Chris Isaak
Encyclopedia
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American
rock
musician
and occasional actor
.
, California
, the son of Dorothy (née
Vignolo), a potato chip
factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American
, originating from Genoa
. Isaak's father is German American
.
in 1984 for his first album Silvertone
. The tracks "Gone Ridin'" and "Livin' for Your Lover", from this album, were featured in David Lynch
's cult classic Blue Velvet. Isaak's second self-titled album Chris Isaak
was photographed by fashion photographer Bruce Weber
. Isaak's contract was renewed in 1988 when Warner Bros. moved him to their Reprise Records
label.
His best-known song is "Wicked Game
." Though released on the 1989 album Heart Shaped World, an instrumental
version of the song was later featured in the 1990 David Lynch
film Wild at Heart
. Lee Chesnut, an Atlanta radio station
music director who was obsessed with Lynch films, began playing the vocal version and it quickly became the station's most-requested song. Chesnut spread the word to other radio stations around the country and the single became a national Top 10 hit
in February 1991. The music video
for the song was directed by Herb Ritts
and was a big MTV
and VH1
hit; shot in black and white, it starred Isaak and Danish supermodel Helena Christensen
rolling on the beach, embracing and whispering in each other's ears. Another less-seen version of the "Wicked Game
" is directed by David Lynch and comprises scenes from the film Wild at Heart
. "Wicked Game
" also featured as the backing music in the 2001 TV advert for the Jaguar X-Type
range of cars in the UK. In 1995 Isaak split with long time guitarist James Calvin Wilsey
, and that year's Forever Blue and the accompanying tour featured Hershel Yatovitz on guitar.
In 1999, Isaak's "Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing
" was featured in Stanley Kubrick
's final film, Eyes Wide Shut
, starring Tom Cruise
and Nicole Kidman
. The song is on his 1995 album Forever Blue. The music video for the song is directed by Herb Ritts
, it was shot in color, it starred Isaak and French
supermodel
Laetitia Casta
in a motel room. This was Isaak's second collaboration with Ritts.
Isaak also composed a theme song for U.S. late-night television variety/talk show, The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
. In 2001, Isaak starred in his own television show, The Chris Isaak Show
. It aired from March 2001 to March 2004 in the United States on the cable television
network Showtime. This adult comedy show featured Chris Isaak and his band playing themselves and the episode plots were based on fictional accounts of the backstage world of Chris Isaak—the rock star next door. In 2004, his track "Life Will Go On" was featured on Chasing Liberty
s soundtrack, which starred Mandy Moore
and Matthew Goode
. His track "Two Hearts" was featured in the closing credits of the 1993 film True Romance
, directed by Tony Scott
, written by Quentin Tarantino
, and starring Christian Slater
and Patricia Arquette
.
Isaak's longtime producer, Erik Jacobsen
, was instrumental in his sound for 15 years. Jacobsen is known for his production work with The Lovin' Spoonful
, and solo albums from Spoonful's John Sebastian
and Jerry Yester
. Isaak ceased working with Jacobsen on his 2002 album, Always Got Tonight
. In 2007 Isaak opened for Stevie Nicks
on her Crystal Visions Tour during the first leg of the tour.
Isaak was ranked #68 on VH1
's 100 Sexiest Artists.
Isaak collaborated with John Shanks
for his 2009 album Mr. Lucky
.
He contributed a cover of Buddy Holly
's "Crying, Waiting, Hoping
" for the tribute album, Listen to Me: Buddy Holly, released September 6, 2011.
Isaak recently released an album called Beyond the Sun
, which was recorded in Memphis, Tennessee
at the Sun Records
studio.
: Isaak also plays a Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar, which he uses for songwriting.
and Bridget Fonda
in the 1993 Bernardo Bertolucci
-directed Little Buddha
, and also played a major role in David Lynch
's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992). Other motion pictures include Married to the Mob
(1988), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), That Thing You Do!
(1996), and A Dirty Shame
(2004).
Isaak starred in The Chris Isaak Show
(2001–2004) playing himself and featuring actual members of his band along with numerous celebrity guests. He also guest-starred on the "The One After the Superbowl, Part One
", the Super Bowl XXX
edition of the television sitcom Friends
; and on the HBO miniseries, From the Earth to the Moon, as astronaut Ed White
, the first American astronaut to leave the confines of his spacecraft who later died in the Apollo 1
fire.
