Chris Whitley
Chris Whitley (born Christopher Becker Whitley on 31 August 1960; died 20 … Read Full Bio ↴Chris Whitley (born Christopher Becker Whitley on 31 August 1960; died 20 November 2005) was an American blues/rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. During his 25-year career he released more than a dozen albums, had two songs in the top 50 of the US Billboard mainstream rock charts and received two Independent Music Awards. Whitley's sound was drawn from the traditions of blues, jazz and rock and he recorded songs by artists from many genres.
A man of rare poetic honesty, Whitleymaintained a resolute musical integrity throughout his career. His more than a dozen albums range from raw-boned folk-rock to lush electro-blues.
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. In addition to recording his original material, Whitley has also guested on albums by 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
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.
A man of rare poetic honesty, Whitleymaintained a resolute musical integrity throughout his career. His more than a dozen albums range from raw-boned folk-rock to lush electro-blues.
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. In addition to recording his original material, Whitley has also guested on albums by 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
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.
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Chris Whitley Lyrics
4th Time Around When she said, "Don't waste your words, they're just lies,"…
Accordingly businessmen like babes lay sleeping on the lawn cops are sta…
Aerial Sheets of golden velvet rain Lubricate my naked steel again …
Alien Everybody knows I can tell how you fill your clothes I can…
As Flat As The Earth Well, I knew you'd return to the other side Well, the…
Automatic [Chorus] Automatic love is all I want End of the day Automat…
Ballpeen Hammer You sit in your big house baby You drive your fancy…
Big Sky Country When this is over, over and through And all them changes…
Bordertown Out on a range in a season too soon No electric…
Breaking Your Fall The horizon pales when she hits the ground sirens and…
Can't Get Off I ain't got no pride in my pants I ain't got…
Chain Everybody knows I can tell how you fill your clothes I can…
Clear Blue Sky I look out your bedroom window Clear blue sky I look out…
Cool Wooden Crosses From bitter to empty Go the bridges through town From vall…
Din Well, when I got your letter, I could not contain The…
Dirt Floor There's a dirt floor underneath here To receive us when chan…
Drifting I'm drifting and drifting, just like a ship out on…
Dust Radio Walk it with the father Talk it with the son Baby got…
From A Photograph Baby got a gun, how's she to know? I already see…
From One Island To Another from one island to another wind shifting currents cover the …
Gasket Tell me, why you wanna drive my gasket down? Tell me…
God Thing You never notice child And I just pretend again About the po…
Guns & Dolls Slow neurosis Lay awaiting the cousin to come Got my mouth…
Her Furious Angels LOOKING OUT FROM BELOW ITS ALL BEFORE YOUR EYES IF SOMETHI…
Hotel Vast Horizon I'll meet you there when the evening writhes I will know t…
I Forget You Every Day Waiting for to be confessed On the floor and all undressed Y…
Indian Summer summer is lost now the frost is closing in to the cold…
Kick the Stones Everything is silent Night upon the rocks I'm over by the ro…
Know Bring me your favors mama Bring me them as a scar Bring…
Little Torch Here she comes catching on fire again Casting all restraints…
Living with the Law Brother runnin' powder money Daddy somewhere on a drunk In t…
Loco Girl I found my loco girl again all still, no word for…
Long Way Around Every evening I follow my master Lead me down to the…
Look What Love Has Done Who's gonna win the medal? Who's gonna win the glittering pr…
Made From Dirt When I die and turn the weed Don't let no man…
Make the Dirt Stick Nothin' wrong with staying inside Nothin' wrong staying home…
Narcotic Prayer As the party closes I ain't got a clue Red and yellow…
Never Well I see now she can't spell no love with…
New Machine My love don't know from nothing My love from out of…
O God My Heart Is Ready God my heart is ready now God my heart is ready…
One Long Day Waiting for to be confessed On the floor and all undressed Y…
Perfect Day Just a perfect day Drink Sangria in the park And then later …
Phone Call from Leavenworth They hold me here much longer Probably go mad all by…
Phone Call From Levenworth They hold me here much longer Probably go mad all by…
Poison Girl Moonlight over the alley Baby where I come from There's a po…
Power Down Down, down, down All is revealed when you hit the ground M…
Radar From so far away You can see the light reflected Everyone ba…
Rocket House I been living in a rocket house Empty buildings go flying…
Say Goodbye Once upon a time You knew where you belonged But time slips…
Scrapyard Lullaby Wake up running on the sacred ground Searching the scrapyar…
Serve You See the migrant wing against the sky Know exactly where, don…
Solid Iron Heart (The last crime I'll every commit) [Chorus: ] Meet me on…
Some Candy Talking I'm going down to the place tonight See if I can…
Something Shines Look out sister, well, who will be released? A latent savio…
Spanish Harlem Incident Gypsy gal, the hands of Harlem Cannot hold you to its…
Starve To Death Take me out with your broken blade Take me out with…
Still Point Right to left, left to right Light to dark and dark…
The Model Nichts ist für dich Nichts war für dich Nichts bleibt…
The Road Leads Down Map's a crooked tangle of sin Take eternity to unravel The…
The Wild Country Breaking rocks all day on the avenue its hard to unearth…
To Joy I made a bid for you - You know Far as it…
To Joy (radio edit) I made a bid for you, you know Far as it…
To Joy (Revolution of the Innocents) To Joy (Revolution of the Innocents) I made a bid for…
Vertical Desert I lean back on the sundial Where angels fall; Too late to…
Weightless The ground gives as you go With all them secrets that…
Wild Country Breaking rocks all day on the avenue its hard to unearth…
Wild Ox Moan Won't you come here, good woman And listen to the wild…
WPL All these lies Pass you by And lies of dissension In doctrin…