Chris Kirkpatrick facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Kirkpatrick
Kirkpatrick in 2024
Background information
Birth name	Christopher Alan Kirkpatrick
Born	October 17, 1971 (1971-10-17) (age 53) Clarion, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Origin	Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Pop, pop rock, alternative rock
Occupations	Singer songwriter producer dancer actor
Years active	1995–present
Labels	RCA, Jive

Christopher Alan Kirkpatrick (born October 17, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is best known for starting the famous pop group NSYNC. In NSYNC, he sang a high vocal part called countertenor. The band sold over 70 million records, making them one of the most successful boy bands ever.

Chris Kirkpatrick sang lead on many NSYNC songs, including "Thinking of You (I Drive Myself Crazy)", "Together Again", and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". He also sang on many songs from their Christmas album, Home for Christmas.

On television, he was the voice of Chip Skylark on the Nickelodeon cartoon series The Fairly OddParents. Kirkpatrick has also appeared in several reality TV shows, like Celebrity Big Brother and The Masked Singer.

Chris Kirkpatrick's Early Life

Chris Kirkpatrick was born on October 17, 1971, in Clarion, Pennsylvania. His mother, Beverly Eustice, raised him and his four younger half-sisters. His family moved often and faced many challenges. They lived in different states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, South Carolina, and California.

Despite these challenges, Chris showed a strong talent for music from a young age. His family was very musical. His mother was a vocal coach, and his grandmother studied opera. His grandfather was a country singer, and his aunts and uncles were all in bands.

In 6th grade, Chris won the main role as Oliver in his city's high school musical, Oliver Twist. After this, he started studying music more seriously. He took special music classes and learned to play many different instruments.

In 7th grade, he moved to Dalton, Ohio. He continued to be involved in music at Dalton High School. He starred in musicals like South Pacific and sang in the school choir. He even joined the All-Ohio State Fair Youth Choir, which performed before New Kids on the Block at the Ohio State Fair. Besides music, Chris also played many sports, including football, basketball, baseball, and track.

After finishing high school in 1990, Chris moved to Orlando, Florida. He went to Valencia College, where he first planned to study acting. However, he changed his major to music after getting scholarships for singing in the college choir. At Valencia, Chris started his own a cappella groups. He would arrange music and perform at local coffee shops. Later, he got a job as a doo-wop singer at Universal Studios. He earned his music degree in 1993.

After Valencia, Chris received another scholarship to attend Rollins College. He studied music and psychology full-time. He also worked three jobs: performing at Universal Studios Florida, working as a photographer at Sea World, and waiting tables at a restaurant. He also worked as a local DJ.

Chris Kirkpatrick's Music Career

In 1994, while working at Universal Studios, Chris Kirkpatrick met Lou Pearlman. Chris learned that Pearlman wanted to create a new vocal group. Chris was interested in forming a group that did more than just a cappella singing.

Lou Pearlman was impressed by Chris. He offered to help Chris start a vocal group if Chris could find other young singers to join him. Chris took this chance. After searching for over a year, he found Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez. They were both from the 1990s Mickey Mouse Club TV show. These three became the core of NSYNC.

Later, Chris asked Joey Fatone, who also worked at Universal Studios, to join. The group then found Lance Bass through Justin's vocal coach. The five members officially came together in September 1995.

The group moved into a house together in Orlando. They practiced their singing and dance moves for many hours each day. Soon after Lance joined, they recorded their first performance at Pleasure Island in Orlando. This recording became their demo for record companies. Chris then left Rollins College to focus on his music career with NSYNC in Germany.

NSYNC: A Pop Sensation

Chris Kirkpatrick around 1999

With NSYNC, Chris Kirkpatrick sold over 70 million records in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He sang the countertenor/soprano parts and lead vocals on many songs.

NSYNC first signed with Ariola Records in Germany. Their first album, NSYNC, came out in Europe in 1997 and worldwide in 1998. It sold 11 million copies. This album had hit singles like "I Want You Back" and "Tearin' Up My Heart".

In November 1998, the group released a holiday album called Home for Christmas. It reached number 7 on the charts and sold 2 million copies. Their popular song from this album was "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays". NSYNC made history by having two albums in the Billboard Top 10 at the same time.

Later, the band had some legal issues with Lou Pearlman. They were released from their contracts with him in 1999 and then signed with Jive Records.

NSYNC's second album, No Strings Attached, was released in 2000. It sold a record-breaking 2.4 million copies in its first week. By the end of the year, it had sold over 9.9 million copies, making it the best-selling album of 2000. This album featured hit singles like "Bye Bye Bye", "It's Gonna Be Me", and "This I Promise You". No Strings Attached was also the second-best selling album of the entire decade.

NSYNC's third album, Celebrity, came out in July 2001. It had three hit singles: "Pop", "Gone", and "Girlfriend". Celebrity sold nearly 1.9 million copies in its first week. This made it the second-fastest-selling album in history at that time, right after No Strings Attached. The Celebrity album allowed the group to be more creative. They wrote and produced many of their own songs. Chris Kirkpatrick helped write the song "Falling".

After their Celebrity Tour, NSYNC announced in April 2002 that they would take a break. Each member started working on their own projects. NSYNC never officially broke up, but they did not reunite for a long time. Their last official performance was at the 2003 Grammys. However, the band briefly performed together at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards when Justin Timberlake received an award.

