraged by his mother, 15-year-old Craig also entered a Write a Song For Damage competition, which he won.

After becoming interested in the garage music scene, he met another local boy Mark Hill, one half of Artful Dodger, who encouraged him to develop his own songs.

In 1999, after being a huge hit in the clubs, Rewind, by Artful Dodger and featuring Craig, got major airplay on UK radio. Soon after, Craig hit the stratosphere as a solo artist.

Born To Do It, his first solo album, was released in 2000, and went straight to number one, before spawning two more top 10 hits, Walking Away and Rendezvous.

In the past five years, Craig, still only 24, has enjoyed success after success.

In 2005 he officially became the UK's most successful soul writer and recording artist of all time when his third studio album titled The Story Goes... spent a whole month as Europe's biggest selling R&B album. It has now sold more than a million copies.

"Fame was fast," he admits. "But it's important to keep your feet on the ground in this business. Besides, I couldn't get too big-headed, because my family would soon put a stop to that.

"I have always felt that it's not about the business, it's about the music," he adds. "I write songs about things that have happened in my life and people relate to them."

So, if his songs are about his experiences, did he actually meet a girl on Monday, take her for a drink on Tuesday and do 'the business' by Wednesday? I hear him laugh over the noise of the baggage carousel.

"Well, it might not have happened that quickly, but I did meet a girl like that once," he says cheekily.

A superb singer and pretty damn good looking to boot, Craig has been linked to a number of gorgeous models in recent years, including Colombian Sophie "Viagra" Vergara.

But he says a lot of women are more interested in his celebrity, than getting to know him.

"If the truth be told, the girls I would really like to meet would be the ones at the back of the club, staying away from me and the whole celebrity thing it's just a case of actually finding them."

Notoriety hasn't only come for his voice and looks. Cult comedy series Bo! Selecta (named after lyrics from Rewind), features Craig as a northern bed-wetter, with a pet kestrel called Kes.

"That was bizarre. But I love comedy like that," he says. "The only trouble was, Bo! Selecta got really popular at a time when I didn't have a record out and people were always shouting: "Craigggg Davidddd" across the street at me."

Notoriety of a more flattering kind has come with two Grammy nominations, two MTV Awards and an incredible six MOBOs and six Ivor Novello's, including songwriter of the year. But the Brits The UK's own answer to the Grammys have so far eluded him.

At this point, Craig's patient PR asked me to make this my last question and I realised I'd kept him chatting at the airport for over half an hour.

What can I say he's an easy guy to talk to.

"What treats do you have in store for Oxford audiences next month," I asked.

"We'll go out there with a list of songs, a few different renditions of my older stuff although I won't be changing it completely, I hate it when people change songs so you can't recognise them and then just react to the crowd." he says.

Call the New Theatre booking line on 0870 145 1163.