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Just a few months later, he had his own fame. Three singles off his album, "Solid Ground," peaked in the Top 20.
He had broken through as a singer-songwriter in the country music business and has stayed there since, his career taking him to some unexpected places and even back home from time to time.
The Sumter native appears Jan. 27 at Montana's in Bluffton. He played the restaurant's singer-songwriter series last year. He enjoyed the atmosphere and decided to return to an area he considers his stomping grounds.
Crosby got his start in music touring the Southeast in the early 1980s, occasionally playing on Hilton Head Island.
"We were successful playing college campuses and clubs, especially in Columbia and Charleston," he said. "(Nashville) just felt like the next logical step on the path to success."
He went to Nashville in the mid-1980s. The band Chance had a hit with his song "She Told Me Yes" in 1985. His reputation as a songwriter and performer steadily grew. Arista signed him to a record deal. The success of "Solid Ground" propelled him to tour with country hitmakers such as Travis Tritt, Reba McEntire and Billy Ray Cyrus.
But his followup album failed to chart songs. The label dropped him, and he focused on writing.
Since then, he's continued to find success songwriting. "Concrete Angel" was a Top 5 hit for Martina McBride on the country charts. "She's More" hit No. 2 for Andy Griggs.
He pitched "Friday Night" to Lady Antebellum's producer for their new album. The band took a liking to it and is considering releasing it as a single in the spring, he said.
"It was the right song at the right time," he said. "We were jumping up and down when we heard they wanted to record it."
All the while, he's also been performing when he can. He participates in a songwriter's circle in Nashville. Three singer-songwriters gather on a regular basis to play their tunes and tell the stories behind them.
"It's insight into the way the songwriter works," he said. "I've always thought songwriters perform their songs better than anyone else, as long as they can strum a guitar and carry a tune."
He's also found a home for his music in Holland, of all places. He used to tour Europe in the 1990s and developed a small following. He's signed to Universal Music in Holland and writes songs that take on a more pop music sound for European audiences.
When he's not jet-setting between Nashville and Europe, he prefers to return to the Lowcountry. He and his wife have a home in Charleston that he one day hopes to stay in full time.
"I miss South Carolina," he said. "I've always considered myself a South Carolinian. The Lowcountry is always calling to us."
