Christopher Cross

About Christopher Cross

Christopher Cross had one of the strangest career arcs in pop music. He went from winning literally every major Grammy in 1981 to becoming a punchline by the mid-80s, which says something about how quickly tastes can shift and how unforgiving the music industry can be to soft rock.

Born Christopher Geppert in San Antonio, Texas in 1951, he spent the 70s playing in cover bands around Austin. He eventually formed a group called Flash, which got some regional attention but never broke nationally. By his late twenties, he was still grinding it out in Texas, which isn't exactly the typical trajectory for someone about to dominate the Grammys.

His self-titled debut came out in 1979 on Warner Bros., and it's hard to overstate how massive it became. "Sailing" hit number one and became one of those songs that defined yacht rock before anyone called it that. "Ride Like the Wind" went top ten, featuring Michael McDonald on backing vocals because of course it did. The album went multi-platinum and Cross became the first artist to win the big four Grammys in one night: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. He was 29.

Then came "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" in 1981, written with Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Peter Allen for the Dudley Moore film. Another number one. Another Grammy. At this point Cross was about as successful as a soft rock artist could possibly be.

The problem was that his sound was already becoming dated as the 80s moved forward. His subsequent albums sold progressively less. "Another Page" in 1983 had "Think of Laura," which became a hit partly because General Hospital used it, but the momentum was clearly fading. By the time grunge and alternative rock took over, Christopher Cross was already cultural shorthand for everything that seemed wrong with late 70s/early 80s soft rock excess.

The critical reassessment took decades. Yacht rock nostalgia helped, as did people realizing that dismissing something as "too soft" or "too safe" doesn't actually mean it's poorly crafted. Cross kept recording and touring, never really stopping even when nobody was paying attention. He released "Take Me As I Am" in 2017, his first album in eight years.

He's dealt with serious health issues in recent years, including a rough bout with COVID that temporarily affected his ability to perform. But he's still out there playing the hits for audiences who either never stopped loving those songs or came around to them later. Sometimes the guy who wins everything at once has to learn how to be okay with what comes after.

Cross plays nostalgia crowds who know every word to "Sailing." The energy is polite, occasionally wistful. He's a competent performer without particular charisma, steady and professional. Audiences are older, here for the songs themselves rather than the man.

Known for Sailing, Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do), Ride Like the Wind, All Right, Think It Over

See Christopher Cross Live