Quick Facts
Biography
Christopher Cross (born Christopher Charles Geppert; May 3, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter from San Antonio, Texas.
Cross won five Grammy Awards for his eponymous debut album released in 1979. The singles "Sailing" (1980), and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (from the 1981 film Arthur) peaked at number one on the U.S Billboard Hot 100. "Sailing" earned three Grammys in 1981, while "Arthur's Theme" won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1981 (with co-composers Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Peter Allen)
Career
Early musical career
Cross first played with a San Antonio-based cover band named Flash (not to be confused with the early 1970s English band of the same name) before signing a solo contract with Warner Bros. in 1978.
The first album, and immediate success
Cross released his self-titled debut album, Christopher Cross, in 1979. The Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hits from this album included "Ride Like the Wind" (featuring backing vocals by Michael McDonald), "Sailing", "Never Be the Same", and "Say You'll Be Mine" (featuring backing vocals by Nicolette Larson). Due to the almost immediate success and popularity gained by his first album, he was nominated for several Grammy Awards, garnering five.
The second album
Cross's second album, Another Page (1983), included the hit songs "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (on the CD & cassette versions only, as a bonus song), "All Right", "No Time for Talk", and "Think of Laura". "All Right" was used by CBS Sports for its highlights montage following the 1983 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, while "Think of Laura" is used as a reference to characters on the soap opera General Hospital. Cross allowed ABC to use his song in this context; however, he has stated that he wrote "Think of Laura" not in reference to the television characters, but to celebrate the life of Denison University college student Laura Carter who was killed when she was struck by a stray bullet. Another Page sold well, getting Gold Certification. He also co-wrote and sang the song "A Chance For Heaven" for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games.
The curse of the MTV generation
After 1984, Cross's star quickly dimmed. As music television station MTV grew to dominate the mainstream music scene in the U.S., Cross's style of music proved to be a bad fit for the network, and Cross's brand of adult contemporary music declined in popularity.
Cross's next two albums, 1985's Every Turn of the World and 1988's Back of My Mind did not produce any top 40 hits or reach Gold or Platinum status.
He did, however, place the song "Swept Away" in the ABC TV Show Growing Pains. It was used during a video montage while Kirk Cameron's character fell in love with a local girl while vacationing with the family in Hawaii.
The 1990s
Cross made three more albums in the 1990s, and although some of his releases have gained critical response, he has not been able to attract the mass audience he once enjoyed. After his decline in fame in the mid-1980s, he toured and opened for various acts during the 1990s.
The 2000s
In 2002 he released his Very Best of... album, and in 2007 he completed a Christmas album, A Christopher Cross Christmas. In 2008 Cross recorded a new acoustic album of his hits titled The Cafe Carlyle Sessions.
The 2010s
In 2011 Cross released a new studio album titled Doctor Faith.
In 2013 he released A Night in Paris, a 2-CD live album he recorded and filmed in April 2012 at the Theatre Le Trianon in Paris, France.
The song "Ride Like The Wind" was featured on the Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues original movie soundtrack, released in 2013.
In September 2014 he released his latest album, Secret Ladder.
Cross has continued to garner a new fan base from 2015 through the present in his music's frequent plays on Sirius XM Radio's specialty channel, Yacht Rock Radio.
Personal life
A self-described "Army brat", Cross is the son of a U.S. Army pediatrician stationed at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. in the mid-1950s, acting as physician for President Dwight Eisenhower's grandchildren.
Cross was married to Roseanne Harrison from 1973 until the couple divorced in 1982. In 1988 he married Jan Bunch, divorcing in 2007.
