Beginning his career as a child prodigy pianist, Huxley at age 14 gained early fame leading the Craig Hundley Trio, which released albums on World Pacific Records and won the NBC Showcase 68 competition alongside Sly and the Family Stone.[4] His first album, Arrival of a Young Giant, was a trio album by Hundley (piano), Jay Jay Wiggins (bass), and Gary Chase (drums) that was released in 1968.[5]Craig Hundley Plays with the Big Boys, from the following year, had a big band added to the trio.[6] The 1970 release, Rhapsody in Blue, also featured an orchestra doing the worlds first modern adaptation blessed by Ira Gershwin, and included Larry Carlton on guitar.[7]
Craig Huxley was born Craig Hundley on November 22, 1954, in Sherman Oaks, California.[4] He grew up in Los Angeles, providing early exposure to music and acting opportunities.[13] Huxley demonstrated early aptitude for both acting and music, emerging in Hollywood during the 1960s. He debuted in a prominent role as Peter James Kirk, Captain James T. Kirk's nephew and namesake, in the "Star Trek: The Original Series" episode "Operation—Annihilate!" aired in 1967 (at age 12).[4] He reappeared in Star Trek TOS S3 as the leader of the kids in "And The Children Shall Lead", were he sat in the Captain's chair upon taking over command of the Starship Enterprise. He had several guest appearances on popular television shows, including "The Virginian" (1965), "Gunsmoke" (1966), "The Flying Nun" (1968), and "Lassie[4]" (1968), as well as "Bewitched" (1965) at age 10 where he portrayed the warlock Merle Brocken (nephew of the star, Samantha).[4] These roles showcased his precocious screen presence and contributed to his growing visibility as a child performer, with additional appearances in a multi-month stint on "Days of Our Lives" (1960s), "Run for Your Life" (1966) as son of Ernest Borgnine (Academy Award winner), and "The Brady Bunch" (1971).[4]
By age 10 in 1964, Huxley exchanged letters with President Lyndon B. Johnson, leading to an invitation to Washington, D.C., accompanied by California Governor Pat Brown and chaperoned by Senator Pierre Salinger; he offered a youthful perspective on the presidential inauguration during a primetime ABC News broadcast.[14] As he entered his early teens, Huxley increasingly shifted focus toward music, training as a concert pianist and blending classical repertoire—such as concertos by Bartók, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven—with jazz influences. This period solidified his reputation as a piano prodigy, during which he also made numerous television appearances as a musician, including on "The Tonight Show," "The Today Show," "The Jerry Lewis Telethon," and "The Jonathan Winters Show."[15]
A pivotal breakthrough came at age 14 in 1968, when Huxley formed and led the youthful Craig Hundley Trio—featuring him on piano, J.J. Wiggins on bass, and Gary Chase on drums, later joined by guitarist Larry Carlton and Brazilian percussionist Mayuto.[5][15][14] The trio secured victory at the Hollywood Bowl and won the NBC Primetime "Showcase '68" competition, tying with Sly & the Family Stone in a finale that propelled Huxley's jazz career. This success led to their debut album, Arrival of a Young Giant, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart, and further performances on high-profile programs like "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and "The Mike Douglas Show," where he co-hosted for many weeks, The Joey Bishop Show, and was interviewed by Regis Philbin.[14][15]
By the mid-1960s, these combined acting musical work had amassed a number of television credits.[16]
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