Christopher Cross
Encyclopedia
Christopher Cross is an American
singer-songwriter
from San Antonio
, Texas
. His debut album earned him five Grammys
. He is perhaps best known for his Top Ten
hit songs, "Sailing
", "Ride Like the Wind
", and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)
", the last of which he performed for the film Arthur starring Dudley Moore
. "Sailing" earned three Grammy Awards in 1981, while "Arthur's Theme" won the Oscar
for Best Original Song in 1981 (with co-composers Burt Bacharach
, Carole Bayer Sager
and Peter Allen
).
-based cover band named Flash (not to be confused with the early 1970s English band of the same name
) before signing a solo contract with Warner Bros.
Cross released his self-titled debut album, Christopher Cross
, in 1979, which garnered him five Grammy Awards. He is the only solo artist to win all four General Field Grammy Awards (Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist) in the same year. Hot 100 top 20 hits from this album included "Ride Like the Wind" (featuring backing vocals by Michael McDonald
), "Sailing
", "Never Be the Same
", and "Say You'll Be Mine" (featuring backing vocals by Nicolette Larson
).
Cross' second album, Another Page
(1983), included the hit songs "All Right
", "No Time For Talk", and "Think of Laura
". "All Right" was used by CBS Sports
for its highlights montage following the 1983 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
, while "Think of Laura" is used as a reference to characters on the soap opera General Hospital
. Although Another Page
sold respectably, it did not nearly live up to the high expectations set by his debut album.
Cross' next two albums, 1985's Every Turn Of The World
and 1988's Back of My Mind
failed to produce any top 40 hits, and did not sell as well as his first two albums.
Cross made three more albums in the 1990s, and although some of his releases have gained critical response, he has failed to catch the mass audience he once enjoyed. After his decline in fame in the mid-1980s, he has toured and opened for various acts since the 1990s and released his second greatest hits package in 2002.
Cross completed a Christmas album, A Christopher Cross Christmas, released in 2007. Cross finished recording a new acoustic album of his hits titled The Cafe Carlyle Sessions.
Cross released a new studio album Dr. Faith in 2011.
, a young poet who died in 2004 due to muscular dystrophy
. The single was put into rotation on Radio Disney
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
from San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. His debut album earned him five Grammys
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
. He is perhaps best known for his Top Ten
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
hit songs, "Sailing
Sailing (Christopher Cross song)
"Sailing" is a number-one single, released in July 1980, written and performed by Christopher Cross and appeared on his 1979 eponymous debut album. The song was a phenomenal success, winning Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Arrangement of the Year, and helping Cross win...
", "Ride Like the Wind
Ride Like the Wind
In 1991, the band East Side Beat a remix of the song Ride Like the Wind on. This is in contrast to the original version created the very style of the 1990s. There are also five remixes of the cover...
", and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)
Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)
"Arthur's Theme " is a song performed by Christopher Cross, which was the theme to the 1981 film Arthur starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli...
", the last of which he performed for the film Arthur starring Dudley Moore
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician.Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in the ground-breaking comedy revue Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s, and then became famous as half of the highly popular television...
. "Sailing" earned three Grammy Awards in 1981, while "Arthur's Theme" won the Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Original Song in 1981 (with co-composers Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
, Carole Bayer Sager
Carole Bayer Sager
Carole Bayer Sager is an American lyricist, songwriter, singer, and painter.-Introduction:Born in New York City, Sager graduated from New York University, where she majored in English, dramatic arts and speech...
and Peter Allen
Peter Allen
Peter Allen was an Australian songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, with one, Arthur's Theme, winning an Academy Award in 1981...
).
Career
Cross first played with a San AntonioSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
-based cover band named Flash (not to be confused with the early 1970s English band of the same name
Flash (band)
-Flash:Flash was an English progressive rock group, formed by former Yes guitarist Peter Banks and vocalist Colin Carter in August 1971. Bassist Ray Bennett and drummer Mike Hough completed the line-up....
) before signing a solo contract with Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Cross released his self-titled debut album, Christopher Cross
Christopher Cross (album)
Christopher Cross is the self-titled debut album by Christopher Cross, released in 1979 . In 1981, it won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year...
, in 1979, which garnered him five Grammy Awards. He is the only solo artist to win all four General Field Grammy Awards (Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist) in the same year. Hot 100 top 20 hits from this album included "Ride Like the Wind" (featuring backing vocals by Michael McDonald
Michael McDonald (singer)
Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan...