The Biography Channel
aired The Chris Isaak Hour
, a one-hour music interview and performance show in 2009. The series premiere featured Trisha Yearwood
, and included the first ever performance of "Breaking Apart", a duet from Isaak's new album, Mr. Lucky
. Additional guests included Stevie Nicks
, Smashing Pumpkins, Chicago
, Glen Campbell
, Michael Bublé
, Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens
), and Jewel
.
In April, 2010, Isaak was the special guest during Conan O'Brien
's The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour
performance at the Nob Hill Masonic Center in San Francisco, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
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 occasional actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Early life
Isaak was born in StocktonStockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, the son of Dorothy (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Vignolo), a potato chip
Potato chip
Potato chips are thin slices of potato that are deep fried...
factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
, originating from Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
. Isaak's father is German American
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
.
Music
Isaak signed a contract to Warner Bros. RecordsWarner 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...
in 1984 for his first album Silvertone
Silvertone (album)
Silvertone is the first album by Chris Isaak, released in 1985, and named after his three-piece backup band. The US edition includes the song "Another Idea , and early CD editions of the album utilized CD+G technology....
. The tracks "Gone Ridin'" and "Livin' for Your Lover", from this album, were featured in David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
's cult classic Blue Velvet. Isaak's second self-titled album Chris Isaak
Chris Isaak (album)
Chris Isaak is the eponymous second album by Chris Isaak, released in 1986.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Chris Isaak; except where indicated# "You Owe Me Some Kind of Love" – 3:51# "Heart Full of Soul" – 3:20...
was photographed by fashion photographer Bruce Weber
Bruce Weber (photographer)
Bruce Weber is an American fashion photographer and occasional filmmaker. He is most widely known for his ad campaigns for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Pirelli, Abercrombie & Fitch, Revlon, and Gianni Versace, as well as his work for Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Elle, Life, Interview, and Rolling Stone...
. Isaak's contract was renewed in 1988 when Warner Bros. moved him to their Reprise Records
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
label.
His best-known song is "Wicked Game
Wicked Game
"Wicked Game" is a 1989 song by Chris Isaak from his third studio album Heart Shaped World. Despite being released as a single in 1989, it did not become a hit until it was later featured in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart...
." Though released on the 1989 album Heart Shaped World, an instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
version of the song was later featured in the 1990 David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
film Wild at Heart
Wild at Heart (film)
Wild at Heart is a 1990 American film written and directed by David Lynch, and based on Barry Gifford's 1989 novel Wild at Heart: The Story of Sailor and Lula. Both the book and the film revolve around Sailor Ripley and Lula Pace Fortune , a young couple from Cape Fear, North Carolina who go on...
. Lee Chesnut, an Atlanta radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
music director who was obsessed with Lynch films, began playing the vocal version and it quickly became the station's most-requested song. Chesnut spread the word to other radio stations around the country and the single became a national Top 10 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in February 1991. The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song was directed by Herb Ritts
Herb Ritts
Herbert "Herb" Ritts was an American fashion photographer who concentrated on black-and-white photography and portraits, often in the style of classical Greek sculpture.-Early life and career:...
and was a big MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
hit; shot in black and white, it starred Isaak and Danish supermodel Helena Christensen
Helena Christensen
Helena Christensen is a Danish fashion model, Victoria's Secret Angel, beauty queen, and photographer. She has also served as creative director for Nylon magazine, designed clothing, and supported funding for breast cancer organizations and other charities.-Early life:Christensen was born in...
rolling on the beach, embracing and whispering in each other's ears. Another less-seen version of the "Wicked Game
Wicked Game
"Wicked Game" is a 1989 song by Chris Isaak from his third studio album Heart Shaped World. Despite being released as a single in 1989, it did not become a hit until it was later featured in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart...
" is directed by David Lynch and comprises scenes from the film Wild at Heart
Wild at Heart (film)
Wild at Heart is a 1990 American film written and directed by David Lynch, and based on Barry Gifford's 1989 novel Wild at Heart: The Story of Sailor and Lula. Both the book and the film revolve around Sailor Ripley and Lula Pace Fortune , a young couple from Cape Fear, North Carolina who go on...
