Chris Isaak facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Isaak
Isaak in 2014
Background information
Birth name	Christopher Joseph Isaak
Born	(1956-06-26) June 26, 1956 (age 68) Stockton, California, U.S.
Genres	Rockabilly country rock and roll soft rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter guitarist actor
Instruments	Vocals guitar bass
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Reprise/Warner Bros. Vanguard

Christopher Joseph Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is also an actor. Chris Isaak is known for his unique rockabilly style and wide singing voice. His most famous song is "Wicked Game". Other popular songs include "Blue Hotel", "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing", and "Somebody's Crying".

Chris Isaak has been making music for over 40 years. He has released 13 studio albums. He often tours with his band, Silvertone. People sometimes compare his music and style to artists like Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley.

He has worked with film director David Lynch, who used his music in several movies. As an actor, Chris Isaak has appeared in films like The Silence of the Lambs and That Thing You Do!. He also starred in two TV shows: The Chris Isaak Show and The Chris Isaak Hour.

Early Life and School

Chris Isaak was born in Stockton, California. His mother, Dorothy, and father, Joseph, both worked hard. His family has roots in Germany and Italy.

He went to Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Stockton. He was very popular, serving as class president for three years. In his final year, he was student body president and the top student (valedictorian). He also led the all-male cheer squad.

After high school, he went to San Joaquin Delta Community College. Later, he transferred to the University of the Pacific. He earned a degree in English and communications arts in 1981. He also studied in Japan as part of an exchange program. After college, Chris Isaak formed his first band, Silvertone. The band included James Calvin Wilsey on guitar, Rowland Salley on bass, and Kenney Dale Johnson on drums. They became his regular backing band.

Music Career

In 1985, Chris Isaak signed with Warner Bros. Records. He released his first album, Silvertone. Critics liked the album, which mixed country blues with folk songs. Even though it was praised, it did not sell many copies. Two songs from the album, "Gone Ridin'" and "Livin' for Your Lover", were used in the 1986 film Blue Velvet.

His next album, Chris Isaak, came out in 1987. It reached the Billboard 200 chart. This album showed a more polished R&B style. The album's cover photo was taken by famous photographer Bruce Weber. Some songs from this album were used in the 1987 TV series "Private Eye".

In 1988, Warner Bros. moved Isaak to their Reprise Records label. That same year, his song "Suspicion of Love" was featured in the movie Married to the Mob.

Isaak performing live in San Francisco, 1988

Chris Isaak's most famous song is "Wicked Game". It was first released on his 1989 album, Heart Shaped World. An instrumental version of the song was used in the 1990 David Lynch film Wild at Heart. A radio station in Atlanta started playing the vocal version. It quickly became very popular and a national top 10 hit in 1991. The song also reached the top 10 in the UK. The music video for "Wicked Game" was directed by Herb Ritts and became a big hit on MTV and VH1. Another version of the video used scenes from the Wild at Heart movie.

In 1993, his song "Two Hearts" was featured in the movie True Romance.

In 1995, Chris Isaak released his fifth album, Forever Blue. This album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Album. The song "Somebody's Crying" was also nominated for a Grammy. The album later sold over a million copies, earning a Platinum award. In 1999, his song "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" was used in the movie Eyes Wide Shut.

Chris Isaak also wrote the theme song for the TV show The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn.

The music producer Erik Jacobsen helped shape Isaak's sound for 15 years. Chris Isaak stopped working with Jacobsen on his 2002 album, Always Got Tonight. A song from this album, "Life Will Go On", was used in the 2004 movie Chasing Liberty.

Isaak performing in 2006

In 2007, Chris Isaak performed the song "Blueberry Hill" with French singer Johnny Hallyday. He also opened for Stevie Nicks on her Crystal Visions Tour that year.

For his 2009 album, Mr. Lucky, Isaak worked with producer John Shanks.

