Chris Rodriguez(born March 7, 1960) is an American guitarist, who got his big break in contemporary Christian music, then moving on to play for various secular artists. He is also a singer/songwriter.
Biography
editRodriguez was born inThe Bronx[1]on March 7, 1960, and moved to Nashville, becoming a veteran of the scene in the early 1990s. He sangjinglesforfast foodcompanies and worked as a backup singer and guitarist in Christian music, country music, and pop, appearing on recordings byMichael Bolton,Steven Curtis Chapman,Vince Gill,Amy Grant,Faith Hill,Billy Joel,Wynonna Judd,Kenny Loggins,Michael McDonald,Rich Mullins,Dolly Parton,Michael W. Smith,Shania Twain,andJaci Velasquez.[2][3][4]He also worked as a songwriter, with credits including "Help You Find Your Way" by Michael W. Smith.[4]
His debut album,Beggar's Paradise,was released byWord Recordsin 1999 and was produced byBrent Bourgeois.[4]The album was described as "somewhere between pop-ified country and layered folk" by theRichmond Times-Dispatch[3]and "a '60s/'70s pop primer worth studying" by theDayton Daily News.[5]CCMlauded his "commitment not to paint by the numbers" in his songwriting.[6]
He continues to work as asession musicianwith other artists on the Nashville scene, such asKenny Rogers,Kenny Loggins,andLee Ann Womack.Rodriguez also leads Nashville-based band The Alternators, which features Nashville session players that interchange as their schedules allow. He is currently a member of the supergroup “Generation Radio”, with Jason Scheff, of Chicago, and Jay DeMarcus, of Rascal Flatts.
Rodriguez has been divorced three times, and has two children from his first marriage. Andre and Nic.
Rodriguez was part ofShania Twain's "The Woman in Me" TV tour band 1995-96 performing selected international venues and television shows with the musiciansRandy Thomas(co-writer of the song "Butterfly Kisses"),Dan Schafer,Russ Taff,Dave Malachowski, Marc Muller, Allison Cornell & Will Owsley.
From 2005 to 2010, he toured withKeith Urban,and in 2010-11 he toured withLeAnn Rimes.[7]He also toured with Kenny Loggins in the period 2007–2010. In 2011, Rodriguez was working withDon Moenand new artist Jessica Ridley. In 2012, Rodriguez played rhythm guitar forFaith HillandKelly Clarksonon tour. Rodriguez performed backing vocals on severalMegadethalbums, includingThe System Has Failed(2004),United Abominations(2007),Endgame(2009),Thirteen(2011) andDystopia(2016).[8]
From 2015, Rodriguez has been a touring member withPeter Cetera.[9]He also performed some duets with Cetera, such as "Hard Habit to Break".
Discography
editSolo
editReferences
edit- ^Chris Rodriguez biographyatAllmusic
- ^Otherworldly unplugged; Backup singer Rodriguez steps out front on his CD..Minneapolis Star-Tribune,February 13, 1999.
- ^abMelissa Ruggieri, Review ofBeggar's Paradise.Richmond Times-Dispatch,April 8, 1999.
- ^abcMark Allan Powell,Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music.Hendrickson, 2002, pp. 772-773.
- ^James Lloyd, review ofBeggar's Paradise.Dayton Daily News,April 30, 1999.
- ^Review ofBeggar's Paradise,CCM(magazine), 1999. (quoted in Powell, p. 773.)
- ^Joseph Hudak, "Keeping it Real".CMAClose Up,Issue 7 (2011), pp. 12-13.
- ^allmusic
- ^Out and About.CCM,August 1, 2016.
- ^Jetpack Label Group
- ^Jetpack Label Group