Chris Christian (born Lon Christian Smith on February 7, 1951 is an American

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

, and a

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

. His songs have been recorded by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...

Hall and Oates Daryl Hall and John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, are an American pop rock duo formed in Philadelphia in 1970. Daryl Hall is generally the lead vocalist; John Oates primarily plays electric guitar and provides backing vocals. The two w ...

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...

Sheena Easton Sheena Shirley Easton (; born 27 April 1959) is a Scottish singer and actress. Easton came into the public eye in an episode of the first British musical reality television programme '' The Big Time: Pop Singer'', which recorded her attempts to ...

The Pointer Sisters The Pointer Sisters are an American pop and R&B singing group from Oakland, California, that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, jazz, electronic music, bebop, bl ...

, Al Jarreau,

The Carpenters The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinct, soft, musical style, combining Karen's contr ...

Amy Grant Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She began in contemporary Christian music (CCM) before crossing over to pop music in the 1980s and 1990s. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christia ...

, Patti Austin, Dionne Warwick, America,

the Imperials The Imperials are an American Christian music group that has been active for over 55 years. Originating as a southern gospel quartet, the innovative group would become pioneers of contemporary Christian music in the 1960s. There have been many ...

, B.J. Thomas, B W Stevenson,

Marilyn McCoo Marilyn McCoo (born September 30, 1943) is an American singer, actress, and television presenter, who is best known for being the lead female vocalist in the group the 5th Dimension, as well as hosting the 1980s music countdown series '' Solid Go ...

, Dan Peek, Cheryl Ladd, Jane Olivor,

Sandi Patti Sandra Faye "Sandi" Patty (born July 12, 1956) is an American Christian music singer, known for her wide soprano vocal range and expressive flexibility. Biography Early life Patty was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, into a family of musician ...

Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...

, Ali Lohan, Donnie Osmond, and others. Christian has produced albums that have been nominated for nine and won four Grammy Awards. He has also been nominated for seven

Gospel Music Association The Gospel Music Association (GMA) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of gospel music. As of 2011, there are about 4,000 members worldwide. The GMA's membership co ...

Dove Awards A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Award ...

as an artist, songwriter, and producer, winning five. He has also released sixteen other albums as a solo artist. Throughout his career, he has written music for many major TV sports events such as the Super Bowl, NCAA finals, The Masters, Olympics, NFL Today, US Open, and many more.

Biography

As a member of the trio of Cotton, Lloyd & Christian, put together by Mike Curb in the early 1970s, he enjoyed two hits on the ''Billboard'' adult contemporary chart on 20th Century Records. The group performed on Dick Clark's '' American Bandstand'' and '' Midnight Special''. As a solo artist he performed on ''

The Merv Griffin Show ''The Merv Griffin Show'' is an American television talk show starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, May 10, 1965 to July 4, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 ...

'', '' Solid Gold'', and was a judge on ''

Star Search ''Star Search'' was an American television show that was produced by T.P.E./Rysher Entertainment from 1983 to 1995, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Al Masini. A relaunch was produced by 2929 Productions from 2003 to 2004. On both versio ...

''. Christian also played guitar with

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music ...

Jerry Reed Jerry Reed Hubbard (March 20, 1937 – September 1, 2008) was an American singer, guitarist, composer, and songwriter as well as an actor who appeared in more than a dozen films. His signature songs included " Guitar Man", " U.S. Male", "A Thi ...

, and the

Wayne Newton Carson Wayne Newton (born April 3, 1942) is an American singer and actor. One of the most popular singers in the nation from the mid-to-late 20th-century, Newton remains one of the best-known entertainers in Las Vegas. He is known by the nicknam ...

band. As a record producer, he is best known for starting Amy Grant's music career by signing her at age 16 to his production company, and calling

Myrrh Records __NOTOC__ Myrrh Records (also known as Myrrh Worship) was an American Christian music record label. According to ''Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music'', the label was instrumental in developing a popular following for contemporary Christian ...

executive Stan Moser, to advise he was making an album with Grant as part of a long-term production agreement Christian had signed with Myrrh Records. Christian produced her first album and acted as executive producer for her second, handing over production duties to his college friend

Brown Bannister Elliott Brown Bannister III (born August 15, 1951) is an contemporary Christian music (CCM) producer and songwriter. Bannister released one album of his own, ''Talk to One Another'', in 1981 on NewPax Records. It was reissued on the Reunion Recor ...

