Christopher Cross facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christopher Cross
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Cross in 2022
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| Birth name | Christopher Charles Geppert |
| Born | May 3, 1951 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1971–present |
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Christopher Cross (born Christopher Charles Geppert; May 3, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He became famous for his smooth rock and pop songs.
He won five Grammy Awards for his first album, released in 1979. His hit songs "Sailing" (1979) and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (from the 1981 movie Arthur) both reached number one on the U.S. music charts. "Sailing" won three Grammys in 1980. "Arthur's Theme" won an Oscar for Best Original Song in 1982.
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About Christopher Cross
Christopher Cross grew up in a military family. His father was a doctor in the U.S. Army. He was born in San Antonio, Texas, and went to high school there. He enjoyed playing football and running track.
He has two children, Madison and Rain. He is Catholic.
In April 2020, Christopher Cross shared that he had gotten sick with the COVID-19 virus. He later reported that the illness caused a rare condition that affected the nerves in his legs, making it hard for him to walk for a while. Doctors told him he would get better. By October 2020, he was able to walk with a cane. He also said his memory and speech were affected for a time.
In 2021 and 2022, he went on a concert tour to celebrate his 40th anniversary in music. This tour was originally planned for 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic.
Music Career
Starting Out
Christopher Cross, whose real name is Christopher Charles Geppert, met bassist Andy Salmon and keyboardist Rob Meurer when they were teenagers in San Antonio. They formed a band called Christopher Cross and moved to Austin, Texas. There, they added drummer Tommy Taylor.
They played cover songs to earn money and also recorded their own songs. They sent these demo songs to record labels. Even though they thought of themselves as a band, Warner Bros. signed Christopher Cross as a solo artist in early 1979.
Christopher Cross is known for his singing and songwriting, but he is also a very good guitarist. Other famous musicians, like Donald Fagen and Walter Becker from Steely Dan, even asked him to play on their albums, but he said no. He also filled in for Ritchie Blackmore during a Deep Purple concert in 1970 when Blackmore was sick.
Interestingly, Christopher Cross once owned the famous "Number One" guitar of fellow Austin guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. Vaughan bought the guitar from a music store in Austin in 1974, just one day after Cross had traded it for a different guitar.
First Album and Big Success
Christopher Cross released his first album, Christopher Cross, on December 20, 1979. This album had several popular songs, including "Ride Like the Wind" (which featured Michael McDonald singing backup), "Sailing", "Never Be the Same", and "Say You'll Be Mine."
"Ride Like the Wind" reached number two on the U.S. charts, and "Sailing" was number one for a week. "Never Be The Same" topped the Adult Contemporary chart.
The album Christopher Cross and the song "Sailing" were nominated for six Grammy Awards in 1980, and they won five! Christopher Cross made history by being the first artist to win all four major Grammy awards in one night:
- Record of the Year ("Sailing")
- Album of the Year (Christopher Cross)
- Song of the Year ("Sailing")
- Best New Artist
This amazing achievement wasn't repeated for 39 years, until Billie Eilish did it in 2020. The album Christopher Cross has sold over 5 million copies in the U.S.
In 1981, Cross released "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)". He wrote this song with Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Peter Allen. It was the main song for the 1981 movie Arthur. The song won an Oscar for Best Original Song in 1981. It also reached number one on the U.S. charts and was a top-ten hit in many other countries. This was Christopher Cross's second and last number-one hit in America.
Later Albums
Christopher Cross's second album, Another Page, came out in 1983. It included the songs "All Right", "No Time for Talk", and "Think of Laura". "All Right" was used for sports highlights, and "Think of Laura" became popular because of a TV show. However, Cross has said that he wrote "Think of Laura" to honor a college student named Laura Carter who died tragically, not for the TV show characters. He felt it was not right for the TV show to use his song against his and the family's wishes. Another Page also sold well, earning a Gold certification.
He also helped write and sing "A Chance For Heaven" for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games.
Changes in Music
After 1984, Christopher Cross's songs were not as popular on the music charts. The music television channel MTV became very popular, and the kind of soft rock music Cross made didn't fit well with the new music trends.
His next two albums, Every Turn of the World (1985) and Back of My Mind (1988), did not have any top 40 hits. However, he did have a song called "Swept Away" featured in the TV show Growing Pains.
In the 1990s, Cross released three more albums. While some critics liked his music, he didn't reach the huge audience he once had. He continued to tour and perform with other artists.
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In 2002, a "Very Best of..." album was released. In 2007, he made a Christmas album called A Christopher Cross Christmas. He also recorded an acoustic album of his hits in 2008.
In the 2010s, Christopher Cross released new studio albums like Doctor Faith (2011) and Secret Ladder (2014). He also released a live album called A Night in Paris in 2013, which was recorded in France. His song "Ride Like the Wind" was also featured in the movie soundtrack for Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues in 2013.
In 2017, he released Take Me as I Am and played a concert in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas. In late 2019, he toured with other musicians to celebrate the Beatles' "White Album," performing his own hits like "Sailing" and "Ride Like the Wind."
Freedonia
In 2018, Christopher Cross joined other musicians in Austin to form a band called Freedonia. They have released two albums, "Freedonia" (2018) and "Firefly" (2019), and an EP (a shorter album) called "Bring Back The Dinosaurs" (2021).
Flamingo
You might notice a flamingo on many of Christopher Cross's album covers. He says there's no special hidden meaning behind it. The artist who painted his first album cover simply included the bird, and it has been a fun symbol for his music ever since.
Discography
Studio Albums
- 1979: Christopher Cross
- 1983: Another Page
- 1985: Every Turn of the World
- 1988: Back of My Mind
- 1992: Rendezvous
- 1994: Window
- 1998: Walking in Avalon
- 1999: Red Room
- 2007: A Christopher Cross Christmas
- 2008: The Café Carlyle Sessions
- 2010: Christmas Time Is Here
- 2011: Doctor Faith
- 2012: A Night in Paris
- 2014: Secret Ladder
- 2017: Take Me As I Am
Compilation Albums
- 1991: The Best of Christopher Cross
- 1999: Greatest Hits Live
- 2001: Definitive Christopher Cross
- 2002: The Very Best of Christopher Cross
- 2011: Crosswords: The Best of Christopher Cross
Songs on Soundtracks
- 1981: Arthur (movie soundtrack) - "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"
- 1983: General Hospital (TV series soundtrack) - "Think of Laura"
- 1984: Official Music of the XXIIIrd Olympiad - "A Chance For Heaven"
- 1986: Nothing in Common (movie soundtrack) - "Loving Strangers (David's Theme)"
- 2010: 30 Rock (TV series soundtrack) - "Lemon's Theme"
Awards
Christopher Cross has won several important awards for his music:
- 1981: Oscar for Best Original Song ("Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)")
- 1981: Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song ("Arthur's Theme")
- 1980: Grammy Award for Album of the Year (Christopher Cross)
- 1980: Grammy Award for Record of the Year ("Sailing")
- 1980: Grammy Award for Song of the Year ("Sailing")
- 1980: Grammy Award for Best New Artist
- 1980: Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) ("Sailing")
See also
In Spanish: Christopher Cross para niños
