Chris Whitley
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Christopher Becker Whitley (August 31, 1960 – November 20, 2005) was a singer songwriter who recorded albums on various labels. Highly acclaimed by critics and fans alike, he had a strong devoted following who continued to support his work. Whitley was an intense live performer and had proven very consistent with his studio recordings. In 2001, the New York Times called him "restless ...evoking Chet Baker and Sonic Youth as much as Robert Johnson".
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[edit] Biography
Whitley was born in Houston, Texas. Though relatively unknown to the mainstream, he worked with many top named musicians throughout his career. In 1991, U2/Peter Gabriel producer Daniel Lanois and his protégé, Malcolm Burn, recorded Whitley's debut album Living With the Law (Malcolm Burn also produced 2005's Soft Dangerous Shores). In 2000, Whitley worked with Chris Wood and Billy Martin from the famed trio of Medeski, Martin and Wood, on the Perfect Day album. Others like Dave Matthews and Bruce Hornsby also appeared on 2001's Rocket House.
Whitley played a unique brand of confessional acoustic and electric blues, mixed with inspired modern rock. His lyrics often contained overt sexual references and sometimes bordered on the surreal. An avid fan of jazz saxophone legend John Coltrane, Whitley was a master of the National / Dobro, made famous by many of the great Mississippi delta blues players of the 1930's. Whitley also appeared in the concert documentary Hellhounds on my Trail - The Afterlife of Robert Johnson, with Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir, Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green, jam band Gov't Mule, and blues guitarist Keb' Mo. Whitley has also recorded with Mike Watt, Rob Wasserman, Cassandra Wilson, Dave Pirner (of Soul Asylum) and Shawn Colvin.
"The notable constant has been the quality of craftmanship, and the consistent question of how Whitley's combination of super songs, muscular-but-poetic lyrics, athletic voice and rock-god guitar work hasn't earned him a wider audience." - Detroit Free Press
"The post-Hendrix explosion of whammybar wankers hasn't produced a single axeman who can compare to Chris Whitley. His eerie, bluesy voice and American gothic tunes frequently draw attention from the fact that he picks like a pissed off Doc Watson jacked through a Marshall stack" - RollingStone.com
[edit] Health and Death
In fall 2005, Chris Whitley cancelled his tour due to health issues. Dan Whitley, his brother, revealed on November 11, 2005 that he was "in a comfortable warm home with hospice care at his disposal". Later that week it was revealed that he was terminally ill with lung cancer. On November 20, 2005, his death (at the age of 45) was announced by Dan Whitley and Chris' daughter, Trixie Whitley.
[edit] Tributes
Although Chris Whitley never achieved mass fame, his passing resonated throughout the music community and garnered coverage and press throughout the world. Ranging from Time magazine, the New York Times, National Public Radio and a tribute mention at the 2006 Grammy Awards. His albums Living With The Law and Dirt Floor are regarded as classics, and passionate advocates abound for any of his dozen or so other releases, from the hard rock driven Din Of Ecstasy to the somewhat more experimental sound of Rocket House to the dark, jazzy minimalism of Hotel Vast Horizon and the raw sonic power of his epitaph Reiter In.
Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Don Henley, Iggy Pop, Alanis Morissette and Keith Richards all count themselves admirers of Whitley's music. Dave Matthews has said, "I feel more passion for his music than I do for my own. I have a fervent, religious devotion to the magic that Chris Whitley makes". Longtime friend and producer, Daniel Lanois said, "Chris Whitley, my friend since 1988. The deep soul he was gifted with is the soul that challenged his life journey. I will forever remember his beauty."
[edit] Discography
- Living with the Law (1991)
- Din of Ecstasy (1995)
- Terra Incognita (1997)
- Dirt Floor (1998)
- Live at Martyrs (1999)
- Perfect Day (2000)
- Rocket House (2001)
- Long Way Around: Anthology (2002)
- Pigs Will Fly soundtrack (2003)
- Hotel Vast Horizon (2003)
- Weed (2004)
- War Crime Blues (2004)
- Soft Dangerous Shores (2005)
- Reiter In (2006)
- Dislocation Blues with Jeff Lang (2006)
[edit] Guitar tunings
Because of his unique style of playing, Chris used many alternate tunings for his guitars. [1]