. "Wicked Game
Wicked Game
"Wicked Game" is a 1989 song by Chris Isaak from his third studio album Heart Shaped World. Despite being released as a single in 1989, it did not become a hit until it was later featured in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart...
" also featured as the backing music in the 2001 TV advert for the Jaguar X-Type
Jaguar X-Type
The X-Type is a compact executive car manufactured and marketed for model years 2001-2009 by Jaguar Cars. The smallest of the Jaguar model range, the X-type was marketed in saloon and wagon variants and was the only estate ever manufactured in series production by the company...
range of cars in the UK. In 1995 Isaak split with long time guitarist James Calvin Wilsey
James Wilsey
James Calvin Wilsey is an American musician. He played bass with San Francisco punk band The Avengers but become better known as lead guitarist with Stockton crooner Chris Isaak and his band Silvertone, and featured in Isaak's solo albums Silvertone, Chris Isaak, Heart Shaped World, and San...
, and that year's Forever Blue and the accompanying tour featured Hershel Yatovitz on guitar.
In 1999, Isaak's "Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing
Baby Did A Bad, Bad Thing
"Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing" is a song by American rock and roll artist Chris Isaak, released as the first track to the 1995 album Forever Blue. The song was later featured in the 1999 Stanley Kubrick film Eyes Wide Shut, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman...
" was featured in Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
's final film, Eyes Wide Shut
Eyes Wide Shut
Eyes Wide Shut is a 1999 drama film based upon Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 novella Traumnovelle . The film was directed, produced and co-written by Stanley Kubrick, and was his last film. The story, set in and around New York City, follows the sexually-charged adventures of Dr...
, starring Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
and Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
. The song is on his 1995 album Forever Blue. The music video for the song is directed by Herb Ritts
Herb Ritts
Herbert "Herb" Ritts was an American fashion photographer who concentrated on black-and-white photography and portraits, often in the style of classical Greek sculpture.-Early life and career:...
, it was shot in color, it starred Isaak and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
supermodel
Supermodel
The term supermodel refers to a highly-paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in haute couture and commercial modeling. The term became prominent in the popular culture of the 1980s. Supermodels usually work for top fashion designers and labels...
Laetitia Casta
Laetitia Casta
Laetitia Marie Laure Casta is a French model and actress.-Early life:Laetitia Casta was born in Pont-Audemer, Normandy, France. Her mother, Line Blin, is from Normandy. Her father, Dominique Casta, is from Corsica. She has an older brother, Jean-Baptiste, and a younger sister, Marie-Ange...
in a motel room. This was Isaak's second collaboration with Ritts.
Isaak also composed a theme song for U.S. late-night television variety/talk show, The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
The Late Late Show (CBS TV series)
The Late Late Show is an American late-night television talk and variety show on CBS hosted by Craig Ferguson since 2005. It immediately follows Late Show with David Letterman and is produced by Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated...
. In 2001, Isaak starred in his own television show, The Chris Isaak Show
The Chris Isaak Show
The Chris Isaak Show is a television sitcom which follows a fictionalized version of the life of American rock musician Chris Isaak. The show portrays Isaak and his band members as everyday people with everyday problems...
. It aired from March 2001 to March 2004 in the United States on the cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
network Showtime. This adult comedy show featured Chris Isaak and his band playing themselves and the episode plots were based on fictional accounts of the backstage world of Chris Isaak—the rock star next door. In 2004, his track "Life Will Go On" was featured on Chasing Liberty
Chasing Liberty
Chasing Liberty is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Andy Cadiff, and starring Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode.-Plot:Anna Foster is the daughter of President James Foster and First Lady Michelle Foster . After Secret Service agents ruin a first date, Anna demands some freedom...
s soundtrack, which starred Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
and Matthew Goode
Matthew Goode
Matthew William Goode is an English actor. His notable films have included Match Point, Watchmen, Brideshead Revisited, Leap Year, Imagine Me and You and A Single Man.-Early life:...
. His track "Two Hearts" was featured in the closing credits of the 1993 film True Romance
True Romance
True Romance is a 1993 American romance crime film written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott. The film stars Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette with an ensemble cast consisting of Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Chris Penn, Tom Sizemore, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin...