Cross has a son named Justin from his first marriage, and two children from his second marriage, son Rain and daughter Madison.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Label | Chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | CAN | GER | JPN | NLD | NZ | SWE | UK | US | ||||
| 1979 | Christopher Cross | Warner Bros. | 6 | 26 | — | 18 | 14 | 16 | — | 14 | 6 |
|
| 1983 | Another Page | 6 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 11 |
| |
| 1985 | Every Turn of the World | — | — | 44 | 27 | — | 34 | 37 | — | 127 | ||
| 1988 | Back of My Mind | — | — | 45 | 27 | — | 93 | 49 | — | — | ||
| 1993 | Rendezvous | CMC | — | — | — | 96 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1995 | Window | — | — | — | 91 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998 | Walking in Avalon | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000 | Red Room | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007 | A Christopher Cross Christmas | Ear | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2008 | The Café Carlyle Sessions | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010 | Christmas Time Is Here | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011 | Doctor Faith | — | — | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013 | A Night in Paris | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014 | Secret Ladder | Christopher Cross Records | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||||||||
Compilations
- 1991: The Best of Christopher Cross (WEA)
- 1999: Greatest Hits Live (CMC)
- 2001: Definitive Christopher Cross (Warner Bros./Asia)
- 2002: The Very Best of Christopher Cross (Warner Bros.)
- 2011: Crosswords: The Best of Christopher Cross (101 Distribution)
Soundtracks
- 1981: Arthur (Motion picture soundtrack) "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"
- 1983: General Hospital (TV series soundtrack) "Think of Laura"
- 1984: Official Music of the XXIIIrd Olympiad "A Chance For Heaven" (swimming theme)
- 1986: Nothing in Common (Motion picture soundtrack) "Loving Strangers (David's Theme)"
- 2010: 30 Rock (TV series soundtrack) "Lemon's Theme"
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | Album | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | GER | IRE | NED | NOR | AUS | NZ | SWI | UK | US | U.S. AC | |||||||||
| 1980 | "Ride Like the Wind" | 3 | — | — | — | — | 25 | 31 | — | 69 | 2 | 24 | Christopher Cross | ||||||
| "Sailing" | 1 | — | 21 | 18 | — | 46 | 8 | — | 48 | 1 | 10 | ||||||||
| "Never Be the Same" | — | — | 25 | — | — | 42 | 41 | — | — | 15 | 1 | ||||||||
| "Say You'll Be Mine" | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 15 | ||||||||
| "Mary Ann" (Japan only) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Single only | |||||||
| 1981 | "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" | 2 | — | 7 | — | 1 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Arthur (soundtrack) | |||||
| 1983 | "All Right" | 13 | 23 | 14 | 16 | 5 | 30 | 44 | 5 | 51 | 12 | 3 | Another Page | ||||||
| "No Time for Talk" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | 10 | ||||||||
| "Think of Laura" | 9 | — | — | — | — | 100 | — | — | — | 9 | 1 | ||||||||
| 1984 | "A Chance for Heaven" (swimming theme from 1984 Summer Olympics) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 76 | 16 | The Official Music Of The XXIIIrd Olympiad Los Angeles 1984 | ||||||
| 1985 | "Charm the Snake" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 68 | — | Every Turn of the World | ||||||
| "Every Turn of the World" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1986 | "Love Is Love (In Any Language)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| "Loving Strangers" | 94 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | Nothing in Common (soundtrack) | |||||||
| 1988 | "Swept Away" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Back of My Mind | ||||||
| "I Will (Take You Forever)" (with Frances Ruffelle) | — | — | — | — | — | 47 | — | — | — | — | 41 | ||||||||
| 1993 | "In the Blink of an Eye" (Germany only) | — | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Rendezvous (Germany & Japan only) | ||||||
| "Nothing Will Change" (Germany only) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Is There Something" (Germany only) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1994 | "Been There, Done That" (Germany only) | — | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Window (Germany & Japan only) | ||||||
| "Wild, Wild West" (Germany only) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||||||||||||