), "Sailing
Sailing (Christopher Cross song)
"Sailing" is a number-one single, released in July 1980, written and performed by Christopher Cross and appeared on his 1979 eponymous debut album. The song was a phenomenal success, winning Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Arrangement of the Year, and helping Cross win...
", "Never Be the Same
Never Be the Same
"Never Be the Same" is the title of the third single by singer-songwriter Christopher Cross, released from his debut Grammy Award-winning album Christopher Cross. It was the singer's third consecutive single to reach the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at number 15 late in 1980...
", and "Say You'll Be Mine" (featuring backing vocals by Nicolette Larson
Nicolette Larson
Nicolette Larson was an American pop singer. She is perhaps best known for her work in the late 1970s with Neil Young, as well as her 1978 cover of Young's "Lotta Love". The song, her debut single, was a Number One Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks hit and #8 pop hit that year...
).
Cross' second album, Another Page
Another Page
Another Page is Christopher Cross' second studio album, recorded in 1983. Although not as big in terms of sales and chart position of its predecessor, Christopher Cross, the third single, "Think of Laura" reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984, although it was his last Top 10 single...
(1983), included the hit songs "All Right
All Right
- History :The song told from the perspective of the lyric I believe that the Protagonist and his lover has a marriage problem and both are trying to solve....
", "No Time For Talk", and "Think of Laura
Think of Laura
"Think of Laura" is the title of a popular song by the American Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Christopher Cross. Released as a single in late 1983 from Cross' second studio album, Another Page, "Think of Laura" became the singer's fourth single to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100...
". "All Right" was used by CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
for its highlights montage following the 1983 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
1983 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1983 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 52 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 2, 1983, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at The Pit, then officially known...
, while "Think of Laura" is used as a reference to characters on the soap opera General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
. Although Another Page
Another Page
Another Page is Christopher Cross' second studio album, recorded in 1983. Although not as big in terms of sales and chart position of its predecessor, Christopher Cross, the third single, "Think of Laura" reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984, although it was his last Top 10 single...
sold respectably, it did not nearly live up to the high expectations set by his debut album.
Cross' next two albums, 1985's Every Turn Of The World
Every Turn of the World
Every Turn Of The World is Christopher Cross' third studio album, recorded in 1985.- Track listing :#"Every Turn Of The World" - 4:02#"Charm The Snake" - 4:24#"I Hear You Call" - 3:41#"Don't Say Goodbye" - 3:32#"It's You That Really Matters" - 3:59...
and 1988's Back of My Mind
Back of My Mind
Back Of My Mind is Christopher Cross' fourth studio album, recorded in 1988.- Track listing :#"Someday" - 3:12#"Never Stop Believing" - 4:00#"Swept Away" - 4:23#"Any Old Time" - 4:05#"I Will " - 4:15#"She Told Me So" - 4:08...
failed to produce any top 40 hits, and did not sell as well as his first two albums.
Cross made three more albums in the 1990s, and although some of his releases have gained critical response, he has failed to catch the mass audience he once enjoyed. After his decline in fame in the mid-1980s, he has toured and opened for various acts since the 1990s and released his second greatest hits package in 2002.
Cross completed a Christmas album, A Christopher Cross Christmas, released in 2007. Cross finished recording a new acoustic album of his hits titled The Cafe Carlyle Sessions.
Cross released a new studio album Dr. Faith in 2011.