, directed by Tony Scott
Tony Scott
Anthony D. L. "Tony" Scott is an English film director. His films include Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, Spy Game, Man on Fire, Déjà Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123, and Unstoppable...
, written by Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
, and starring Christian Slater
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
and Patricia Arquette
Patricia Arquette
Patricia T. Arquette is an American actress and director. She played the lead character in the supernatural drama series Medium for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series....
.
Isaak's longtime producer, Erik Jacobsen
Erik Jacobsen
Erik Jacobsen is an American record producer, best known for his work in the 1960s with Tim Hardin, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Charlatans and Norman Greenbaum, and later with Tazmanian Devils and Chris Isaak....
, was instrumental in his sound for 15 years. Jacobsen is known for his production work with The Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful is an American pop rock band of the 1960s, named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. When asked about his band, leader John Sebastian said it sounded like a combination of "Mississippi John Hurt and Chuck Berry," prompting his friend, Fritz Richmond, to suggest the name...
, and solo albums from Spoonful's John Sebastian
John Sebastian
John Benson Sebastian Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and autoharpist. He is best known as a founder of The Lovin' Spoonful, a band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000...
and Jerry Yester
Jerry Yester
Jerry Yester is an American folk rock musician, record producer, and arranger.Growing up in Burbank, California, Yester formed a duo with brother Jim Yester, the Yester Brothers, and starting playing folk clubs in Los Angeles in 1960...
. Isaak ceased working with Jacobsen on his 2002 album, Always Got Tonight
Always Got Tonight
Always Got Tonight is an album by Chris Isaak. It was released in 2002 on WEA/Warner Bros. Records.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Chris Isaak; except where indicated# "One Day"# "Let Me Down Easy"# "Worked It Out Wrong"# "Courthouse"...
. In 2007 Isaak opened for Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
on her Crystal Visions Tour during the first leg of the tour.
Isaak was ranked #68 on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's 100 Sexiest Artists.
Isaak collaborated with John Shanks
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
for his 2009 album Mr. Lucky
Mr. Lucky (Chris Isaak album)
Mr. Lucky is a 2009 album by American rock musician Chris Isaak.-Track listing:All Songs written by Chris Isaak; except where indicated.#Cheater's Town - 3:37#We Let Her Down - 3:21#You Don't Cry Like I Do - 4:11#We've Got Tomorrow - 2:22...
.
He contributed a cover of Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
's "Crying, Waiting, Hoping
Crying, Waiting, Hoping
"Crying, Waiting, Hoping" is a song by Buddy Holly. It was released in 1959 as B-side to "Peggy Sue Got Married". There are actually three versions of Holly's recording in circulation: the 1959 commercial release, the 1964 reissue with different orchestration, and Holly's original, private home...
" for the tribute album, Listen to Me: Buddy Holly, released September 6, 2011.
Isaak recently released an album called Beyond the Sun
Beyond the Sun (album)
Beyond the Sun is an album by Chris Isaak, released through Vanguard Records on October 18, 2011. It is a collection of songs recorded by Sun Records artists Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Most of the songs were originally released on Sun Records...
, which was recorded in Memphis, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
at the Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
studio.
Guitars
Isaak revealed in a 2002 interview with Acoustic Guitar that he uses a one-of-a-kind GibsonGibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
: Isaak also plays a Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar, which he uses for songwriting.
Acting and other work
Isaak has also appeared in numerous films, mostly playing minor cameo roles, though he starred with Keanu ReevesKeanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
and Bridget Fonda
Bridget Fonda
Bridget Jane Fonda is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in films such as The Godfather Part III, Single White Female, Point of No Return, It Could Happen to You, and Jackie Brown...
in the 1993 Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci is an Italian film director and screenwriter, whose films include The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, 1900, The Last Emperor and The Dreamers...
-directed Little Buddha
Little Buddha
Little Buddha is a 1994 feature film by Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci, starring Bridget Fonda and Keanu Reeves. Made by Bertolucci's regular partner, British producer Jeremy Thomas, it marked the team's return to the East after The Last Emperor....
