Chris Isaak

b. 26 June 1956, Stockton, California, USA. Isaak is a crooner in the Roy Orbison mould who had been around a long time before he broke through in the late '80s. The son of a forklift truck driver, Isaak spent time participating in an exchange programme at university which led him to study in Japan. He also filled in as a tour guide for a film studio and held teenage boxing ambitions, ultimately leading to his distinctive flattened nose. After graduating with a degree in English and Communication Arts, he put together his first band, Silvertone. The rockabilly outfit consisted of James Calvin Wilsey (guitar), Rowland Salley (bass) and Kenney Dale Johnson (drums), who would all remain with Isaak as his permanent backing band. After acquiring a contract with Warner Brothers in 1985 Isaak and the band moved through three years and two albums with little success, apart from Blue Hotel which scored in France. The debut SILVERTONE was raw and diverse, with country blues mingling with conventional folk ballads. The self-titled follow-up saw him hone his style to sophisticated R&B. Throughout he was backed by the excellent moody guitar of Wilsey, whose mimicry of '50s styles is impeccable. After working with David Lynch on the film Wild At Heart he finally hit with Wicked Game, while a re-released Blue Hotel eventually made the chart in 1991. In a music scene currently dominated by synthesized, frantic pop, his simple approach has proved refreshing; ‘I just respond to music where the singer and melody are right up in the mix, whereas in most modern stuff the drum is usually the loudest thing’. His acting career has ploughed a parallel path with cameo roles in MARRIED TO THE MOB and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.