Christopher Cross

Biography

Christopher Charles Geppert (born May 3, 1951), known professionally as Christopher Cross, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
He won five Grammy Awards for his eponymous debut album released in 1979. The singles "Sailing×Sailing15 June 1980 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksASailing4:14BThe Light Is On4:07" (1980), and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)", from the 1981 film Arthur, peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
"Sailing" earned three Grammys in 1980. "Arthur's Theme" won in 1982 the Oscar for Best Original Song, with co-writers Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Peter Allen.

Early life

Christopher Charles Geppert was born on May 3, 1951 in San Antonio, Texas. A self-described "army brat", Cross is the son of a U.S. Army pediatrician who was stationed at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C., in the mid-1950s and acted as a physician for President Dwight Eisenhower's grandchildren. He attended Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio, graduating in 1969. He played football and participated in track and field. Cross was raised Catholic.

Early musical career

Geppert developed an early interest in music, citing the influence of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and Dave Brubeck during childhood. As a seventh grader, he received a drum kit and began performing in a band called the Psychos, which played local church events and junior high school dances. Initially serving as the group’s drummer, Geppert also took on vocal duties due to the absence of another singer.
During high school, he shifted his primary focus to guitar, which he found more conducive to songwriting. Around this time, he became influenced by Frank Zappa, whom he admired less for Zappa's eccentricity and more for his instrumental approach and innovative rhythmic ideas.
Geppert, bassist Andy Salmon, and keyboardist Rob Meurer met in San Antonio when they were still teens. Geppert and Salmon became bandmates in Flash, with Geppert on guitar. Together, they formed Christopher Cross as a band and moved to Austin, where they added drummer Tommy Taylor. There, they played covers for cash while recording demo versions of original songs at Austin's Odyssey Sound, which later became Pecan Street Studio, which they shipped to record labels. Though they considered themselves a band, Warner Bros. signed Christopher Cross as a solo artist in early 1979.
Although best known for his vocals and songwriting, Cross is also a skilled guitarist. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan invited Cross to play on their albums, but Cross declined because "he was so intimidated, afraid to do it." Cross also substituted for Ritchie Blackmore during a Deep Purple concert in 1970 in San Antonio when Blackmore fell ill, and a local promoter recommended Cross as a last-minute replacement.
Cross was the original owner of fellow Austin guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Number One" 1962/1963 hybrid Fender Stratocaster. Vaughan purchased the guitar at Ray Hennig's Heart of Texas Music in Austin in 1974, only one day after Cross had traded the guitar for a Gibson Les Paul.

First album and immediate success

Cross released his self-titled debut album, Christopher Cross, on December 27, 1979. Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hits from this album included "Ride Like the Wind×Ride Like the Wind1979 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksARide Like the Wind3:54BMinstrel Gigolo4:00" (featuring backing vocals by Michael McDonald), "Sailing×Sailing15 June 1980 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksASailing4:14BThe Light Is On4:07", "Never Be the Same×Never Be the SameNovember 1980 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksANever Be the Same4:40BThe Light Is On4:07" and "Say You'll Be Mine" (featuring backing vocals by Nicolette Larson). "Ride Like the Wind" hit number two on the U.S. Hot 100, while "Sailing" topped the chart for one week. "Never Be The Same" went number one on the Adult Contemporary chart. Cross, the album, and the song "Sailing" were nominated for six Grammy Awards in 1980 and won five.
Cross was the first artist in Grammy history to win all four general field awards in a single ceremony, bringing home Record of the Year ("Sailing"), Album of the Year (Christopher Cross), Song of the Year ("Sailing") and Best New Artist at the 23rd Annual Grammy Awards. This feat was not replicated for 39 years, until Billie Eilish won all four awards at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2020. In addition, "Sailing" won for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s). Christopher Cross has been certified platinum five times in the U.S., selling over 5 million copies.
Later in 1981, Cross released "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)", co-written by Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager and Peter Allen, which was the main theme for the 1981 film Arthur. The song won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1981, and was nominated for three Grammys, but did not win. In the U.S., it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the Hot Adult Contemporary charts in October 1981, remaining at the top of the Hot 100 for three weeks while it also was a top-ten hit in several other countries. The song became the second and last American number-one hit by Christopher Cross.

Second album

Cross's second album, Another Page×Another Page31 January 1983 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1No Time for Talk4:272Baby Says No6:073What Am I Supposed to Believe4:294Deal 'em Again3:165Think of Laura3:246All Right4:187Talking in My Sleep3:408Nature of the Game3:599Long World3:3510Words of Wisdom5:46 (1983), produced "All Right×All Right6 January 1983 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksA1All Right4:01B1Long World3:32", "No Time for Talk", and "Think of Laura". "All Right" was used by CBS Sports for its highlights montage following the 1983 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, while "Think of Laura" is used as a reference to characters on the soap opera General Hospital. Against his wishes, ABC used his song in this context. He has stated that he wrote "Think of Laura" not in reference to the television characters, but to celebrate the life of Denison University college student Laura Carter, who was killed when she was struck by a stray bullet.
Cross has stated on his social media platforms that he felt it was inappropriate for ABC/General Hospital to use the song against his wishes and those of Carter's family, but the short clips of the song were considered permissible fair use and helped record sales as well. Another Page sold well, getting Gold certification. He also co-wrote and sang the song "A Chance For Heaven" for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games.

