Chris Tompkins is an American songwriter from Nashville, originally from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He won Music Row's 2007 "Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year" award and was honored as the Alabama Music Hall of Fame songwriter of the year.[1] Perhaps his most popular recent work was the platinum seller and 2008 Grammy Award winner "Before He Cheats", co-written with Josh Kear, and sung by Carrie Underwood. This song was credited the 2007 Single of the Year by the Country Music Association. However he was also a named writer for "I'm Gone" on Bo Bice's See the Light album, "Don't Cost a Dime" on Martina McBride's Shine album, "On My Way Home" on J. Michael Harter's Unexpected Change album, "Time Machine" on Shelly Fairchild's album Ride, as well as a number of other songs.