Jon Christopher Davis
Encyclopedia
Jon Christopher Davis is an American
musician
and singer-songwriter
that hails from Texas
. His musical influences include The Eagles, Tom Petty
, Bruce Springsteen
, Bryan Adams
, Merle Haggard
and Johnny Cash
.
. In 1998, he signed with Warner/Chappell Music
as a staff songwriter where he wrote songs for such artists as Dolly Parton
, Hal Ketchum
, Billy Ray Cyrus
and Sherrie Austin
. In 1999, Jon Christopher signed a developmental artist deal with Warner Bros. Records
. Although the project was shelved by the label for not being Country
enough, his self produced recordings caught the attention of hit producer, Dann Huff
. Huff quickly signed Davis to his new subsidiary label under Sony Records; but after two years, Sony pulled the plug on the project due to internal politics between Huff and Sony.
where Radney Foster took the role of producing the album. That same year, he also signed a new publishing deal with BMG
Publishing where he wrote two of his biggest songs, Lone Star Attitude® and Baby Looks Good on You® - both songs have since transitioned into trademarked brands.
After listening to the Foster-produced tracks, MCA executives considered them 'too Texas' for Nashville. So, under the advisement of Mr. Foster, Jon Christopher returned to his Texas roots and signed with indie label, Palo Duro Records
. After his debut CD received a nationwide release in 2006, USA TODAY
selected The Bottom Line song from the album as one of the most intriguing tracks from the present, the past and the near future. The album also got the attention of popular music critic, Robert K. Oermann: "I’m a huge fan of this man’s album. Its second single sizzles with zesty rhythm, yelping vocals, sidewinder guitar and a ridiculously catchy melody. The major-label “stars” on Music Row have nothing on this guy. Play this!"
that eventually became the official theme song for The American Fallen Soldiers Project.
In 2009, he became the Texas-voice for TXU
Energy and released the 2 disk CD, Demos from the Vault (1999–2009).
In 2010, Jon Christopher wrote and recorded Relay For Life which soon after won the national Relay For life Music Contest held by the American Cancer Society
; co-wrote and produced a children's album for TX, the Lone Star Hero™; and wrote & recorded the corporate them song, "Securing Your World," for G4S, a global security
services company headquartered in Crawley
, United Kingdom
.
Currently, Jon Christopher is writing and producing music for the new NBA D-League team, The Texas Legends. The team is owned by NBA team Dallas Mavericks
General Manager, Donnie Nelson
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and 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...
that hails from 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 musical influences include The Eagles, Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
, Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
and Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
.
Early career (1996-2001)
After cutting his musical teeth in the early 90’s playing the Dallas club scene, Jon Christopher Davis moved to Nashville in 1996 under the guidance of legendary Texas singer-songwriter, Rodney CrowellRodney Crowell
Rodney Crowell is a Grammy Award-winning musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music....
. In 1998, he signed with Warner/Chappell Music
Warner/Chappell Music
Warner/Chappell Music, Inc. is an American music publishing company, and a division of the Warner Music Group. The company traces its origins back to 1811 and the founding of Chappell & Company, a music publishing company and instrument shop on London’s Bond Street that, in 1929, began a rapid...
as a staff songwriter where he wrote songs for such artists as Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
, Hal Ketchum
Hal Ketchum
Hal Michael Ketchum is an American country music artist. He has released ten studio albums since 1986, including nine for the Curb and Asylum-Curb labels. Ketchum's 1991 album Past the Point of Rescue is his most commercially successful, having been certified gold by the Recording Industry...
, Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...
and Sherrie Austin
Sherrié Austin
Sherrie Veronica Krenn is an Australian actress and singer, known professionally as Sherrié Austin. Active as a singer since her teenage years, Sherrié initially recorded as one half of the duo Colorhaus, which also featured Phil Radford...
. In 1999, Jon Christopher signed a developmental artist deal with Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. Although the project was shelved by the label for not being Country
Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
enough, his self produced recordings caught the attention of hit producer, Dann Huff
Dann Huff
Dann Huff is an American musician, session musician, singer-songwriter and producer. For his work as a producer in the Country music genre he has won several awards including the Musician of the Year award in 2001 and 2004 at the Country Music Association Awards and the Producer of the Year award...
