Beer, Busking, and Beaufort: Meet Campfire Tyler

“My name is Tyler Littlejohn, but people here know me as Campfire Tyler. I first picked up a guitar at 14 years old, and that was when I learned how to play. I put it down for about six years, but picked it back up after my daughter was born and started playing to her to get her to go back to sleep. I love performing and the creativity that comes from that. I’m a songwriter, so I love being able to make something from nothing. I like to describe whatever’s going on in a different way other than communicating it through words.

I didn’t even know busking—playing music on the street—was a thing until I got stuck in Athens. I went to visit a friend of mine and we had a little bit too much fun the first three days in town and ran out of money. Then I met some kids who were playing guitar on the street. I played with them, and ended up making up enough money to get back home and get something to eat.

So, when I got back to Beaufort, I thought of trying that downtown here. I would sit down here near the coffee shop, and play just to test it out and see how it would go. Some days were not good, but other days were really good.

I loved that I could try out new music throughout the day. There’s no pressure. If people walked by, I could just move into the next song. It helped me practice, too. That’s a really good way to practice, because you can sit in your bedroom, but it’s more beautiful down here, the weather is good, and it got me used to playing around people.

If I had a good day, I would end up at Hemingway’s to grab a beer before heading home. One day, I had my guitar with me, and they said, ‘Well, how about you sit out here on the patio and play? We’ll give you a beer and a sandwich.’ And I was like, ‘That sounds great.’ I did that and ended up playing guitar and hanging out for a few hours. Eventually, they hired me to play there.

I’m born and raised in Beaufort. There’s just a certain feel about Beaufort. It’s beautiful, with an underbelly that is kind of dark, swampy and buggy, and I love it. It’s hard to put into words, if you’re not from here, it’s hard to describe. I spent a lot of the first half of my life trying to run away from here, and I made it out a few times.”

– Tyler Littlejohn, also known as Campfire Tyler