Justin Moore: Craig Strickland’s Death ‘Reminds Us All How Short Life Is’

Justin Moore is speaking out about the death of his friend, Backroad Anthem singer Craig Strickland, admitting it's really hit him hard.

Strickland went missing in late December after he and a friend, 22-year-old Chase Morland, left for a duck hunt in Oklahoma during extreme weather. Their boat capsized, and the frigid temperatures caused hypothermia. Morland's body was found the day after they were reported missing, but it took rescuers a week of intensive searching to locate Strickland's body, which turned out to be back near where the search had begun.

Moore was good friends with Strickland, and his buddy's death has taken an emotional toll on the "You Look Like I Need a Drink" singer.

“It’s really bothered me, more so than others,” Moore tells Rare Country. “I think it’s because Craig and I had so many similarities. He was married and he was a man of faith, and of course, there was the music.”

“We did a lot of shows together in the last few years,” the singer adds. “Anytime I was around Arkansas I would venture to say that they always did shows with me. We played a show together this last football season. We would talk about music and about hunting and the Razorbacks. It’s just incredibly sad and reminds us all how short life is.”

Strickland was laid to rest in an emotional service in Arkansas on Tuesday night (Jan. 12), which also streamed online for fans who could not attend. Strickland's Backroad Anthem bandmates have announced that they intend to try to carry on without the singer.

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