. He owned her songs until 1997 when they were sold to Gaylord Entertainment. He has produced

the Pointer Sisters The Pointer Sisters are an American pop and R&B singing group from Oakland, California, that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, jazz, electronic music, bebop, bl ...

, Patti Austin, Al Jarreau,

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...

, B J Thomas, Dan Peek, B W Stevenson,

Debby Boone Deborah Anne Boone (born September 22, 1956) is an American singer, author, and actress. She is best known for her 1977 hit, " You Light Up My Life", which spent ten weeks at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and led to her winning the ...

, Steve Archer, Bill Gaither,

Eric Champion Eric Champion (born May 12, 1970) is one of the pioneers of mid 1990s Christian pop and modern rock. In the beginning of his musical career, he was a pop singer. His music had the flair of many of his Christian pop contemporaries but with more ...

, Ali Lohan,

, and over 100 other albums. As the first artist signed to Boardwalk Records owned by

Neil Bogart Neil E. Bogart (born Neil Scott Bogatz, February 3, 1943 – May 8, 1982) was an American record executive. He was the founder of Casablanca Records, which later became Casablanca Record and Filmworks. Life and career Born Neil Scott Bogatz in t ...

, with Bob Gaudio (Four Seasons) producing, he recorded "I Want You, I Need You," which peaked at No. 37 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in November 1981 and reached the No. 8 on ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary Chart. "I Want You, I Need You" was a number one song in some countries outside the US. Cheryl Ladd sings back-up on the song along with many other artists on the album including Christopher Cross, Nigel Olsson, Frankie Valli, Dann Huff, Tommy Funderburk, Bill Champlin, Paul Jackson,

Amy Holland Amy Celeste Boersma, known professionally as Amy Holland, is an American pop rock singer, songwriter, and composer. Holland's music career spans more than 30 years. She received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist in 1981, following h ...

, and Robbie Patton. Other artists on Boardwalk were Ringo Starr, Joan Jett, Mike Love (Beach Boys), and Night Ranger.

Robert Kardashian Robert George Kardashian (February 22, 1944 – September 30, 2003) was an American attorney and businessman. He gained recognition as O. J. Simpson's friend and defense attorney during Simpson's 1995 murder trial. He had four children with h ...

(the Kardashians' father) was his best friend, manager and was responsible for Chris signing with

Boardwalk Records Boardwalk Records is a record label founded by Neil Bogart in 1980, after PolyGram acquired Casablanca Records from him. History The label had hit acts with Joan Jett and Harry Chapin. Other artists on the Boardwalk label included, Invisible Man ...

. Chris Christian penned the lyrics and melody to

' hit single " I'm So Excited". A second hit, a medley of the 1968 Marvin Gaye and

Tammi Terrell Tammi Terrell (born Thomasina Winifred Montgomery; April 29, 1945 – March 16, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter, widely known as a star singer for Motown Records during the 1960s, notably for a series of duets with singer Marvin Gaye. ...

Motown songs "

Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" is a 1968 single released by American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, on the Tamla label in 1968. The B-side of the single is "Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl" from the duo's ''United'' LP. The ...

" and "

You're All I Need to Get By "You're All I Need to Get By" is a song recorded by the American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1968. It was the basis for the 1995 single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Ge ...

" sung with

, hit No. 21 on the Adult Contemporary chart and No. 88 on the Hot 100 in 1982. In 1981, Christian launched his own label

Home Sweet Home Records Home Sweet Home Records (also known as CC Entertainment) is a record label, based in Dallas, Texas. History Home Sweet Home began in 1981, in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded by singer, songwriter and producer Chris Christian. Since its in ...

