Chris Duke is the

TV host A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. Nowadays, it is common for people who garner ...

of the

TV series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...

Motorz TV Motorz (pronounced ''Motors'') was an American television series seen nationwide on Youtoo America, Rev'n, Untamed Sports TV, Biz Television, The Auto Channel, The Action Channel, and globally on Roku and iTunes. The Automotive Improvement® series ...

and a

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content creator.

Biography

Chris Duke was born just outside

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

and raised in

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

. Growing up with a gear head for an older brother who was constantly re-building engines, Chris' interest in the automotive industry began as soon as he was able to drive. While working for

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...

right after graduating from

Sammamish High School Sammamish High School (commonly Sammamish or SHS) is a public secondary school in Bellevue, Washington, US, serving students in grades 9– 12. Opened in 1959, the school was the second of the four traditional high schools in the Bellevue Sc ...

, this

autodidact Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) or self-education (also self-learning and self-teaching) is education without the guidance of masters (such as teachers and professors) or institutions (such as schools). Generally, autodidacts are individua ...

spent most of his evenings and weekends modifying his car, mainly through aftermarket accessories. In addition to installing a massive stereo system that was worth more than the car itself, he designed and built his own 7th order acoustic subwoofer speaker enclosure, made popular by Bose Corporation, that filled the entire rear hatchback of his vehicle. In 1990 he moved to

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

to pursue a new life in a warmer climate. Still focusing on his technical background in software development, Chris went on to work for Science Applications International Corporation,

O'Reilly Media O'Reilly Media (formerly O'Reilly & Associates) is an American learning company established by Tim O'Reilly that publishes books, produces tech conferences, and provides an online learning platform. Its distinctive brand features a woodcut of an ...

and then TEN Magazines, a startup company which published websites and print publications for automotive enthusiasts. Its first website and magazine was titled ''Ford Truck World'', which was hugely popular in the early 2000s due to Chris' enthusiasm for Ford trucks. Playing the role of Chief Technology Officer for the startup, Chris also held the additional titles of editor, writer, and photographer for the magazine, producing over 300 pages of editorial content which was published nationally on major newsstands. He wrote mostly DIY articles showing how to install aftermarket products on vehicles. The network of automotive sites, based on technology created by Chris, led to over 20 websites serving over 40 million page views per month to 2.2 Million visitors. Chris left the publishing company in 2005 to pursue his own goals in the automotive industry. After creating new enthusiast sites ''Truckblog'' and ''Muscle Car Blog'', he began to grow tired of publishing written editorial. In 2008, Chris was getting ready to document the installation process of another product when it occurred to him that he should try documenting it using video instead. Having had no face time in front of the camera, this was a new experience for him. After presenting the result to his peers, he was met with praise and encouragement. That video turned into the

pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...

of ''Truckblog TV'', named after his enthusiast website. 10 episodes later, Chris decided to branch out beyond just trucks and started a new company called ''Duke Networks'' which renamed the show

(pronounced "motors") in order to capture a larger audience and open the doors to more opportunities. After two successful seasons producing the show for an online audience, Chris not only spoke at the 2009

SEMA Show Sama ( tr, Sema, Persian, Urdu and ar, سَمَاع - ''samā‘un'') is a Sufi ceremony performed as part of the meditation and prayer practice dhikr. Sama means "listening", while dhikr means "remembrance".During, J., and R. Sellheim. "Sama ...

, but he also hosted and performed installations on two Ford vehicles at that same show, live in front of show attendees. His career in producing video content for the web took a turn in early 2010 when he was approached by both MavTV and Untamed Sports TV to bring his show to cable and satellite television. The third season of

premiered on February 7, 2010 on television in a new weekly half-hour format. The automotive improvement series currently airs on television networks throughout the U.S. and Canada, in addition to Internet sites and Internet connected devices such as Roku and

Apple TV An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...

. It is in its eighth season as of 2018. After his company ''Duke Networks'' partnered with Sears in 2010, Chris made his first appearance in the Sears Tools catalog as a "tool advisor",Sears Tools Catalog October 2010
/ref> then later as a "gift guru" in the October 2011 catalog.Sears Tools Catalog October 2011
/ref> After making four consecutive catalog appearances, Chris was named the exclusive automotive tool spokesperson and advisor for all Sears automotive print and online catalogs. In 2012, Chris was selected to host and co-write the eHow Auto Center series.eHow Auto Center
/ref> Produced by

Demand Media Leaf Group, formerly Demand Media Inc, is an American content company that operates online brands including eHow, livestrong.com, and marketplace brands Saatchi Art and Society6. The company also provides social media platforms to existing l ...

and sponsored by

Mobil 1 Mobil 1 is a brand of synthetic motor oil and other automotive lubrication products. Originally developed by the Mobil oil company, it is now globally marketed and sold by ExxonMobil. Mobil 1 engine oil was introduced in 1974. The brand range no ...

, the online series offers tips and how-to instructions on auto repair and maintenance projects to help improve longevity, performance, safety and fuel economy for new and used gas-powered, electric or hybrid vehicles.

Filmography

Television

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Duke, Chris Living people Television personalities from California People from Upland, California Year of birth missing (living people)