1980s

After 1984, Cross's commercial success faded. As music television channel MTV grew to dominate the mainstream music scene in the United States, Cross's style of music proved to be a bad fit for the network, and his brand of adult contemporary music declined in popularity.
Cross's next two albums, 1985's Every Turn of the World×Every Turn of the World28 November 1985 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Every Turn of the World4:052Charm the Snake4:273I Hear You Call3:464Don’t Say Goodbye3:395It’s You That Really Matters4:066Love Is Love (in Any Language)4:297Swing Street4:188Love Found a Home3:369That Girl3:3210Open Your Heart5:39 and 1988's Back of My Mind×Back of My Mind19 August 1988 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Someday3:122Never Stop Believing4:013Swept Away4:234Any Old Time4:065I Will (Take You Forever)4:166She Told Me So4:097Back of My Mind3:568I'll Be Alright4:549Alibi4:4210Just One Look4:37 did not produce any top 40 hits or reach Gold or Platinum status. His track "Charm the Snake" was the sole success from his album Every Turn of the World. It reached No. 68 in the Billboard Hot 100.
He did, however, place the song "Swept Away" in the TV show Growing Pains. It was used during a video montage while Kirk Cameron's character Mike fell in love with a local girl while vacationing with the family in Hawaii.

1990s

Cross made four more albums in the 1990s, Rendezvous×Rendezvous25 October 1991 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Rendezvous5:232Deputy Dan4:303Night Across the World3:544Angry Young Men5:045In the Blink of an Eye4:206Is There Something4:547Isn’t It Love4:148Nothing Will Change4:499Driftin’ Away5:2910A Fisherman’s Tale6:23 (1992), Window×Window1 August 1994 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Been There, Done That4:362Wild Wild West3:363Wishing Well5:564Thinkin’ ’bout You5:175Jan’s Tune3:176Open Up My Window4:107Nature’s Way3:158Uncharted Hearts4:419Before I Go4:3810Love Is Calling6:4611Save Your Sadness (Jan’s Tune - remix)3:22 (1994), Walking In Avalon×Walking in Avalon1998 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 26 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11In a Red Room3:482Walking in Avalon4:573Hunger3:354When She Smiles4:075It's Always Something5:046Dream Too Loud4:227I Know You Well4:528Kind of I Love You4:389Curled Around the World4:2910Rainy Day in Vancouver6:51Disc 21Rendezvous5:242Never Be the Same4:413Back of My Mind3:564Sailing4:225Every Turn of the World4:286Deputy Dan4:297In the Blink of an Eye4:008Swept Away4:369Think of Laura3:4210Minstrel Gigolo4:1111Open Up My Window4:2912Alibi5:5413Is There Something5:1914Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)4:2315Ride Like the Wind5:4416All Right4:40 (1998), and Red Room (1999). Although some of his releases gained positive critical response, he was not able to attract the mass audience he once enjoyed. After his decline in fame in the mid to late 1980s, he toured and opened for various acts during the 1990s.

2000s

The year 2002 saw the release of the Very Best of... album, and in 2007 he completed a Christmas album titled A Christopher Cross Christmas×A Christopher Cross Christmas15 November 2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Silent Night1:252Christmas Time Is Here3:063The Christmas Song3:104Does It Feel Like Christmas2:585Little Drummer Boy3:146I’ll Be Home for Christmas3:027A Dream of Peace at Christmas Time3:298Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep3:439Do You Hear What I Hear4:4510The Best Christmas4:1011Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas3:5012O Come, O Come, Emmanuel5:31. In 2008, Cross recorded a new acoustic album of his hits titled The Cafe Carlyle Sessions.

