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my STORY
Harmony from Adversity: My Remarkable Journey
I was born in Pittsburgh, PA the youngest of three sons to Barbara Ann Strang and Clark Stuart
Thompson, Sr. Tragedy struck my parent’s home early in their marriage when their first born,
Stephen, died of SIDS on New Year’s Eve in 1960. He was 6 months old. The heartbreak that ensued
was the beginning of the end of their relationship, although two years later they would go on to
have my brother Clark Jr., and me in 1965.
Shortly after I was born, my father moved us to Florida, hoping that a fresh start might quell my
mother’s sorrow. But the distance from her family and growing loneliness only increased her pain
and she retreated more and more into alcohol. In a desperate move, my father offered to send us
to Pittsburgh for the Christmas holidays. Dressed in matching sailor suits, my brother and I
excitedly boarded the train with her. My mother had no idea that Dad had purchased one-way
tickets, and when we arrived at Aunt Irene’s home, a process server knocked on the door and
served her with divorce papers. My father packed our baby photos, clothing and precious items into
a trunk and shipped them out, but sadly it was never delivered.
I remember having a single phone call with him as a young boy, but beyond that, it was the last
contact between us until I was 19 years old. I was quite young, maybe 8 or 9, when music became
my emotional refuge and salvation. My 5th grade music teacher, Joe Debsky, took me under his
wing. He encouraged me to begin playing the alto horn, and later the baritone, the tuba and fife.
In the wake of the divorce, my mother did her best to put food on the table by working as a
waitress at bars and restaurants in Verona, a suburb of the Pittsburgh. We moved often and frequently lived with her sisters. But at 35, the harsh reality of raising two children in poverty led her to seek refuge in the arms of one of the patrons at her workplace, a lifelong alcoholic.
He moved in with us and began abusing her on day one. To everyone’s amazement, she agreed to marry him anyway. Shortly after the wedding, my stepfather, who worked as an auto body mechanic, moved us to an abandoned coal mining town along the Allegheny River, on the outskirts of town. It was a decent house, but each night after work, they would drink no less than a case of beer between them.
Unable to sleep during the nightly rounds of fighting and abuse, I began stepping in to defend my
mother. Instead of striking me, he would kick me out of the house, and I would seek shelter with
an aunt or a cousin, only to come back in a day or two after my mother got the police to retrieve
me. I always had a “go bag” packed and prepared for the next time I was kicked out.
In my new school, I was subjected to constant bullying, and beatings on the school bus. Between
the chaotic home life, and the misery of my school life, I couldn’t see a way out and eventually
decided to leave home for good. I recall sitting my mother down, telling her that I was leaving and
giving her the choice to come with me or stay with him. She chose to stay.
My stepfather subjected her to physical and emotional terror for the first ten years of their
marriage, until one night she had a stroke. That was the last time either of them would touch
alcohol and for the remainder of their 34-year marriage, her tormentor became her caretaker.
In escaping the turmoil at home, I faced the challenge of surviving on my own. For more than five
years, I hitchhiked along the Pennsylvania Turnpike and slept in parks and turnpike rest stops.
Thanks to the kindness of strangers I was also housed somewhat indiscriminately. Down the river, in
my old hometown of Verona, I was taken in by a young couple who lived above the local biker bar. I
stayed there for a few months, but more often I strayed from home to home, as I had developed a
deep sense of distrust. At one point, I moved in with three drug dealers in a neighboring county
who later sexually assaulted and robbed me. Afterwards, I took refuge just a few miles from my
mother, in the home of a go-go dancer.
After years of truancy, the system caught up with me. My mother and I were subpoenaed to appear
in front of the local magistrate, where I was mandated to return to school three weeks before my
17th birthday. As soon as I was legally able, I signed myself out of school for good. I was working as
a busboy at a local Best Western, when an opportunity presented itself that would change the
course of my life.
Act I: Finding a Lifeline in the US Navy
Not long after moving, my older brother Clark Jr. had returned to Verona to live
with our Aunt Irene and finish school. Afterwards, he joined the navy and became a ranking Naval
Petty Officer and Submariner. One day he came home on leave, and finding me at my lowest,
convinced me to visit the Navy recruiter. Although I never imagined following in his footsteps was
within my reach, I took the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude test. I was offered a contract,
provided I first obtain my GED. I enrolled in Carnegie Mellon’s GED preparation course and as soon
as I graduated, enlisted in the United States Navy. Shortly thereafter, I proudly graduated from The
Naval Training Center in Orlando, Florida, with my big brother in the audience.
The Navy gave me the stability, structure and sense of purpose I was desperately seeking. It
instilled discipline, responsibility, and an unwavering commitment to service and country.
It also allowed me to mend my relationship with my mother, who became my biggest supporter and
wrote to me almost daily during my deployment. As I honed my skills, I also rediscovered my
profound love for music, nurturing my vocal talents while performing in the Blue Jackets choir
during recruit training.