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Label | Chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... |
GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
JPN Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
NLD MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
NZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
||||
| 1979 | Christopher Cross Christopher Cross (album) Christopher Cross is the self-titled debut album by Christopher Cross, released in 1979 . In 1981, it won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year... |
Warner Bros. | 6 | — | 18 | 14 | 16 | — | 14 | 6 |
|
| 1983 | Another Page Another Page Another Page is Christopher Cross' second studio album, recorded in 1983. Although not as big in terms of sales and chart position of its predecessor, Christopher Cross, the third single, "Think of Laura" reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984, although it was his last Top 10 single... |
6 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 11 |
|
|
| 1985 | Every Turn of the World Every Turn of the World Every Turn Of The World is Christopher Cross' third studio album, recorded in 1985.- Track listing :#"Every Turn Of The World" - 4:02#"Charm The Snake" - 4:24#"I Hear You Call" - 3:41#"Don't Say Goodbye" - 3:32#"It's You That Really Matters" - 3:59... |
— | 44 | 27 | — | 34 | 37 | — | 158 | ||
| 1988 | Back of My Mind Back of My Mind Back Of My Mind is Christopher Cross' fourth studio album, recorded in 1988.- Track listing :#"Someday" - 3:12#"Never Stop Believing" - 4:00#"Swept Away" - 4:23#"Any Old Time" - 4:05#"I Will " - 4:15#"She Told Me So" - 4:08... |
— | 45 | 27 | — | 93 | 49 | — | — | ||
| 1992 | Rendezvous | BMG | — | — | 96 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1994 | Window | Priority | — | — | 91 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1998 | Walking in Avalon Walking in Avalon Walking In Avalon, Christopher Cross’ seventh album released in 1998, is a double album package that contains Christopher's latest new studio album and Greatest Hits Live album together. In late 1999, CMC re-released the package as two single-album releases... |
CMC | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2000 | Red Room | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007 | A Christopher Cross Christmas | Ur | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2008 | The Café Carlyle Sessions | Absolute | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2010 | Christmas Time Is Here | Ear | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2011 | Dr. Faith | — | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||||||||
Compilations
- 1993:The Best of Christopher Cross (WEA)
- 1999: Greatest Hits Live (CMC)
- 2002: The Very Best of Christopher Cross (Warner Bros.)
Soundtracks
- 1981: Arthur (Motion picture soundtrack) "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"
- 1983: General HospitalGeneral HospitalGeneral Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
(TV series soundtrack) "Think of Laura" - 1984: Official Music of the XXIIIrd Olympiad "A Chance For Heaven" (swimming theme)
- 1986: Nothing In CommonNothing in CommonNothing in Common is a 1986 comedy-drama film, directed by Garry Marshall. It stars Tom Hanks and, in his last movie role, Jackie Gleason. The film proved to be Gleason's final film role, as he was suffering from colon cancer, liver cancer, and thrombosed hemorrhoids during production.The film,...
(Motion picture soundtrack) "Loving Strangers (David's Theme)" - 2010: 30 Rock30 Rock30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
(TV series soundtrack) "Lemon's Theme"
Singles
| Year | Title | Label and number | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. AC | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | "Ride Like the Wind Ride Like the Wind In 1991, the band East Side Beat a remix of the song Ride Like the Wind on. This is in contrast to the original version created the very style of the 1990s. There are also five remixes of the cover... " |
Warner 49184 | 2 | 24 | Christopher Cross |
| "Sailing Sailing (Christopher Cross song) "Sailing" is a number-one single, released in July 1980, written and performed by Christopher Cross and appeared on his 1979 eponymous debut album. The song was a phenomenal success, winning Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Arrangement of the Year, and helping Cross win... " |
Warner 49507 | 1 | 10 | ||
| "Never Be the Same Never Be the Same "Never Be the Same" is the title of the third single by singer-songwriter Christopher Cross, released from his debut Grammy Award-winning album Christopher Cross. It was the singer's third consecutive single to reach the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at number 15 late in 1980... " |
Warner 49580 | 15 | 1 | ||
| "Say You'll Be Mine" | Warner 49705 | 20 | 15 | ||
| "Mary Ann" | Warner (Japan only) | — | — | — | |
| 1981 | "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) "Arthur's Theme " is a song performed by Christopher Cross, which was the theme to the 1981 film Arthur starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli... " |
Warner 49787 | 1 | 1 | Arthur (soundtrack) |
| 1983 | "All Right All Right - History :The song told from the perspective of the lyric I believe that the Protagonist and his lover has a marriage problem and both are trying to solve.... " |
Warner 29843 | 12 | 3 | Another Page |
| "No Time for Talk" | Warner 29662 | 33 | 10 | ||
| "Think of Laura Think of Laura "Think of Laura" is the title of a popular song by the American Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Christopher Cross. Released as a single in late 1983 from Cross' second studio album, Another Page, "Think of Laura" became the singer's fourth single to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100... " |
Warner 29658 | 9 | 1 | ||
| 1984 | "A Chance for Heaven"(swimming theme from 1984 Summer Olympics 1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984... ) |
Columbia 38-04492 | 76 | 16 | Official Music of the XXIIIrd Olympiad |
| 1985 | "Charm the Snake" | Warner 28864 | 68 | — | Every Turn of the World |
| "Every Turn of the World" | Warner 28804 | — | — | ||
| 1986 | "Love Is Love (In Any Language)" | Warner 28761 | — | ||
| "Loving Strangers"/"Cruzados" by Seven Summers | Arista 9530 | — | 27 | from Nothing In Common film soundtrack | |
| 1988 | "Swept Away" | Reprise 27673 | — | — | Back of My Mind |
| "I Will (Take You Forever)" (With Frances Ruffelle Frances Ruffelle Frances Ruffelle is an English musical theatre actress and recording artist. Her mother is Sylvia Young, the founder of the famous theatre school at which Frances trained, and her daughter is recording artist Eliza Doolittle. Her younger sister is actress Alison Ruffelle... ) |
Reprise 27795 | — | 41 |
Other appearances
- 1974: Electromagnets (with Eric Johnson) "Motion"
- 1982: Long Time Friends Alessi BrothersAlessi BrothersThe Alessi Brothers are an American pop rock singer-songwriter duo, best known for their 1984 hit "Savin' the Day" and also their 1977 hit "Oh Lori". The duo are identical twin brothers, Bill Alessi and Bob Alessi .-Career:In 1977, they climbed to #8 in the UK Singles Chart with "Oh Lori", and in...