In 2018, all five members reunited to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In April 2019, NSYNC reunited without Justin Timberlake for a special performance with Ariana Grande at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

In September 2023, a new NSYNC song, "Better Place", was announced. This happened after the band reunited at the MTV Video Music Awards. The song is part of the soundtrack for the movie Trolls Band Together. It was released on September 29, 2023. All five members also had small voice roles as trolls in the movie. As part of their reunion, they also recorded an episode of the show Hot Ones.

Solo Music Projects

After NSYNC took a break, Chris Kirkpatrick worked on several music projects. He wrote and sang lead for his alternative rock band called Nigel's 11. The band officially formed in Florida in 2007. It included Chris Kirkpatrick (lead singer), Mike Bosch (guitar), Dave Carreiro (bass), and Ernie Longoria (drums).

Nigel's 11 released their first album, Clandestine Operation, in 2010. It had five original songs, including "Who Am I?" and "Crazy Girl". The songs on this album were about overcoming challenges and finding yourself. Chris said his band's music was inspired by rock groups from the 1970s and 1980s, like Queen and Electric Light Orchestra.

Nigel's 11 also made other songs that were released online or at live shows. Some of their music was used in the movie A Christmas Snow. This included an original song called "All Alone" and a punk rock version of the Christmas song "O Come, All Ye Faithful".

Eventually, Nigel's 11 stopped performing together. This was because the band members lived far apart and Chris was busy managing and producing music for other artists.

Television and Film Roles

Besides his solo music, Chris Kirkpatrick also became a voice actor. He voiced the popular popstar character Chip Skylark on the animated TV series The Fairly OddParents on Nickelodeon. Chip Skylark was a cartoon version of Chris himself. He appeared in many episodes from 2002 to 2009. His character sang popular songs like "My Shiny Teeth and Me".

In 2007, Chris hosted and starred in the MTV reality show Mission Man Band. He was on the show with other former boy band members from the 1990s, like Rich Cronin of LFO. The show was about these artists forming a new group together. Chris hosted the show at his house in Orlando. The group formed a "man band" called Sureshot. They recorded three original songs and performed at local events.

In 2008, Chris Kirkpatrick joined the second season of CMT's show Gone Country. On this show, celebrities tried to become country music artists. Chris participated with other stars like Sebastian Bach and Jermaine Jackson. Each contestant had to prepare and perform an original song. Chris dedicated his song, "That'll Get Ya By", to his mother. The host, John Rich, praised Chris's songwriting and singing skills.

In 2021, Chris Kirkpatrick appeared in ABC's A Very Boy Band Holiday. He sang "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and other holiday songs.

In 2022, Chris Kirkpatrick was a houseguest on the third season of Celebrity Big Brother. He also competed in season eight of The Masked Singer as "Hummingbird". He was the third contestant to be unmasked. In 2022, Chris Kirkpatrick was also featured on an episode of MTV Cribs.

Chris has also acted in some movies. He voiced Trickee in Trolls Band Together. He played a lifeguard in Sharknado 3 and Mayor Shelby in Dead 7, a western zombie film.

Other Projects

In 1999, Chris Kirkpatrick started his own clothing line called FuMan Skeeto. It mixed urban and skater fashion styles. His clothing line included T-shirts, shorts, and hats. It also made special clothes for celebrities like Britney Spears. The clothing line stopped in 2002.

In 2004, Chris Kirkpatrick started his own non-profit organization, the Chris Kirkpatrick Foundation. This foundation helps children in central Florida who are facing difficulties. It provides health care and educational programs. Chris was inspired to start the foundation because of his own challenging childhood. The foundation also hosts yearly events for children.

Since NSYNC, Chris has appeared in music videos for other artists. These include "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" by Good Charlotte and "Irresistible" by Fall Out Boy.

Currently, Chris Kirkpatrick continues to write and produce music. He works with charities and manages other artists. He also hosts and performs at events across the country, including the Pop2000 Tour. He co-hosts a podcast called Name Drop. He has also worked on songs with various artists, including David Foster and AJ McLean.

Chris Kirkpatrick's Personal Life

Chris Kirkpatrick kept his relationships private for a while. In 2010, he started dating Karlyn M. Skladany. In October 2012, he asked her to marry him in Italy. They got married on November 2, 2013, in Orlando, Florida. All his former NSYNC bandmates were there as ushers. In March 2017, the couple announced they were expecting a child. Their son was born on October 10, 2017.

In 2018, Chris sold his home in Orlando, Florida. He had moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2016, where he now lives with his wife and son.

Discography

NSYNC Albums

• NSYNC (1997)
• Home for Christmas (1998)
• No Strings Attached (2000)
• Celebrity (2001)

Nigel's 11 Albums

• Clandestine Operation (2010)

Filmography

Tours

Headlining Tours

• For the Girl Tour (1997)
• NSYNC in Concert (1998–2000)
• No Strings Attached Tour (2000)
• PopOdyssey Tour (2001)
• Celebrity Tour (2002)
• Pop2000 Tour (2021–current)

Supporting Tours

• The Velvet Rope Tour (supporting Janet Jackson) (1998)

Images for kids

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  Chris Kirkpatrick in 2024

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  Chris Kirkpatrick around 1999

See also

In Spanish: Chris Kirkpatrick para niños