NAME: Christian Gene Gaines
BORN: August 10, 1967, Brisbane, Australia
FATHER: Gene Gaines - former Swim Coach for Long
Beach State University & former Coach of
both the US and Australian Olympic Swim
Teams
MOTHER: Carolyn Johnns-Gaines - former swimmer for
the Australian Olympic Team and
Commonwealth Games medalist
Chris was born August 10, 1967 in Brisbane, Australia. His family moved to the Los Angeles area when he was 5 yrs. old. As an only child, Chris was expected by many to carry the torch in the Olympic waters. The young Gaines, however, defied expectations of an athletic future and developed a life-long passion for music, a passion so great, Chris decided to quit school his senior year at Morningside High to pursue his music professionally(although he did complete his GED in 1987).
Chris joined his best friend Tommy Levitz along with Marc Obed in the band, Crush. The band signed with Capitol Records in 1985 and released their self titled debut album in 1986. The second single, "My Love Tells Me So", was a smash and one of the year's most successful songs. But the band's success was short-lived when lead singer Tommy Levitz died in a plane crash later that year.
For the next two years, Joe Smith of Capitol Records and Chris discussed the possibility of a Chris Gaines solo career and in 1989, Chris debuted his solo album, "Straight Jacket". Both the public and the music industry responded favorably; the album spent an extraordinary 224 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart and won the Grammy Award for the Album of the Year. The album, which featured the hits "Maybe", "White Flag" and "Digging for Gold", is still Chris' biggest selling album to date.
Tragedy struck again when Chris' father died in the fall of 1990 after his long battle with cancer. Almost a year to the day later, Chris released his second solo album, "Fornucopia". Even though it was a very dark and angry album, it debuted at #1 and spent a combined 18 weeks on the top of the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. The album included the soulful remake of the 1972 Ramsey Sellers classic, "It Don't Matter to the Sun", and the instant classic, "Main Street".
In the winter of 1992, Chris was involved in a violent single-car crash that nearly ended his life. Chris spent 6 weeks in the hospital and over two years undergoing extensive plastic surgery on his face, shoulder and hands. Although he would not allow himself to be seen or photographed, Chris released his third solo album, "Apostle", in the winter of 1994. Without any artist promotion, the album still managed to spend a combined 8 weeks atop the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart, and featured the singles "Way of the Girl" and "Unsigned Letter".
Finally, in the winter of 1996, Chris re-emerged into public view for the first time with "Triangle". Chris was dubbed "The New Prince" by the media because of his new look and the fact that his music showed a move towards R&B, a distinct change in musical style from his past. "Driftin' Away", "That's the Way I Remember It", and "Snow in July" are the featured hits on the album.
NOW......on the eve of the millenium...Chris has assembled his greatest hits, as well as two new songs, "Lost in You" and "Right Now". Chris' "Greatest Hits", aka "In The Life of Chris Gaines" is the perfect bridge between his upcoming solo album, "The Lamb", (which the critics already predict will be the definitive album of the new millenium")and the albums that have defined our times over the last decade.
Get the real scoop on Chris, direct from his record label---->Click Here!!
Garth Reviews "The Lamb" and "Chris Gaines"