, and also played a major role in David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992). Other motion pictures include Married to the Mob
Married to the Mob
Married to the Mob is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Modine.Michelle Pfeiffer, in something of a departure from her previous roles, gave an acclaimed lead performance as a gangster's widow from Brooklyn, opposite Matthew Modine as the...
(1988), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), That Thing You Do!
That Thing You Do!
That Thing You Do! is a 1996 comedy-drama musical film written and directed by Tom Hanks. Set in the summer of 1964, the movie tells the story of the quick rise and fall of a one-hit wonder rock band...
(1996), and A Dirty Shame
A Dirty Shame
A Dirty Shame is a 2004 satirical sex comedy written and directed by John Waters, and starring Tracey Ullman, Selma Blair, Johnny Knoxville, Chris Isaak, Suzanne Shepherd, and Mink Stole.-Plot:...
(2004).
Isaak starred in The Chris Isaak Show
The Chris Isaak Show
The Chris Isaak Show is a television sitcom which follows a fictionalized version of the life of American rock musician Chris Isaak. The show portrays Isaak and his band members as everyday people with everyday problems...
(2001–2004) playing himself and featuring actual members of his band along with numerous celebrity guests. He also guest-starred on the "The One After the Superbowl, Part One
The One After the Superbowl, Part One
"The One After the Superbowl" is a double-length episode of the American television sitcom Friends second season. It originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on January 28, 1996, immediately after NBC's telecast of Super Bowl XXX...
", the Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
edition of the television sitcom Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
; and on the HBO miniseries, From the Earth to the Moon, as astronaut Ed White
Edward Higgins White
Edward Higgins White, II was an engineer, United States Air Force officer and NASA astronaut. On June 3, 1965, he became the first American to "walk" in space. White died along with fellow astronauts Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee during a pre-launch test for the first manned Apollo mission at...
, the first American astronaut to leave the confines of his spacecraft who later died in the Apollo 1
Apollo 1
Apollo 1 was scheduled to be the first manned mission of the Apollo manned lunar landing program, with a target launch date of February 21, 1967. A cabin fire during a launch pad test on January 27 at Launch Pad 34 at Cape Canaveral killed all three crew members: Command Pilot Virgil "Gus"...
fire.
The Biography Channel
The Biography Channel
The Biography Channel is an American digital cable television channel owned by A&E and based on the television series of the same name. A version of the channel also airs on ONO and Telefónica in Spain and on Sky Digital and cable television in the United Kingdom, a version of the channel also...
aired The Chris Isaak Hour
The Chris Isaak Hour
The Chris Isaak Hour is a one-hour talk show, that aired in 2009 on The Biography Channel, in which singer Chris Isaak, interviews and plays alongside other musical artists such as Stevie Nicks and Glen Campbell.The channel currently airs re-runs on Thursdays and Saturdays.-Episodes:# Trisha...
, a one-hour music interview and performance show in 2009. The series premiere featured Trisha Yearwood
Trisha Yearwood
Patricia Lynn Yearwood, professionally known as Trisha Yearwood , is an American country music artist. She is best known for her ballads about vulnerable young women from a female perspective that have been described by some music critics as "strong" and "confident."Trisha Yearwood signed with MCA...
, and included the first ever performance of "Breaking Apart", a duet from Isaak's new album, Mr. Lucky
Mr. Lucky (Chris Isaak album)
Mr. Lucky is a 2009 album by American rock musician Chris Isaak.-Track listing:All Songs written by Chris Isaak; except where indicated.#Cheater's Town - 3:37#We Let Her Down - 3:21#You Don't Cry Like I Do - 4:11#We've Got Tomorrow - 2:22...
. Additional guests included Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
, Smashing Pumpkins, Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
, Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
, Michael Bublé
Michael Bublé
Michael Steven Bublé is a Canadian singer. He has won several awards, including three Grammy Awards and multiple Juno Awards. His first album reached the top ten in Canada and the UK. He found worldwide commercial success with his 2005 album It's Time, and his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible was...
, Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
), and Jewel
Jewel (singer)
Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...
.