In 2011, Chris Isaak covered Buddy Holly's "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" for a tribute album. The next month, he released Beyond the Sun. This album featured cover songs and was recorded at the famous Sun Records studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Chris Isaak performed at the 2015 AFL Grand Final in Australia. In 2016, he went on the "First Comes the Night Tour".

Guitars Chris Isaak Uses

Chris Isaak often uses a special Gibson electric guitar. It's a unique guitar that Gibson made just for him. He also plays a Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar, which he uses when writing new songs.

Acting and Other Work

Besides his music, Chris Isaak has acted in many films and TV shows. He had bigger roles in movies like David Lynch's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) and Little Buddha (1993), where he starred with Keanu Reeves. He also appeared in Married to the Mob (1988), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), and That Thing You Do! (1996).

In 1996, Chris Isaak was a guest star on the TV show Friends in a special episode after the Super Bowl. In 1998, he played astronaut Ed White in the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon. Ed White was the first American to walk in space.

From 2001 to 2004, Chris Isaak starred in his own TV show, The Chris Isaak Show. This comedy show was about him and his band playing themselves. The stories were fictional but showed what life might be like for a rock star.

In 2009, he hosted The Chris Isaak Hour on The Biography Channel. This show featured music interviews and performances. Guests included Stevie Nicks, Glen Campbell, and Michael Bublé.

In 2011, Chris Isaak received the Stockton Arts Commission STAR Award in his hometown. In 2014, he voiced the character Enoch in the animated TV show Over the Garden Wall. In 2015, he became a judge on The X Factor Australia, a singing competition show.

Personal Life

Chris Isaak is good friends with singer Stevie Nicks and director David Lynch.

He has never married. He once said that his longest relationship has been with his band. He explained that his work always came first, making it hard for personal relationships to last. He enjoys drawing and looking for treasures in secondhand stores.

Discography

• Silvertone (1985)
• Chris Isaak (1987)
• Heart Shaped World (1989)
• San Francisco Days (1993)
• Forever Blue (1995)
• Baja Sessions (1996)
• Speak of the Devil (1998)
• Always Got Tonight (2002)
• Christmas (2004)
• Mr. Lucky (2009)
• Beyond the Sun (2011)
• First Comes the Night (2015)
• Everybody Knows It's Christmas (2022)

Filmography

Film

• Married to the Mob – 'The Clown' (1988)
• The Silence of the Lambs – SWAT Commander (1991)
• Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me – Special Agent Chester Desmond (1992)
• Little Buddha – Dean Conrad (1993)
• That Thing You Do! – Uncle Bob (1996)
• Grace of My Heart - Mathew Lewis (1996)
• A Dirty Shame – Vaughn Stickles (2004)
• The Informers – Les (2008)

Television

• Wiseguy – Berated lounge singer (1987)
• The Larry Sanders Show - Himself (1995)
• Friends – Rob Donnan (1996)
• From the Earth to the Moon – Astronaut Edward White II (1998)
• Melrose Place – Himself/musical guest (1998)
• The Greatest – Himself/host (2001)
• The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn – Himself (2001)
• Ed – Jamie Decker (2003)
• The Chris Isaak Show – Himself (2001–2004)
• American Dreams – Roy Orbison (2004)
• The Footy Show – Himself (2004)
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson – Michael Caine in Space (2006)
• Great Performances Jerry Lee Lewis: Last Man Standing Live – Himself (2007)
• The Bill Engvall Show – Himself (2007)
• Australian Idol – Himself (2008)
• The Chris Isaak Hour – Himself/host (2009)
• George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight – Himself (2011)
• Conan – Himself (2012)
• Loose Women – Himself (2012)
• The Tonight Show – Himself (2014)
• Hot in Cleveland – Chase Jackson (2014)
• Over the Garden Wall – Enoch (voice) (2014)
• Adventure Time – 7718 (voice) (2015)
• The X Factor Australia – Himself – Judge/Mentor (2015)
• Sheriff Callie's Wild West – Johnny Strum (voice) (2016)

Music Video

• Elton John – "Sacrifice" – Man (1989)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Chris Isaak para niños