. Huff quickly signed Davis to his new subsidiary label under Sony Records; but after two years, Sony pulled the plug on the project due to internal politics between Huff and Sony.
2002-2007
In 2002, Jon Christopher signed a new development deal with MCA RecordsMCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
where Radney Foster took the role of producing the album. That same year, he also signed a new publishing deal with BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
Publishing where he wrote two of his biggest songs, Lone Star Attitude® and Baby Looks Good on You® - both songs have since transitioned into trademarked brands.
After listening to the Foster-produced tracks, MCA executives considered them 'too Texas' for Nashville. So, under the advisement of Mr. Foster, Jon Christopher returned to his Texas roots and signed with indie label, Palo Duro Records
Palo Duro Records
Palo Duro Records is an independent record label established in 2001 to focus primarily on Texas-based singer/songwriters and bands. The label specializes in musical styles from the Americana, country music, alternative country and Texas music genres....
. After his debut CD received a nationwide release in 2006, USA TODAY
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
selected The Bottom Line song from the album as one of the most intriguing tracks from the present, the past and the near future. The album also got the attention of popular music critic, Robert K. Oermann: "I’m a huge fan of this man’s album. Its second single sizzles with zesty rhythm, yelping vocals, sidewinder guitar and a ridiculously catchy melody. The major-label “stars” on Music Row have nothing on this guy. Play this!"
2008-Present
In September of 2008, Jon Christopher launched the boutique label & production company, JustCoolMusic with a business partner. Its first release was a patriotic song called The Boy I Left Behind - a duet written and recorded by Jon Christopher and fellow Texas singer-songwriter, Deryl DoddDeryl Dodd
Deryl Dwaine Dodd is an American Texas Country artist. Originally a regular on the Texas club circuit, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, soon finding work as a background vocalist and songwriter...
that eventually became the official theme song for The American Fallen Soldiers Project.
In 2009, he became the Texas-voice for TXU
TXU
Energy Future Holdings Corporation is an electric utility company headquartered in Energy Plaza in Downtown Dallas, Texas, United States. The company was known as TXU until its $45 billion leveraged buyout by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, Texas Pacific Group and Goldman Sachs...
Energy and released the 2 disk CD, Demos from the Vault (1999–2009).
In 2010, Jon Christopher wrote and recorded Relay For Life which soon after won the national Relay For life Music Contest held by the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
; co-wrote and produced a children's album for TX, the Lone Star Hero™; and wrote & recorded the corporate them song, "Securing Your World," for G4S, a global security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
services company headquartered in Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Currently, Jon Christopher is writing and producing music for the new NBA D-League team, The Texas Legends. The team is owned by NBA team Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
General Manager, Donnie Nelson
Donnie Nelson
Donnie Nelson is the General Manager and president of basketball operations for the NBA team the Dallas Mavericks. Donnie attended Worcester Academy for High School. He is the son of Don Nelson, the former head coach of the Golden State Warriors...
.
Discography
Albums- Jon Christopher Davis Live (2005)
- Jon Christopher Davis (2006)
- The Boy I Left Behind (2008)
- Demos from the Vault (1999-2009) (2009)
- Relay For Life (2010)
Sources
- http://jonchristopherdavis.com/home.html
- http://www.palodurorecords.com/
- http://www.facebook.com/jonchristopherdavismusic
- http://www.jonchristopherdavis.com/home.html
- http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/fox_4_features/hometown_heroes/Hometown-Hero%3A-Jon-Christopher-Davis
- http://countrymusic.about.com/od/cdreviewsmz/fr/jcdavis.htm
- http://www.amazon.com/Jon-Christopher-Davis-Dig/dp/B000GFRIP4
- http://texas.official-city.com/jon-christopher-davis-wins-top-honors-for-relay-for-life
- http://www.allmusic.com/album/jon-christopher-davis-r849749/review
- http://rodneycrowell.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=400&p=1130
- http://artreach.smugmug.com/Community-Programs/Sept-2010-Texas-Music-Project/13601132_PKsRW#992217115_rSehu