In April, 2010, Isaak was the special guest during Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
's The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour
The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour
The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour was a comedy tour featuring Conan O'Brien. The title of the tour is a reference to the 2010 Tonight Show host and timeslot conflict which resulted in O'Brien resigning from his position as host of The Tonight Show in January 2010...
performance at the Nob Hill Masonic Center in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
Discography
- SilvertoneSilvertone (album)Silvertone is the first album by Chris Isaak, released in 1985, and named after his three-piece backup band. The US edition includes the song "Another Idea , and early CD editions of the album utilized CD+G technology....
(1985) - Chris IsaakChris Isaak (album)Chris Isaak is the eponymous second album by Chris Isaak, released in 1986.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Chris Isaak; except where indicated# "You Owe Me Some Kind of Love" – 3:51# "Heart Full of Soul" – 3:20...
(1986) - Heart Shaped World (1989)
- Wicked Game (1991)
- San Francisco DaysSan Francisco DaysSan Francisco Days is the fourth album by Chris Isaak, released in 1993. The album was dedicated to the memory of Louie Beeson, who was the sound consultant.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Chris Isaak; except where indicated# "San Francisco Days"...
(1993) - Forever Blue (1995)
- Baja SessionsBaja SessionsBaja Sessions is a 1996 album by Chris Isaak, featuring largely acoustic arrangements. The album contains a large number of covers, many of which are classic songs which refer to, or are styled to suggest tropical, laid-back settings, such as the Hawaiian-tinged "Sweet Leilani" and "South of the...
(1996) - Speak of the DevilSpeak of the Devil (Chris Isaak album)Speak of the Devil is an album by Chris Isaak. It was released in 1998 on Warner Bros. Records.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Chris Isaak; except where indicated# "Please" – 3:34# "Flying" – 3:08# "Walk Slow" – 3:01...
(1998) - Always Got TonightAlways Got TonightAlways Got Tonight is an album by Chris Isaak. It was released in 2002 on WEA/Warner Bros. Records.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Chris Isaak; except where indicated# "One Day"# "Let Me Down Easy"# "Worked It Out Wrong"# "Courthouse"...
(2002) - ChristmasChristmas (Chris Isaak album)-Track listing:All tracks composed by Chris Isaak; except where indicated#"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" – 2:12#"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" – 3:10#"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" -Track listing:All tracks composed by Chris Isaak; except where indicated#"Rudolph the Red-Nosed...
(2004) - Best of Chris IsaakBest of Chris IsaakBest of Chris Isaak is an album by Chris Isaak released on May 9, 2006 on the Reprise Records Warner Bros. Records record label.-Track listing:#"San Francisco Days" #"Somebody's Crying" #"Wicked Game"...
(2006) - Live in AustraliaLive in AustraliaLive in Australia is a 2008 live album by American rock musician Chris Isaak. The album was recorded in Melbourne, Australia in 2006.-Track listing:#Speak of the Devil - 4:15#Let Me Down Easy - 4:05#Intro - 1:37#I'll Go Crazy - 3:13...
(2008) - Mr. LuckyMr. Lucky (Chris Isaak album)Mr. Lucky is a 2009 album by American rock musician Chris Isaak.-Track listing:All Songs written by Chris Isaak; except where indicated.#Cheater's Town - 3:37#We Let Her Down - 3:21#You Don't Cry Like I Do - 4:11#We've Got Tomorrow - 2:22...
(2009) - Live at the FillmoreChris Isaak Live at the FillmoreLive at the Fillmore is a 2010 live album by American rock musician Chris Isaak. The album was recorded in 2008.-Track listing:#Lonely with a Broken Heart - 3:16#Somebody's Crying - 2:52#Want Your Love - 3:43#We Let Her Down - 3:51#Graduation Day - 3:27...
(2010) - Beyond the SunBeyond the Sun (album)Beyond the Sun is an album by Chris Isaak, released through Vanguard Records on October 18, 2011. It is a collection of songs recorded by Sun Records artists Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Most of the songs were originally released on Sun Records...
(2011)
Filmography
- Married to the MobMarried to the MobMarried to the Mob is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Modine.Michelle Pfeiffer, in something of a departure from her previous roles, gave an acclaimed lead performance as a gangster's widow from Brooklyn, opposite Matthew Modine as the...
