Biography

A modern blues genius who specialized in combining the progressive with the traditional, Chris Whitley drew from influences across the musical galaxy from John Lee Hooker to John Coltrane, and counted among his hardcore fans artists as diverse as Dave Matthews and Iggy Pop. Over many albums in the '90s and '00s, he pursued a restless muse through singer-songwriter, alternative rock, and slide blues idioms in creating a unique electric roots milieu. Existing for the most part on the fringes of the mainstream, Whitley had a career that zig-zagged from busker to Danois Lanois-produced lifelong overnight sensation to stalwart critical success (though substantial commercial success eluded him). Whitley died in 2005 of lung cancer.

Top Tracks

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• Big Sky Country

• Breaking Your Fall

• Breath Of Shadows

• Changing Of The Guard

• City Of Women

• Cool Wooden Crosses

• Dust Radio

• Fourth Time Around

• Hotel Vast Horizon

• I Can't Stand It

• I Go Evil

• Invisible Day

• Kick The Stones

• Living With The Law

• Made From Dirt

• Mountain Side

• Narcotic Prayer

• Nature Boy

• Perfect Day

• Phonecall From Leavenworth

• Poison Girl

• Reiter In

• Rocket House

• Silhouette

• Soft Dangerous Shores

• Spanish Harlem Incident

• Spoonful

• Stagger Lee

Discography

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• On Air

  Tradition & Moderne

  2008

• Dislocation Blues

  Rounder

  2007

• Reiter In

  Red Parlor

  2006

• Soft Dangerous Shores

  Cooking Vinyl Records

  2005

• Weed

  Messenger Records

  2004

• War Crime Blues

  Messenger Records

  2004

• Hotel Vast Horizon

  Messenger Records

  2003

• Rocket House

  ATO

  2001

• Perfect Day

  Valley Entertainment

  2000

• Live at Martyrs'

  Messenger Records / Messenger Records

  2000

• Dirt Floor

  Messenger Records

  1998

• Terra Incognita

  Work Music

  1997

• Din of Ecstasy

  Work Group / Work Music

  1995

• Living with the Law

  Columbia

  1991