At the age of 18, just before graduation from boot camp, I was hand-chosen by the commanding
officer, Comdr. Leonard O. Wahlig, to become part of his crew as “plank owner” and helmsman on
the USS Klakring, FFG-42, one of the Navy’s most powerful warships.
On its maiden voyage on August 20, 1983, I stood at the wheel next to Comdr. Wahlig, when the
3700-ton warship launched from Bath Iron Works into Maine’s Kennebec River. Navigating the
Klakring and her crew downriver toward the Atlantic Ocean, I peered into the horizon and found
my soul’s internal compass; and within it, a preview of my life’s direction.
In the years that followed, the training I received took me from the heights of the ship’s bridge to
the depths of engineering. I worked below decks in the propulsion and electrical generation
departments aboard the USS Halyburton and the USS McInerney as a Gas Turbine Systems
Technician. In my new role as a highly skilled, sought-after, and combat-trained power plant
operator, I was subsequently deployed throughout Europe and the Caribbean, where I achieved
high-ranking commendations.
In the meantime, Clark Jr. had located our father during a port stop and re-established contact. At
his behest, I decided to do the same. I got off the ship at Port Everglades and called him from a
pay phone. He didn’t hesitate to invite me home and the captain gave me leave to do so. He
apologized profusely, explaining that the move to Florida had been disastrous. Coming home
nightly to an unkempt home, crying babies and a broken wife and mother was more than he could
take, especially since he didn’t touch alcohol. Deciding to face him as one adult to the other, I
asked him if we could forgive the past and share the future that we had. I’m so thankful I did, for
he died five years later at the age of 47.
During my six-year tour, traversing seemingly endless miles of ocean, duty to country was my
purpose and music my solace. I discovered my voice within the ship’s steely vestibules and the
natural reverb of its echo chambers, and my musical inspiration from the harmonics of the whirring
engines. I belted out notes deep in the belly of the ship’s loud machinery rooms, where my
developing voice was heard by me only. Little did I realize that one day those experiences would
become the key to connecting with others in incredibly profound ways, with a passion that would
become the cornerstone of my life’s work.
After receiving an honorable discharge from the Navy, I ventured further on my journey into the
world of music. I received a show choir scholarship at Trident Technical College, where I was able
to simultaneously hone my love of engineering and music. Between 1989 and 1992, I toured with
the “Sounds of Trident” choir throughout the southeastern United States, performing for audiences
large and small as a principal singer and dancer.
During this time, I worked tirelessly to make ends meet. While studying musical theory and training
with the industry’s top visiting vocal coaches and choreographers from NYC to LA, I worked part-
time in the campus computer lab, worked as an armed security guard, and also as a bench repair technician for a local security product manufacturer. My determination and talent did not go unnoticed and opened doors that led to a lifelong career in the tech sector.
Act II: A 50-Year Techno-Musical Odyssey
Over the next five decades, I remained a steadfast IT engineer while building a parallel career as a vocalist, musician, and producer. Inspired by selections from two centuries of music spanning many genres, I have been fortunate to touch the hearts of countless audiences, delivering unique vocal
arrangements and lyrics of my most treasured songs.
Through the tumultuous times of the music industry, I persevered and refined my craft. I met the challenges of making ends meet by keeping one hand on the wheel of my technical background while continuing to leverage my talents by collaborating with other artists, exploring different genres, and writing, composing, and producing my self-titled debut album “Serendipity”; which remains an inspirational snapshot of my path, artistry and range of talent.
It was nothing short of serendipity that led my personal life to unfold in unforeseen and wonderful ways. In the Spring of 2000, while completing the last song on my album, I met the love of my life in the dressing room of the Colony Theater in Miami Beach. We were both performing in a concert there and I sang the title track for the first time in front of a live audience. Later that year, I
founded two companies to support my IT consulting and music production ambitions. I’m blessed to say that both love and businesses continue to flourish.
Another unexpected twist occurred shortly after our 20th anniversary, when thanks to DNA technology, I was united with a son I had conceived during my years in the Navy. The relationship with him and my grandson has given my life a sense of renewed purpose and fulfillment.
Finding myself at the autumn of my life, I decided to create a masterpiece performance that would encapsulate my life's work. I embarked on the ambitious goal of crafting a production that would showcase my talent, my stories, and the spirit that has guided me through life’s challenges.
Inspired by the music of Barry Manilow, “SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT”; reflects my remarkable journey from teenage homelessness to a Navy veteran and celebrated musician. May it serve as a beacon of hope for those facing adversity and a testament to the power of resilience, the healing capacity of music, and the extraordinary achievements that are possible when one refuses to give
up on one’s dreams.
EASICOMM dba Craig Strang Productions
2160 58th Ave #268
Vero Beach, FL 32966
www.craigstrang.com
(305) 502-9564 Office/SMS