Other appearances
- 1974: Electromagnets (with Eric Johnson) "Motion"
- 1982: Long Time Friends Alessi Brothers "Forever" (background vocals)
- 1985: Soul Kiss Olivia Newton-John "You Were Great, How Was I?" (background vocals)
- 1985: Crazy From The Heat David Lee Roth "California Girls" (background vocals)
- 1988: Brian Wilson Brian Wilson "Night Time" (background vocals)
- 1989: Christmas at My House Larry Carlton "Ringing The Bells of Christmas"
- 1991: Love Can Do That Elaine Paige "Same Train"
- 1994: Grammy's Greatest Moments Volume III "Arthur's Theme" (live version)
- 1996: Venus Isle Eric Johnson "Lonely in the Night" (background vocals)
- 1996: On Air Alan Parsons "So Far Away"
- 1998: Imagination Brian Wilson (special edition "Words and Music" bonus disc) "In My Room"
- 2001: A Gathering of Friends Michael McDonald "Ride Like the Wind"
- 2001: When It All Goes South Alabama "Love Remains"
- 2004: Confidential Peter White "She's in Love"
- 2006: Skylark Gigi Mackenzie "That's All"
- 2008: Soundstage: America Live in Chicago "Lonely People", "A Horse with No Name"
- 2013: Train Keeps A Rolling Jeff Golub, "How Long"
- 2013: Imagination of You Eric Johnson, "Imagination of You"
Awards
- Academy Award for Best Song, 1981, "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"
- Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, 1981, "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"
- Grammy, 1980 – Record of the Year – "Sailing"
- Grammy, 1980 – Song of the Year – "Sailing"
- Grammy, 1980 – Album of the Year – Christopher Cross
- Grammy, 1980 – Best New Artist – Christopher Cross
- Grammy, 1980 – Best Arrangement – "Sailing"
- ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards, 1981, "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"
Nominations
- Primetime Emmy Awards, 1988 - Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics, Growing Pains (1985) episode Aloha - "Swept Away"
Performances
- Cross filled in for guitarist Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple (who had fallen ill) by performing with the band in San Antonio, Texas in 1970
- Cross contributed backing vocals (along with The Beach Boys' Carl Wilson) to David Lee Roth's 1985 hit "California Girls"
- Cross performed the song "Sailing" alongside the pop band 'N Sync at the Fifth Annual Blockbuster Entertainment Awards in 1999
- Cross also performed lead vocals on "So Far Away", a song from Alan Parsons' album On Air. When Parsons was touring in support of that album, Cross would sometimes join the band onstage to sing the song if he was available
- Cross spent much of his youth living in a home on Newbury Terrace in Terrell Hills, just outside San Antonio, Texas. That home had earlier belonged to the Cummins family. Another notable San Antonian, the historian and author Light Townsend Cummins, had grown up in that same house a decade earlier. It has since been demolished.
- Cross played french horn, as well as bassoon, on the cult classic "Peanut Butter Karma" with indie rock legends Monsterland.
- A small snippet of Cross's early hit "Sailing" was played in the DreamWorks film Flushed Away
- Sailing was also featured in an episode of the Fox sitcom Family Guy
- Cross performed his hit song "Ride Like the Wind" on the NBC show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Monday, October 5, 2009, in a "Yacht Rock" themed episode. He was joined by Michael McDonald, whom he has worked with in the past. As the credits were rolling, Cross, McDonald, and The Roots, the Fallon house band, broke into "Sailing", which he also performed in an online-only performance on NBC.com
- Toured as part of the 2002 "A Walk Down Abbey Road" tour with Alan Parsons, Mark Farner, Jack Bruce, Eric Carmen, and Todd Rundgren
- Performed as part of the 2003 "A Walk Down Abbey Road" show, which consisted of two performances at the Atlantic City Hilton on August 8–9, with Alan Parsons, Todd Rundgren, Joey Molland, and Denny Laine
In popular media
- Christopher Cross was portrayed in the parody web series Yacht Rock by Justin Roiland.
- "Ride Like the Wind" was featured in a skit on the television series SCTV in which the song's use of Michael McDonald's distinct yet decidedly sparse backup vocal is satirized. This skit would further be the subject matter of an episode of the aforementioned web series Yacht Rock.
- Newman booked Christopher Cross for his Millennium party in Season 8 Episode 20 of Seinfeld.
- Singer Robyn Hitchcock named "Arthur's Theme" as his 'most-hated' song in a 2013 A.V. Club interview.