Chris Isaak

Christopher Joseph Isaak(born June 26, 1956)is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional actor. Noted for his reverb-ladenrockabillyrevivalist style and wide vocal range, he is popularly known for his breakthrough hit andsignature song"Wicked Game"; as well as international hits such as "Blue Hotel", "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing", and "Somebody's Crying".
With a career spanning four decades, Isaak has released 13 studio albums, toured extensively with his band Silvertone, and received numerous award nominations. His sound and image are often compared to those ofRoy Orbison,Elvis Presley,Ricky Nelson, andDuane Eddy.
Isaak has associated with film directorDavid Lynch, who has used his music in numerous films. As an actor, he played supporting roles and bit parts in films such asMarried to the Mob,The Silence of the Lambs,Little Buddha,That Thing You Do!and Lynch'sTwin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, and starred in two television series: thesitcomThe Chris Isaak Showand thetalk showThe Chris Isaak Hour.
Isaak was born inStockton, California,to Dorothy (néeVignolo; 1931–2021), and Joseph "Joe" Isaak (1929–2012), aforkliftdriver- respectively of Italian and German ancestry.
AttendingAmos Alonzo Stagg High Schoolin Stockton, Isaak was class president all three years, student body president of his senior class,  head of the all-male cheer squad, and the class of 1974valedictorian.
He subsequently attended a local college,San Joaquin Delta Community College, before transferring to theUniversity of the Pacific, graduating with a bachelor's degree in English and communications arts in 1981.He also participated in a Japanese exchange program.
After graduating from college, Isaak put together his first band, Silvertone, a rockabilly group withJames Calvin Wilsey(guitar), Jamie Ayres (bass), and John Silvers (drums).  Ayres and Silvers were later replaced byRowland Salley(bass), andKenney Dale Johnson(drums). The name was borrowed from the guitar brand popularized in the 1950s. The group remained with Isaak as his permanent backing band.
In 1985, Isaak signed a contract withWarner Bros. Recordsand released his first album,Silvertone,to critical acclaim, including fromJohn Fogerty.Despite being named after his band,Silvertonewas mostly recorded withsession musicians. The album's sound was raw and diverse, mingling country blues with conventional folk ballads.Although the album was a critical success, it failed to sell respectably.Two tracks from the album, "Gone Ridin'" and "Livin' for Your Lover", featured inDavid Lynch's 1986 filmBlue Velvet.
Isaak'sself-titled follow-up albumwas released in 1987 and reached theBillboard 200.The album saw Isaak hone his style to sophisticated R&B.The artwork forChris Isaakwas photographed by fashion photographerBruce Weber. Three tracks from the album -- "You Owe Me Some Kind of Love", "Blue Hotel", and "Lie to Me" –- were used in Episode 5 of the 1987 TV series "Private Eye".
Warner Bros. moved Isaak to theirReprise Recordslabel in 1988. That same year, "Suspicion of Love" by Isaak appeared inMarried to the Mob, a hit movie starringMatthew Modine,Michelle Pfeiffer, andDean Stockwell.
Isaak's best known song is "Wicked Game".In an interview with Mark Needham, an engineer who worked with Isaak on "Wicked Game", Needham claimed that it took several years to put the track together.It was first released on the 1989 albumHeart Shaped World, and aninstrumentalversion of the song was subsequently featured in the 1990 David Lynch filmWild at Heart.Lee Chesnut, an Atlanta radio station music director who was obsessed with Lynch films, played the vocal version and it became the station's most-requested song. Chesnut spread the word to other radio stations and the single became a national top 10 hit in February 1991, peaking at number 6.It also reached No. 10 in theUK Singles Chart.The music video for the song was directed byHerb Rittsand was anMTVandVH1hit; shot in black and white, it featured Isaak and supermodelHelena Christensenin a sensual encounter on the beach, caressing each other and whispering in each other's ears. Another less-seen version of "Wicked Game" is directed by David Lynch and comprises scenes from the filmWild at Heart. "Wicked Game" featured as the backing music in the 2001 TV advertisement for theJaguar X-Typein the UK.
"Two Hearts" from Isaak's fourth album,San Francisco Days, was featured in the closing credits ofTrue Romance, a 1993 film directed byTony Scott, written byQuentin Tarantino, and starringChristian SlaterandPatricia Arquette.
In 1995, Isaak split with longtime guitaristJames Calvin Wilsey. That year he releasedForever Blue, Isaak's fifth album, and the accompanying tour featured Hershel Yatovitz on guitar. The album was nominated for aGrammyforBest Rock Album, and the single "Somebody's Crying" was nominated for a Grammy forBest Male Rock Vocal Performance. On March 15, 1996, the album was certified Platinum by theRIAA. "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" was featured inStanley Kubrick's final film,Eyes Wide Shut, in 1999. The music video for the song was directed by Herb Ritts (his second collaboration with Isaak); it was shot in color and featured Isaak and French supermodelLaetitia Castain a motel room.
