Chris Whitley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris Whitley
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Chris Whitley in concert in Belgium, 1998
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Christopher Becker Whitley |
| Born | August 31, 1960 Houston, Texas |
| Died | November 20, 2005 (aged 45) Houston, Texas |
| Genres | Blues rock, blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, resonator guitar, guitar, banjo, dobro, foot stomp |
| Years active | 1983–2005 |
| Labels | Columbia, Work, Messenger, Valley Entertainment, ATO, Legacy, Sony |
Christopher Becker Whitley (born August 31, 1960 – died November 20, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was known for his unique blend of blues and rock music. During his 25-year career, he released over a dozen albums.
Chris Whitley had two songs that reached the top 50 on the Billboard mainstream rock charts. He also won two Independent Music Awards for his amazing music. His sound mixed blues, jazz, and rock, and he often covered songs by other artists. Chris Whitley passed away in 2005 at the age of 45 due to lung cancer.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Chris Whitley was born in Houston, Texas. He started learning to play the guitar when he was fifteen years old. His father worked as an art director, and his mother was a sculptor. Chris moved around a lot during his childhood. He lived in different places like Dallas, Texas, Oklahoma, Connecticut, Mexico, and Vermont.
His parents loved music, especially blues and rock. They listened to artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Bob Dylan, and Jimi Hendrix. Their musical tastes greatly influenced Chris and his own style.
Chris Whitley's Music Career
In the early 1980s, Chris Whitley began performing on the streets of New York City. He also worked with other musicians like Marc Miller. In 1981, he moved to Ghent, Belgium, and lived there for six years. While in Belgium, he recorded several albums. He also played with various bands, including Kuruki and 2 Belgen.
A famous music producer named Daniel Lanois heard Chris perform in 1988. This led to Chris getting a recording contract with Columbia Records. In 1991, two of his songs became popular on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts. These songs were "Big Sky Country" (number 36) and "Living with the Law" (number 28).
In 2000, Chris Whitley released an album called Perfect Day. This album featured cover songs and included collaborations with Chris Wood and Billy Martin. He followed this with the album Rocket House in 2001.
Chris Whitley won awards for his music. His song "Breaking Your Fall" from the album Hotel Vast Horizon (2003) won an Independent Music Award. In 2004, he won another Independent Music Award for his song "Her Furious Angels." This song was from his album War Crime Blues. Chris also worked with musician Jeff Lang on an album called Dislocation Blues in 2005.
Whitley's Unique Music Style
Chris Whitley's music style was very diverse. It was influenced by many different types of music. The New York Times once described his sound as "restless." They said it mixed noise-rock and minimalist jazz. This made his music sound like artists such as Chet Baker and Sonic Youth, as well as Robert Johnson.
He recorded his own versions of songs by many artists. These included Robert Johnson, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, James Brown, and Jimi Hendrix. He also covered songs by The Clash, The Doors, Kraftwerk, and Prince.
Many famous musicians admired Chris Whitley's work. Some of his notable fans included Dave Matthews, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Tom Petty, Iggy Pop, and John Mayer.
Chris often used different guitar tunings to create his unique sound. He frequently played a special type of guitar called a National Triolian resonator guitar. He nicknamed this guitar “Mustard.”
Later Life and Passing
In the fall of 2005, Chris Whitley had to cancel his music tour. This was due to health issues. In November, it was announced that he was very ill with lung cancer. He passed away on November 20, 2005, in Houston, Texas. He was 45 years old.
After his death, musician John Mayer spoke about Chris Whitley. He said that Chris's passing was "one of the most underappreciated losses in all of music." Chris Whitley is remembered by his brother Dan and his daughter, Trixie Whitley, who is also a musician.
Discography
- Living with the Law (1991)
- Big Sky Country (single, 1991)
- Din of Ecstasy (1995)
- Terra Incognita (1997)
- Dirt Floor (1998)
- Live at Martyrs' (1999/2000 - recorded live 1999)
- Perfect Day featuring Billy Martin and Chris Wood (2000)
- Rocket House (2001)
- Long Way Around: An Anthology: 1991-2001 (2002)
- Pigs Will Fly (soundtrack) with Warner Poland and Kai-Uwe Kohlschmidt (2003)
- Hotel Vast Horizon (2003)
- Weed (2004)
- War Crime Blues (2004)
- Big Sky Country (2005 Sony BMG release highlighting his Columbia Records years)
- Soft Dangerous Shores (2005)
- Reiter In with The Bastard Club (2006)
- Dislocation Blues with Jeff Lang (2006)
- On Air (2008 - recorded live 2003)
Images for kids
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Chris Whitley in concert in Belgium, 1998
See also
In Spanish: Chris Whitley para niños