“Forever” (background vocals) - 1985: Soul Kiss Olivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
"You Were Great, How Was I?" (background vocals) - 1988: Brian Wilson Brian WilsonBrian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
"Night Time" (background vocals) - 1989: Christmas at My House Larry CarltonLarry CarltonLarry Carlton is an American jazz, smooth jazz, jazz fusion, pop, and rock guitarist and singer. He has divided his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with various well-known bands...
"Ringing The Bells Of Christmas" - 1994: Grammy's Greatest Moments Volume III "Arthur's Theme" (live version)
- 1996: Venus Isle Eric JohnsonEric JohnsonEric Johnson is an American guitarist. Though he is best known for his success in the instrumental rock format, Johnson regularly incorporates jazz, fusion, gospel and country and western music into his recordings...
"Lonely In The Night" (background vocals) - 1996: On Air Alan ParsonsAlan ParsonsAlan Parsons is a British audio engineer, musician, and record producer. He was involved with the production of several significant albums, including The Beatles' Abbey Road and Let It Be, as well as Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon for which Pink Floyd credit him as an important contributor...
"So Far Away" - 1998: Imagination Brian Wilson (special edition "Words and Music" bonus disc) "In My Room"
- 2001: A Gathering of Friends Michael McDonaldMichael McDonald (singer)Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan...
"Ride Like the Wind" - 2001: When It All Goes South AlabamaAlabama (band)Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
"Love Remains" - 2004: Confidential Peter WhitePeter White (musician)Peter White is a smooth jazz and jazz fusion guitarist. He also plays the accordion and the piano. His brother, Danny White, was one of the original members who formed the UK based band Matt Bianco.-Career:...
"She's In Love" - 2008: Soundstage: AmericaAmerica (band)America is an English-American folk rock band that originally included members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek. The three members were barely out of their teens when they became a musical sensation during 1972, scoring #1 hits and winning a Grammy for best new musical artist...
Live in Chicago "Lonely People", "A Horse with No Name"
Awards
- Academy Award for Best SongAcademy Award for Best Original SongThe Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
, 1981, "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"Arthur's Theme " is a song performed by Christopher Cross, which was the theme to the 1981 film Arthur starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli...
" - Golden Globe Award for Best Original SongGolden Globe Award for Best Original SongGolden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:...
, 1981, "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"Arthur's Theme " is a song performed by Christopher Cross, which was the theme to the 1981 film Arthur starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli...
" - Grammy, 1981 – Record of the YearGrammy Award for Record of the YearThe Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
– "Sailing" - Grammy, 1981 – Song of the YearGrammy Award for Song of the YearThe Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
– "Sailing" - Grammy, 1981 – Album of the YearGrammy Award for Album of the YearThe Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
– Christopher Cross - Grammy, 1981 – Best New ArtistGrammy Award for Best New ArtistThe Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967...
– Christopher Cross - Grammy, 1981 – Best ArrangementGrammy Award for Best ArrangementThe Grammy Award for Best Arrangement was awarded from 1959 to 1962.Since 1963 the award has been divided into two awards for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist & Best Instrumental Arrangement...
– "Sailing"
Madison Cross
Cross's daughter Madison is also interested in singing, beginning from when she sang a duet with her father at school as a little girl. From there, she began traveling with him, and sometimes performed at his shows. At the age of nine, Madison began an acting career in musical theater. In 2005, Madison Cross recorded her first single, He Was Just Like Me, dedicated to Mattie StepanekMattie Stepanek
Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek , known as Mattie Stepanek, was an American poet, who had six books of poetry and one book of essays all reach The New York Times bestsellers list...