. On that label he signed and produced albums for

White Heart White Heart, also listed as Whiteheart, was an American contemporary Christian music and pop-rock band which formed in 1982. White Heart's discography includes thirteen albums, the most recent of which was released in 1997. Original members Bil ...

, Steve Archer,

Mark Heard John Mark Heard III (December 16, 1951 – August 16, 1992) was an American record producer, folk rock singer and songwriter from Macon, Georgia. Heard released sixteen albums, and produced or performed with many artists, including: Sam P ...

, Dan Peek, B.J. Thomas,

, Rick Riso, Luke Garrett,

and others. In 1992, he founded HSH Educational Media with his brother Brad. He executive produced and wrote the music for the children's series '' Gerbert'', which aired on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

and what is now ABC Family for over 10 years. His company continues to own and license the Gerbert shows and music. The ''Gerbert'' TV series won an ACE award for best Pre-School Show. Christian purchased The Studios at Las Colinas in 1992 with partner Steve Jarchow. Ross Perot Jr. bought Jarchow's interest in 1993. Christian and Perot purchased the acreage around the Studios Complex selling their interest in the studio and the remaining land to Fox Sports Southwest in 2003. Christian was CEO of World Digital Media Group and YMC Records, a joint venture by

Radio Shack RadioShack, formerly RadioShack Corporation, is an American retailer founded in 1921. At its peak in 1999, RadioShack operated over 8,000 worldwide stores named RadioShack or Tandy Electronics in the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Austra ...

, Dish Network, and

Sirius Radio Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio ( SDARS) and online radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Holdings. Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially la ...

, until May 2007. In 2015, he became the vice-chairman and managing partner for the WNBA's Dallas Wings. He was inducted into the West Texas Music Hall of Fame, as well as the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2007. He is listed among the Distinguished Alumni of Abilene Christian University (class of 1973). His family was a founding family of The Covenant School in Dallas.

Discography

Studio Albums

* 1976: ''Chris Christian'' * 1977: ''Chance'' * 1979: ''With Your Love'' * 1981: ''Just Sit Back'' * 1981: ''Chris Christian (Boardwalk Co.)'' * 1983: ''Love Them While We Can'' * 1984: ''Let the Music Start'' * 1987: ''Higher Ways'' * 1988: ''Thinking of You This Christmas'' * 1989: ''Focus'' * 2000: ''Harbour''

Instrumental Albums

* 1988: ''No Lyrics'' * 1990: ''Sketches''

Live Albums

* 1986: ''Live at Six Flags (with

)''

Compilation Albums

* 1980: ''The Best of Chris Christian'' * 1985: ''Mirror of Your Heart'' * 1991: ''15 Best of 15 Years'' * 1999: ''The Collection Vol. 1 1976-1981'' * 1999: ''The Collection Vol. 2 1981-1991''

Other Albums

* 1995: ''The Producer (compilation of other artists)''

References

External links

(Chris Christian Music Official Site)
* "YMC Records To Make First Appearance at the National Association of Recording Merchandisers Convention" at TheFreeLibrary.co

* "WDMG Gets Sirius With Universal Music Enterprises" on Satellite Standard Group's Blogspot pag

* "Dallas Exec Matches Up Retailers and Big-Time Recording Artists" column by Cheryl Hall from

The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the '' Galvest ...

br>

WNBA’s Dallas Wings Introduced in DFW Metroplex

Voepel: Dallas Wings era opens with high hopes

* "WNBA's Dallas Wings already honoring local roots

* "Christian takes music experience to the WNBA

Thank you, Chris. Thank you, very much.

TEXAS READS: Abilene's Chris Christian tells his inspiring story

Abilene's own Chris Christian tells stories behind his many hit songs

How Chris Christian made his grandmother proud

CC Entertainment

(discography)

Chis Christian article
at TX Music.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Christian, Chris 1951 births Living people Songwriters from Texas Record producers from Texas American performers of Christian music People from Dallas People from Abilene, Texas American male singers American male songwriters