...The Clown (1988) - The Silence of the Lambs...SWAT Commander (1991)
- Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me...Special Agent Chester Desmond (1992)
- Little BuddhaLittle BuddhaLittle Buddha is a 1994 feature film by Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci, starring Bridget Fonda and Keanu Reeves. Made by Bertolucci's regular partner, British producer Jeremy Thomas, it marked the team's return to the East after The Last Emperor....
...Dean Conrad (1993) - Grace of My HeartGrace of My HeartGrace of My Heart is a 1996 film written and directed by Allison Anders, set in the pop music world, starting off in New York's Brill Building early 1960s era, weaving through the California Sound of the mid '60s and culminating with the adult-contemporary scene of the early 1970s.The plot follows...
...Matthew Lewis (1996) - That Thing You Do!That Thing You Do!That Thing You Do! is a 1996 comedy-drama musical film written and directed by Tom Hanks. Set in the summer of 1964, the movie tells the story of the quick rise and fall of a one-hit wonder rock band...
...Uncle Bob (1996) - Blue Ridge Fall...Emerson Cotswold (1999)
- A Dirty ShameA Dirty ShameA Dirty Shame is a 2004 satirical sex comedy written and directed by John Waters, and starring Tracey Ullman, Selma Blair, Johnny Knoxville, Chris Isaak, Suzanne Shepherd, and Mink Stole.-Plot:...
...Vaughn Stickles (2004) - The Informers...Les Price (2009)
Television
- Wiseguy...Berated lounge singer (Season ?, Episode ?, 1987)
- Friends...Rob Donnen (Season 2, Episode 12, 1996) The One After the Superbowl
- From the Earth to the Moon...Astronaut Edward White II (1998)
- The GreatestThe Greatest (TV series)The Greatest is a VH1 series. Each episode counts down either songs, albums, music videos, moments, musicians, or celebrities of a particular category.-Episodes:-References:...
...Himself (50 Sexiest Video Moments, 2003) - EdEd (TV series)Ed is an NBC television program co-produced by David Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated, NBC Productions, and Viacom Productions that aired from 2000 to 2004....
...Jamie Decker (Season 3, Episode 20, 2003) Second Chances - The GreatestThe Greatest (TV series)The Greatest is a VH1 series. Each episode counts down either songs, albums, music videos, moments, musicians, or celebrities of a particular category.-Episodes:-References:...
...Himself/Host (100 Greatest Videos, 2003) - The Chris Isaak ShowThe Chris Isaak ShowThe Chris Isaak Show is a television sitcom which follows a fictionalized version of the life of American rock musician Chris Isaak. The show portrays Isaak and his band members as everyday people with everyday problems...
...Himself (2001–2004) - American DreamsAmerican DreamsAmerican Dreams is an American television comedy-drama program broadcast on the NBC television network, produced by Once A Frog and Dick Clark Productions in association with Universal Network Television and NBC Studios...
...Roy Orbison (Season 2, Episode 14, 2004) Old Enough to Fight - The Footy Show (rugby league)...Himself (Grand Final, 2004)
- The Late Late Show with Craig FergusonThe Late Late Show with Craig FergusonThe Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
...Michael Caine in Space (Season 2, Episode 177, 2006) - Great Performances Jerry Lee LewisJerry Lee LewisJerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
: Last Man Standing Live...Himself (2007) - Australian IdolAustralian IdolAustralian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
...Himself (Season 6Australian Idol (season 6)The sixth season of Australian Idol premiered on Sunday, 24 August 2008, on Network Ten. The season finale aired live on Sunday, 23 November 2008. The winner was Wes Carr with Luke Dickens as runner-up.-Changes to Format:...
, 9–10 November 2008) - The Chris Isaak HourThe Chris Isaak HourThe Chris Isaak Hour is a one-hour talk show, that aired in 2009 on The Biography Channel, in which singer Chris Isaak, interviews and plays alongside other musical artists such as Stevie Nicks and Glen Campbell.The channel currently airs re-runs on Thursdays and Saturdays.-Episodes:# Trisha...
...Himself/Host (2009–Present)
External links
- Chris Isaak.com, official site of Chris Isaak
- Chris Isaak at Recordnet.com: Page with stories, multimedia and more about Chris Isaak from The Record in Stockon, CA, Isaak's hometown.
- Chris Isaak Concert History