, a young poet who died in 2004 due to muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy is a group of muscle diseases that weaken the musculoskeletal system and hamper locomotion. Muscular dystrophies are characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness, defects in muscle proteins, and the death of muscle cells and tissue.In the 1860s, descriptions of boys who...
. The single was put into rotation on Radio Disney
Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
.
Performances
- Cross filled in for guitarist Ritchie BlackmoreRitchie BlackmoreRichard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
of Deep Purple (who had fallen ill) by performing with the band in San Antonio, Texas in 1970 - Cross contributed backing vocals (along with The Beach BoysThe Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
' Carl WilsonCarl WilsonCarl Dean Wilson was an American rock and roll singer and guitarist, best known as a founding member, lead guitarist and sometime lead vocalist of The Beach Boys...
) to David Lee RothDavid Lee RothDavid Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
's 1985 hit "California GirlsCalifornia Girls"California Girls" is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys, featured on their ninth studio album Summer Days . Written by band-members Brian Wilson and Mike Love, the song features contrasting verse-chorus form...
" - Cross performed the song "Sailing" alongside the popPop musicPop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
band 'N Sync'N SyncN Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
at the Fifth Annual Blockbuster Entertainment Awards in 1999 - Cross also performed lead vocals on "So Far Away", a song from Alan ParsonsAlan ParsonsAlan Parsons is a British audio engineer, musician, and record producer. He was involved with the production of several significant albums, including The Beatles' Abbey Road and Let It Be, as well as Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon for which Pink Floyd credit him as an important contributor...
' album On Air. When Parsons was touring in support of that album, Cross would sometimes join the band onstage to sing the song if he was available - Cross spent much of his youth living in a home on Newbury Terrace in Terrell Hills, just outside San Antonio, Texas. That home had earlier belonged to the Cummins family and another notable San Antonian, the historian and author Light Townsend CumminsLight Townsend CumminsLight Townsend Cummins, born 1946, is an educator and historian. He is the Bryan Professor of History at Austin College in Sherman, Texas and is also the official State Historian of Texas.-Education:...
, grew up in that same house a decade earlier. It has since been demolished - A small snippet of Cross's early hit "Sailing" was played in the DreamWorksDreamWorksDreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
film "Flushed AwayFlushed AwayFlushed Away is a 2006 computer animated British film directed by David Bowers and Sam Fell. It is a partnership between Aardman Animations of Wallace and Gromit fame, and DreamWorks Animation, and is Aardman's first completely computer-animated feature as opposed to the usual stop-motion.The film...
" - Cross performed his hit song "Ride Like the Wind" on the NBC show Late Night with Jimmy FallonLate Night with Jimmy FallonLate Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
on Monday, October 5, 2009, in a "Yacht Rock" themed episode. He was joined by Michael McDonaldMichael McDonald (singer)Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan...
, whom he has worked with in the past. As the credits were rolling, Cross, McDonald and The Roots, the Fallon house band, broke into "Sailing", which he also performed in an online-only performance on NBC.com - Toured as part of the 2002 "A Walk Down Abbey Road" tour with Alan ParsonsAlan ParsonsAlan Parsons is a British audio engineer, musician, and record producer. He was involved with the production of several significant albums, including The Beatles' Abbey Road and Let It Be, as well as Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon for which Pink Floyd credit him as an important contributor...
, Mark FarnerMark FarnerMark Fredrick Farner is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lead guitarist for Grand Funk Railroad, and later as a Contemporary Christian Musician.-Early life and career:...
, Jack BruceJack BruceJohn Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scottish musician and songwriter, respected as a founding member of the British psychedelic rock power trio, Cream, for a solo career that spans several decades, and for his participation in several well-known musical ensembles...
, Eric CarmenEric CarmenEric Howard Carmen is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.He scored numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries , and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "She Did It",...
, and Todd RundgrenTodd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings... - Performed as part of the 2003 "A Walk Down Abbey Road" show, which consisted of two performances at the Atantic City Hilton on August 8–9, with Alan Parsons, Todd Rundgren, Joey MollandJoey MollandJoseph "Joey" Charles Molland is an English composer and rock guitarist whose recording career spans four decades...
and Denny LaineDenny LaineDenny Laine is an English songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, guitarist, and lead singer of The Moody Blues' 1965 debut album "The Magnificent Moodies"; and, later, best known for his role as co-founder of Wings...