Best known for his rocket to fame in the 1980 for his hits "Sailing," "Ride Like the Wind," "Never Be The Same" and "Arthur's Theme song (Best That You Can Do)," Christopher was initially labeled an "overnight success." He won a record-setting 5 Grammys for his debut album, an Oscar for Arthur's Theme Song and had eight hit singles early on in his career. But since 1980, Christopher has released eight albums, (not including 3 compilation albums) a body of work revealing a steady, focused dedication to artistic growth.
Born Christopher Geppert, he first surfaced onto the music scene in the Austin-based cover band Flash before he signed a record deal with Warner Bros in 1978. His self-titled debut LP appeared two years later, with the lead single "Ride Like The Wind" rocketing to the number two spot on the charts. The next single "Sailing" achieved even bigger success, landing the coveted number one spot and officially turning Christopher into a superstar.
Since his breakout years as a melodic pop star, Christopher has carried on creating vital pop music, even as his star settled into a more realistic location on the horizon, and a smaller but doggedly devoted following has gone along.
Beyond the Cross-mania years, Christopher co-wrote and sang the song for the 1984 Summer Olympics, "A Chance for Heaven." He also co-wrote and sang the delightful "Loving Strangers" for the hit 1986 Tom Hanks movie, Nothing in Common. The following year, Christopher recorded "I Will (Take You Forever)," a lovely duet, with international Les Miserables star Frances Ruffelle, which has graced many a wedding and is still a staple of radio worldwide.
Every few years, the world has been gifted with a new set of Christopher Cross songs, each of the albums growing innately from the last while resolutely advancing the state of his art. And he has continued to seek out his fans worldwide by regularly hitting the concert road, never depriving those fans of the early hits (played note-perfect) but always insisting on featuring a broad range of his latest work, the songs where his heart (and his art) truly lies. The audience response is never less than rapturous.
Christopher's string of post-megahit albums from the mid-1980s to the present represents a hard-traveled road of integrity and a refusal to compromise. It also stands as a testament to an artist who strives to deepen, and that's something anyone can admire for a long, long time.
