Chris Whitley: Difference between revisions
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In 2000, Whitley recorded his album ''[[Perfect Day (Chris Whitley album)|Perfect Day]]'', an album of cover songs, with [[Chris Wood (jazz musician)|Chris Wood]] and [[Billy Martin (percussionist)|Billy Martin]] and followed up with the album ''[[Rocket House]]'' in 2001.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} |
In 2000, Whitley recorded his album ''[[Perfect Day (Chris Whitley album)|Perfect Day]]'', an album of cover songs, with [[Chris Wood (jazz musician)|Chris Wood]] and [[Billy Martin (percussionist)|Billy Martin]] and followed up with the album ''[[Rocket House]]'' in 2001.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} |
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Whitley's song "Breaking Your Fall" from the album ''[[Hotel Vast Horizon]]'' (2003) won the 3rd Annual [[The Independent Music Awards|Independent Music Awards]] for Folk/Singer-Songwriter Song.<ref>[http://www.musiciansatlas.com/jukebox/index.html Independent Music Awards - 3rd Annual Winners]</ref> In 2004 he won The 4th Annual Independent Music Award for Blues/R&B Song for his composition "Her Furious Angels" from the album ''[[War Crime Blues]]''.<ref>[http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/jukeboxes2005.asp Independent Music Awards - 4th Annual Winners]</ref> Whitley was an inaugural member of The Independent Music Awards' judging panel to support independent artists<ref>[http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/pastjudges.asp Independent Music Awards - Past Judges]</ref> and collaborated with [[Jeff Lang]] on an album called ''[[Dislocation Blues]]'' in 2005.<ref name="The Chris Whitley Discography"/> |
Whitley's song "Breaking Your Fall" from the album ''[[Hotel Vast Horizon]]'' (2003) won the 3rd Annual [[The Independent Music Awards|Independent Music Awards]] for Folk/Singer-Songwriter Song.<ref>[http://www.musiciansatlas.com/jukebox/index.html Independent Music Awards - 3rd Annual Winners]</ref> In 2004 he won The 4th Annual Independent Music Award for Blues/R&B Song for his composition "Her Furious Angels" from the album ''[[War Crime Blues]]''.<ref>[http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/jukeboxes2005.asp Independent Music Awards - 4th Annual Winners] {{wayback|url=http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/jukeboxes2005.asp |date=20090702234906 }}</ref> Whitley was an inaugural member of The Independent Music Awards' judging panel to support independent artists<ref>[http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/pastjudges.asp Independent Music Awards - Past Judges] {{wayback|url=http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/pastjudges.asp |date=20110713000000 }}</ref> and collaborated with [[Jeff Lang]] on an album called ''[[Dislocation Blues]]'' in 2005.<ref name="The Chris Whitley Discography"/> |
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Revision as of 13:07, 23 November 2016
Chris Whitley | |
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![]() Chris Whitley in concert in Belgium, 1998 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Christopher Becker Whitley |
Born | Houston, Texas | August 31, 1960
Died | November 20, 2005 Houston, Texas | (aged 45)
Genres | Blues rock, Blues |
Occupation(s) | Musician, Songwriter |
Instrument(s) | vocals, resonator guitar, guitar, banjo, dobro, foot stomp |
Years active | 1983–2005 |
Labels | Columbia, Work, Messenger, Valley Entertainment, ATO, Legacy, Sony |
Website | www.chriswhitley.com |
Christopher Becker Whitley (August 31, 1960[1] – November 20, 2005)[2] was an American blues/rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. During his 25-year career he released more than a dozen albums, had two songs in the top 50 of the Billboard mainstream rock charts and received two Independent Music Awards. Whitley's sound was drawn from the traditions of blues, jazz and rock and he recorded songs by artists from many genres. He died in 2005 of lung cancer at the age of 45.
