Chris Cummings
Chris Cummings |
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Christopher Allen Thomas (Chris) Cummings born August 11, 1975 in Norton, New Brunswick, Canada, is a country music artist. In his career, he has released five studio albums, an EP and a Greatest Hits package. Several of his singles have charted on the Canadian country charts, including the Number One hits "Sure Enough" and "The Kind of Heart That Breaks".
Biography
Chris Cummings was born Christopher Allen Thomas Cummings on August 11, 1975 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Growing up in nearby Norton, NB near the idyllic shores of the Kennebecasis River, Chris enjoyed his childhood with his two younger brothers and his parents. Chris excelled academically at an early age, having already learnt to read upon entering the first Grade through comic books, of which he remains an avid reader and collector.
However, his primary ambition was music. He began performing in 1980, at the ripe age of 5 years. In 1990, Chris released an independent CD, which found its way to Reprise Records president Jim Ed Norman, who signed him on in 1992. At 17, he was the youngest artist they had ever signed.
His first single, "I Waited," was released in Canada in the fall of 1995, and shot into the top 5. Produced by Jim Ed Norman and Rick Scott, Chris released his debut CD, Somewhere Inside, on June 18, 1996. The second single, "Sure Enough," went straight to #1. Follow-up songs "Somewhere Inside" and "Almost Always" also reached the top 5 in Canada, and the album was certified gold.
Chris' second CD, Chris Cummings, was released in both the United States and Canada on February 24, 1998. Since 7 of the songs were already on Chris' Canadian debut, Reprise released an EP in Canada (The Kind Of Heart That Breaks) in 1997 containing the 3 new songs, along with "Lonesomeville" and an acoustic version of "Somewhere Inside." The first single released from the project was "The Kind Of Heart That Breaks." While the song went to #1 in Canada, it stalled at #50 on Billboard in the U.S. The American follow-up single, "I Waited," failed to chart. Meanwhile, Chris returned to the Canadian top 10 with "A Minute And A Half."
Chris was transferred to WEA Canada for the release of his third CD, Lonesomeville. The disc was released on February 15, 2000. The first two singles, "That'll Teach Her" and "No One Hurts Me More Than Me," both reached the top 10 in Canada.
Chris released his fourth CD, Ooh, That Could Cost Him The Gold, Bob! on March 26, 2002. He continued his string of hits in Canada with songs like "Cowboy Hats," "Betty," and "Benefit Of Doubt."
Chris' greatest hits package was released on April 27, 2004. Singles released from the album included "Lucy Got Lucky" and "Not Again." Chris left Warner at the end of 2004 for more control over his career.
Most recently, Chris signed with Koch Entertainment in 2006. Chris' first album for Koch, Who Says You Can't?, was released on October 17. Chris had a hand in producing the album, which brought him back to the Canadian top 30 with the songs "Dixie Beauxderaunt" and "For The Music." The latest single, "Hey What You Know," was released in July 2008.
In the summer of 2008 he was named an "Ambassador for the Province of New Brunswick" by Premier, Shawn Graham. In September he’ll release the first single off his upcoming album. He recently wrapped shooting the accompanying video with his long time Director, Warren P. Sonoda.
The song and video are part of the reason Chris was awarded the Ambassadorship. In 2007 he moved back to Saint John, NB after being gone since the age of 17 living in California, Tennessee, Ontario and Alberta. Chris lamented both the widespread ignorance by others of his beloved province and the generally low opinions formed by those who were aware of New Brunswick. He strongly resented notions that his province was suffering a drain to the West of citizens seeking a higher quality of life. He sought to change that public image, knowing music and video would be an easy way to connect with people.
Seeing the need to help his community be recognized as a thriving, vibrant city, Chris chose to record the John Sebastian hit "Welcome Back", a song that Cummings saw as a perfect “anthem” for the city and entire Province of New Brunswick.
In addition to the song, he decided to shoot the video for it in the city of Saint John the communities that surround it.
A local organization called "Enterprise Saint John" whose mandate is to encourage growth for the city and area, provided funding for the video and will use it in their campaigns promoting New Brunswick, domestically and around the globe. Many citizen’s came out to take part in the expansive 4-day filming event involving planes, trains, cars, yachts, local scenery and a cast of more than 700 extras.
Upon the release of the song and video in late September, there will be a video release event that will be attended by citizens, the local city Government and the Premier of New Brunswick. It will be formatted as a movie-styled release employing large video screens, music, and thousands of citizens.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | CAN Country | CRIA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Somewhere Inside | 21 | Gold |
| 1997 | The Kind of Heart That Breaks E.P. | ||
| 1998 | Chris Cummings | ||
| 2000 | Lonesomeville | 17 | |
| 2002 | Ooh, That Could Cost Him the Gold, Bob! | ||
| 2004 | Greatest Hits | ||
| 2006 | Who Says You Can't? |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | US Country | |||
| 1996 | "I Waited"A | 4 | Somewhere Inside / Chris Cummings | |
| "Sure Enough" | 1 | |||
| "Somewhere Inside" | 4 | |||
| 1997 | "Almost Always" | 3 | ||
| "The Kind of Heart That Breaks" | 1 | 50 | Chris Cummings | |
| 1998 | "A Minute and a Half" | 9 | ||
| 1999 | "Wild Wild West" | 12 | Stampede | |
| 2000 | "That'll Teach Her" | 4 | Lonesomeville | |
| "No One Hurts Me More Than Me" | 7 | |||
| "A Little at a Time" | ||||
| 2001 | "Sunday Best" | |||
| 2002 | "Cowboy Hats" | Ooh, That Could Cost Him the Gold, Bob! | ||
| "Betty" | ||||
| "Benefit of Doubt" | ||||
| 2003 | "Pamela Anderson Is in My Bedroom" | |||
| "I Get That a Lot" | ||||
| 2004 | "Lucy Got Lucky" | Greatest Hits | ||
| "Not Again" | ||||
| 2006 | "Dixie Beauxderaunt" | 25 | Who Says You Can't? | |
| "For the Music" | 19 | |||
| 2007 | "Love Is Fine" | |||
| "In the Nicest Way" | 38 | |||
| 2008 | "Hey What You Know"B | |||
- A"I Waited" was released to US charts in 1998.
- BCurrent single.