Isaak composed atheme songfor U.S. late-night television variety-talk showThe Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn.
Therecord producerErik Jacobsenwas instrumental in Isaak's sound for 15 years. Jacobsen is known for his production work withThe Lovin' Spoonful, as well as on solo albums by Spoonful'sJohn SebastianandJerry Yester. Isaak ceased working with Jacobsen on his 2002 albumAlways Got Tonight. "Life Will Go On" from this album was featured inChasing Liberty, a 2004 film starringMandy MooreandMatthew Goode.
In 2007, a live performance of Isaak singingFats Domino's hit "Blueberry Hill" withJohnny HallydayatLa Cigalewas released on Hallyday's live albumLa Cigale : 12-17 Décembre 2006. At the end of this recording, one can hear Isaak thanking the French rock-'n'-roll star, referring to him as "The King". Also in 2007, Isaak opened forStevie Nickson the first leg of her Crystal Visions Tour.
For his 2009 albumMr. Lucky, Isaak collaborated with producerJohn Shanks.
Isaak contributed a cover ofBuddy Holly's "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" for a tribute album,Listen to Me: Buddy Holly, released in September 2011.The next month, he releasedBeyond the Sun, an album ofcover songs(except for one original) that was recorded inMemphis, Tennessee, at theSun Recordsstudio.
Isaak performed at the2015 AFL Grand Final, along with English singerEllie Gouldingand Canadian musicianBryan Adams.
In 2016, Isaak did the "First Comes the NightTour".
Isaak revealed in a 2002 interview withAcoustic Guitarthat he uses a one-of-a-kindGibson:
Isaak also plays a Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar, which he uses for songwriting.
In addition to his music, Isaak has acted in film and television — as a main character or more often in smaller roles. A few of his larger film roles includedDavid Lynch'sTwin Peaks: Fire Walk with Mein 1992 and in the 1993Bernardo Bertolucci-directedLittle Buddha, in which he starred alongsideBridget FondaandKeanu Reeves. Other motion pictures roles includedMarried to the Mob(1988),The Silence of the Lambs(1991),That Thing You Do!(1996),A Dirty Shame(2004), andThe Informers(2008).
Isaak guest-starred in the specialSuper Bowl XXXedition of the television sitcomFriends("The One After the Superbowl, Part One") in 1996,and in 1998 he co-starred in theHBOminiseriesFrom the Earth to the Moonas astronautEd White, who was the first American astronaut to do aspacewalkand who died in the 1967Apollo 1fire.
From March 2001 to March 2004, Isaak starred in his own television show,The Chris Isaak Show. It aired in the United States on the cable television networkShowtime. This adultsitcomfeatured Isaak and his band playing themselves, and the episode plots were based on fictional accounts of the backstage world of Isaak—the rock star next door.
In 2009,The Biography ChannelairedThe Chris Isaak Hour, a one-hour music interview and performance show hosted by Isaak.The series premiere featuredTrisha Yearwoodand included their first-ever performance of "Breaking Apart", a song from Isaak's 1998 albumSpeak of the Devilthat the two recorded as a duet for his 2009 albumMr. Lucky. The guests on the remaining seven episodes of the series were:Stevie Nicks,Glen Campbell,Michael Bublé,Chicago,The Smashing Pumpkins,Yusuf Islam, andJewel.
In April 2010, Isaak was the special guest duringConan O'Brien'sThe Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tourperformance at theNob Hill Masonic CenterinSan Francisco, California.
On September 29, 2011, Isaak received the Stockton Arts Commission STAR Award in his hometown ofStockton, California.
In 2014, Isaak voiced the character of Enoch, the apparent ruler of the town of Pottsfield, in the second episode of the animated television miniseriesOver the Garden Wall.
On May 3, 2015, Isaak was confirmed to be replacingNatalie Bassingthwaighteas a judge on theseventh seasonofThe X Factor Australia.He joinedJames Bluntand returning judgesGuy SebastianandDannii Minogue.
Isaak is close friends withStevie Nicksand the late film directorDavid Lynch.
Isaak is a lifelong bachelor.Regarding his bachelor status, Isaak stated,
Isaak enjoys drawing and exploring salvage shops and secondhand stores.
During the 1995 MTV Awards, Isaak forcibly attempted to kiss Cameron Diaz against her will, saying "come on baby" and "I knew you'd come around."To which Winner Jim Carey's response getting on stage was to forcibly plant a kiss on him. To which the visible discomfort and humiliation was evident as he staggered off wiping his lips.