Early life
Whitley was born in Houston, Texas and learned to play guitar when he was fifteen.[3] His father was an art director and his mother was a sculptor. During his youth he lived in Dallas, Texas, Oklahoma, Connecticut, Mexico and Vermont. His parents "grew up on race radio in the South" and their musical tastes—including Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix—influenced Whitley.[4]
Career
During the early 1980s Whitley was busking on the streets of New York City and collaborating with musicians Marc Miller, Arto Lindsay and Michael Beinhorn.[4][5] He was given a plane ticket to Ghent, Belgium in 1981, and lived there for six years, recording several albums and playing with the bands Kuruki, 2 Belgen, Nacht Und Nebel, Alan Fawn, and A Noh Rodeo.[6]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Chris_Whitley_and_Alan_Geveart.jpg/260px-Chris_Whitley_and_Alan_Geveart.jpg)
In 1988, producer Daniel Lanois heard Whitley perform at the Mondo Cane club in New York City and he helped Whitley obtain a recording contract with Columbia Records. In 1991 two of Whitley's songs charted on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts: "Big Sky Country" (#36) and "Living with the Law" (#28).[7]
In 2000, Whitley recorded his album Perfect Day, an album of cover songs, with Chris Wood and Billy Martin and followed up with the album Rocket House in 2001.[citation needed]
Whitley's song "Breaking Your Fall" from the album Hotel Vast Horizon (2003) won the 3rd Annual Independent Music Awards for Folk/Singer-Songwriter Song.[8] In 2004 he won The 4th Annual Independent Music Award for Blues/R&B Song for his composition "Her Furious Angels" from the album War Crime Blues.[9] Whitley was an inaugural member of The Independent Music Awards' judging panel to support independent artists[10] and collaborated with Jeff Lang on an album called Dislocation Blues in 2005.[11]
Style
Whitley's style drew on an array of influences.[2] In 2001, the New York Times described him as "restless, moving into noise-rock and minimalist jazz evoking Chet Baker and Sonic Youth as much as Robert Johnson".[12] He recorded songs by Robert Johnson and Bob Dylan as well as Lou Reed, James Brown, J.J. Cale, The Clash, Nat King Cole, The Doors, Willie Dixon, The Flaming Lips, Jimi Hendrix, Howlin' Wolf, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, The Passions, Prince, The Stooges, and Sonny Boy Williamson II.[11]
Notable fans of Whitley's music include, ATO co-founder Dave Matthews,[13] blues guitarist Robert Lockwood, Jr., Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Hornsby, Tom Petty, Jacob Golden, Myles Kennedy, Don Henley, Iggy Pop, Alanis Morissette, Sandi Thom, John Mayer, Gavin DeGraw, Joey DeGraw, Johnny A., Joe Bonamassa and Keith Richards.[14][15][16][17]
Whitley used various alternate tunings and often played slide guitar on a National resonator guitar and other musical equipment such as:[18]
Death
In fall 2005, Whitley canceled his tour due to health issues. In November he was reported to be terminally ill with lung cancer and under the care of hospice. He died on November 20, 2005 in Houston, Texas at the age of 45.[2][13][19] After his death, musician John Mayer said, "[Whitley's] somewhat prostrated place in pop culture earned him a sidebar of an obituary, but to those who knew his work, it registers as one of the most under appreciated losses in all of music."[14] Whitley is survived by his brother Dan and his musician daughter, Trixie Whitley.[19]
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)
References
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Chris Whitley biography". Allmusic biography. 2010 Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
- ^ a b c Dansby, Andrew (Nov 23, 2005). "Singer-songwriter Chris Whitley dies at 45 Bluesman, rocker was always reinventing himself". Obituary for Chris Whitley. Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
- ^ Irwin, Colin (29 November 2005). "Chris Whitley: Eclectic singer-songwriter". Comprehensive Obituary. The Independent. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ a b "Chris Whitley 1960 - 2005". Biography, Soft Dangerous Shores press release. Messenger Records. 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=
(help) - ^ "A Noh Rodeo". The Belgian Pop and Rock Archive. SABAM,. December 2001. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - ^ Biography, Allmusic
- ^ Billboard, Allmusic
- ^ Independent Music Awards - 3rd Annual Winners
- ^ Independent Music Awards - 4th Annual Winners Template:Wayback
- ^ Independent Music Awards - Past Judges Template:Wayback
- ^ a b The Chris Whitley Discography
- ^ Powers, Ann (July 12, 2001). "POP REVIEW; Blues With a Scratch". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ a b "Singer/Songwriter Chris Whitley Dies". Billboard. Billboard Magazine news. 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
- ^ a b Esquire magazine, February 28, 2006
- ^ Messenger Records Hotel Vast Horizon press release
- ^ BruceHornsby.com, Newsletter - 2001 Recap
- ^ GavinDeGraw.us, News, February 2009
- ^ Rodgers, Jeffrey Pepper (September 1998). "Gearbox Chris Whitley". Acoustic Guitar. String Letter Publishing, Inc. p. 48. Archived from the original on 17 September 2012.
{{cite web}}
:|archive-date=
/|archive-url=
timestamp mismatch; 2 March 2012 suggested (help) - ^ a b Bambarger, Bradley (November 2005). "Chris Whitley (1960-2005)". Messenger Records. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- 1960 births
- 2005 deaths
- American blues guitarists
- American male guitarists
- American blues singers
- American buskers
- Blues rock musicians
- Slide guitarists
- American rock guitarists
- American rock singers
- American singer-songwriters
- American rock songwriters
- Columbia Records artists
- ATO Records artists
- Musicians from Houston
- Deaths from lung cancer
- Resonator guitarists
- Independent Music Awards winners
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century American guitarists
- Songwriters from Texas