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Chris Newman (musician)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chris Newman
Born11 July 1953
Longview, Washington, US
DiedMay 9, 2021(2021-05-09) (aged 67)
GenresRock
InstrumentGuitar

Christopher Lynn Newman (July 11, 1953 – May 9, 2021) was an American musician from Oregon. In 2007, he was inducted to the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.

Early life

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Christopher Newman was born on July 11, 1953 in Longview, Washington.

Career

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Newman spent most of his musical career in Portland, Oregon, leading bands such as Napalm Beach, Snow Bud and the Flower People (formed 1986), Boo Frog,[1] and the Chris Newman Deluxe Combo. Newman played frequently in and around Portland and Seattle beginning in the 1970s, and was known for his intense blues- and psychedelic-influenced guitar leads and vocal stylings ranging from operatic to powerhouse bellows. Newman was revered for his prolific songwriting talent and live performances [2] Much of his early music was distributed on homemade cassettes throughout the Pacific Northwest during the 1980s, and his 1960s garage-influenced riff-heavy rock has been cited as an influence by many of the Pacific Northwest "grunge" bands that became popular in the 1990s.[3]

In 2007, Newman was among the first group of honorees inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.[4] He recorded around thirty studio albums.[5] Napalm Beach, featuring drummer Sam Henry (Wipers), toured Europe in 1989 and played Berlin the day the wall first came down. Newman continued to write music and record in his 8-track studio up to 2021.

Death

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After being diagnosed with terminal cancer in January 2021, Newman died on 9 May 2021.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Lannamann, Ned (2009-10-02). "Get to Know Boo Frog | End Hits | Portland Mercury". Endhits.portlandmercury.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-26. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
  2. ^ "History Of Portland Rock". 29 June 2007. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  3. ^ "20 years of Two Louies". 12 November 2006. Archived from the original on 12 November 2006. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  4. ^ "Previous Oregon Music Hall of Fame Honorees: 2009 and Earlier". Honorees. The Oregon Music Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  5. ^ "Discography". Skullman Records. Archived from the original on 2014-03-03. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
  6. ^ Singer, Matthew (2021-05-10). "Chris Newman, Frontman of Influential Portland Punk Band Napalm Beach, Has Died". Willamette Week.