2010s

In 2011, Cross released a new studio album titled Doctor Faith×Doctor Faith24 February 2011 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Hey Kid3:322I’m Too Old for This4:163When You Come Home4:274Dreamers4:015November3:256Leave It to Me3:537Doctor Faith3:518Rescue4:339Help Me Cry4:3010Still I Resist4:5111Poor Man’s Ecstasy3:4012Everything4:3813Prayin’3:20.
In 2013, he released A Night in Paris, a 2-CD live album he recorded and filmed in April 2012 at the Theatre Le Trianon in Paris, France.
The song "Ride Like the Wind×Ride Like the Wind1979 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksARide Like the Wind3:54BMinstrel Gigolo4:00" was featured on the Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues original movie soundtrack, released in 2013.
In September 2014, he released Secret Ladder, followed in November 2017 by Take Me as I Am.
In 2017, he played a concert in his hometown, at the Tobin Center, San Antonio, Texas.
In late 2019, Cross toured with Todd Rundgren, Jason Scheff, Micky Dolenz and Joey Molland of Badfinger in celebration of the Beatles' White Album on the "It Was Fifty Years Ago Today – A Tribute to the Beatles' White Album". Cross performed "Sailing×Sailing15 June 1980 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksASailing4:14BThe Light Is On4:07" and "Ride Like the Wind".

2020s

During 2021–2022, Cross played in his 40th anniversary tour which had been rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2025, Christopher Cross joined Toto as the special guest on the Dogz of Oz tour, performing across the U.K. and Europe in early 2025. Cross and Toto had previously shared the stage at the Hollywood Bowl on September 1, 2024, and this tour further solidified their booking together.

Freedonia

In 2018, he joined with other musicians in Austin to form the band Freedonia.
With Freedonia, he has released two full-length albums: Freedonia (2018) and Firefly (2019)
and an EP titled Bring Back The Dinosaurs (2021).

Flamingo

A common feature of Cross's album covers is the appearance of a flamingo. According to Cross, there is no meaning behind this other than the painting chosen for his first album cover featured the bird, which has been used as a motif ever since.

Personal life

Cross was married to Roseanne Harrison from 1973 to 1982. They had one son, Justin. He was married to Jan Bunch from 1988 to 2007. He had two children in that marriage, Madison and Rain.
On April 3, 2020, Cross confirmed through his Facebook page that he had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, and was ill, but was recovering. Cross later reported on Twitter that he had lost the use of his legs, but his doctors told him he should fully recover. Physicians told him his illness triggered an episode of Guillain–Barré syndrome that caused the nerves in his legs to stop functioning properly. By October 2020, he was able to walk with a cane, but said his memory and speech had been affected. In 2021 and 2022 he played his 40th anniversary concert tour, which had originally been planned for 2020.

Live albums

1998: A Night With Christopher Cross - Best Hits Live (Victor)
2012: A Night in Paris (Ear)

Compilations

1991: The Best of Christopher Cross (Warner Bros.)
1999: Greatest Hits Live (CMC)
2001: Definitive Christopher Cross (Warner Bros./Asia)
2002: The Very Best of Christopher Cross (Warner Bros.)
2011: Crosswords: The Best of Christopher Cross (Rhino)
2025: All Right: The Worldwide Singles 1980–1988 (Omnivore)

Soundtracks

1981: Arthur (Motion picture soundtrack) "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"
1983: General Hospital (TV series soundtrack) "Think of Laura"
1984: Official Music of the XXIIIrd Olympiad "A Chance For Heaven" (swimming theme)
1986: Nothing in Common (Motion picture soundtrack) "Loving Strangers (David's Theme)"
2010: 30 Rock (TV series soundtrack) "Lemon's Theme"

Other appearances

1974: Electromagnets, (with Eric Johnson) – "Motion"
1981: Chris Christian, Chris Christian (Boardwalk Records) – "Don't Give Up on Us" (guitar solo)
1982: Long Time Friends, Alessi Brothers – "Forever" (background vocals)
1985: Soul Kiss, Olivia Newton-John – "You Were Great, How Was I?" (background vocals)
1985: Crazy from the Heat, David Lee Roth – "California Girls" (background vocals)
1988: Brian Wilson, Brian Wilson – "Night Time" (background vocals)
1989: Christmas at My House, Larry Carlton – "Ringing the Bells of Christmas"
1991: Love Can Do That, Elaine Paige – "Same Train"
1994: Grammy's Greatest Moments Volume III – "Arthur's Theme" (live version)
1996: Venus Isle, Eric Johnson – "Lonely in the Night" (background vocals)
1996: On Air, Alan Parsons – "So Far Away×So Far Away1996 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1So Far Away4:102Apollo (instrumental)6:08"
1998: Imagination, Brian Wilson (special edition "Words and Music" bonus disc) – "In My Room"
2001: A Gathering of Friends, Michael McDonald – "Ride Like the Wind×Ride Like the Wind1979 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksARide Like the Wind3:54BMinstrel Gigolo4:00"
2001: When It All Goes South, Alabama – "Love Remains"
2004: Confidential, Peter White – "She's in Love"
2006: Skylark, Gigi Mackenzie – "That's All"
2008: Soundstage: America Live in Chicago – "Lonely People", "A Horse with No Name"
2013: Train Keeps a Rolling, Jeff Golub – "How Long"
2013: Imagination of You, Eric Johnson – "Imagination of You×Imagination of You1 January 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Imagination of You2:38"