Chris Knight (musician)

For other people named Christopher Knight, see Christopher Knight (disambiguation).

Chris Knight
Chris Knight at WVHEDW Soccer Club in Amsterdam (2 February 2007)
Background information
Birth name	Chris Knight
Born	June 24, 1960 (1960-06-24) (age 51)
Origin	Slaughters, Kentucky, U.S.
Genres	Country
Occupations	singer, songwriter
Years active	1998 – present
Labels	Decca Dualtone Drifter’s Church Productions
Website	http://www.chrisknight.net/

Chris Knight (born June 24, 1960) is a singer and songwriter from Kentucky. He only recently came to national attention, but has written songs for Confederate Railroad, John Anderson, and Randy Travis among others. He is best known for writing the hit Montgomery Gentry song "She Couldn't Change Me" and because of his particular fame in Texas, was named an "Honorary Texan" by Texas Governor Rick Perry.^[1]

Biography

Knight grew up in the mining town of Slaughters, Kentucky.^[2] When he was three years old, he asked for a plastic guitar for Christmas. At 15, however, he became serious and began teaching himself John Prine songs on his older brother's guitar.^[3]

Knight earned a degree in agriculture from Western Kentucky University. He worked for ten years as a mine reclamation inspector and as a miner's consultant.^[4] In 1986, he heard Steve Earle on the radio and decided to start writing songs. After six years he came to Nashville and won a spot on a songwriters' night at the Bluebird Cafe. He attracted the interest of Frank Liddell, who signed him to a contract with Bluewater Music. When Decca Records hired Liddell for an A&R position, Knight received a contract and in 1998 Decca released his self-titled debut. Knight lived in a house trailer on 90 acres (360,000 m²) in Slaughters when the album was released.^[3] He has since become a major name in the alternative country music genre. He is considered one of the best singer-songwriters.

Discography

Albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		US Country	US Heat	US Indie
Chris Knight	Release date: February 10, 1998 Label: Decca Records	—	—	—
A Pretty Good Guy	Release date: September 11, 2001 Label: Dualtone Records	—	—	—
The Jealous Kind	Release date: August 19, 2003 Label: Dualtone Records	67	—	—
Enough Rope	Release date: July 11, 2006 Label: Thirty Tigers	—	—	—
The Trailer Tapes	Release date: April 3, 2007 Label: Thirty Tigers	68	40	—
Heart of Stone	Release date: August 19, 2008 Label: Drifter's Church	37	7	31
Trailer II	Release date: September 15, 2009 Label: Thirty Tigers	64	—	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

Year	Song	Album
1998	"Framed"	Chris Knight
	"It Ain't Easy Being Me"
2001	"Becky's Bible"	A Pretty Good Guy
2002	"Oil Patch Town"
2003	"The Jealous Kind"	The Jealous Kind
2006	"Cry Lonely"	Enough Rope

Music videos

Year	Video	Director
1998	"Framed"	Roger Pistole
	"It Ain't Easy Being Me"
2002	"Oil Patch Town"
2006	"Cry Lonely"	Milton Sneed

Songs written or co-written by Knight

• "A Pretty Good Guy" - Fred Eaglesmith
• "A Train Not Running" - Stacy Dean Campbell
• "Becky's Bible" - Jason Savory
• "Highway Junkie" - Randy Travis, Gary Allan, The Yayhoos, The Von Ehrics
• "I Don't Want to Hang Out With Me" - Confederate Railroad
• "It Ain't Easy Being Me" - John Anderson, Jason McCoy, and Blake Shelton
• "Love and Gasoline" and "She's Leaving This Town" - The Great Divide
• "Love at 90 Miles an Hour" - Ty Herndon
• "She Couldn't Change Me" - Montgomery Gentry
• "The Hammer Goin Down" - The Road Hammers

Chris Knight at the Master Musicians Festival in Somerset, Kentucky on July 19, 2008

References

1. ^ ThisIsTexasMusic.com Review of Enough Rope [1] Retrieved May 22, 2007.
2. ^ Edinburgh News Article [2] Retrieved May 22, 2007.
3. ^ ^{a b} Allmusic.com Entry [3] Retrieved May 22, 2007.
4. ^ ThisisTexasMusic.com Interview [4] Retrieved May 22, 2007.

External links

• Official Website
• Chris Knight Interview on AmericanaRoots.com

Persondata
Name	Knight, Chris
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	June 24, 1960
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death