Christopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American rock musician and occasional actor. He is best known for his hit "Wicked Game", as well as the popular hit songs "Baby Did A Bad, Bad Thing" and "Somebody's Crying".
He is renowned for his signature 1950s rock & roll style and crooner sound, as well as his soaring falsetto and reverb-laden music. He is closely associated with film director David Lynch, who has used his music in numerous films and gave him a large role in the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.
His songs generally focus on the themes of love, loss and heartbreak. With a career spanning four decades, he has amassed a total of twelve studio albums, and has accumulated numerous award nominations and tours. He has been called the Roy Orbison of the 1990s, and is often also compared to Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson and Duane Eddy.
Isaak revealed in a 2002 interview with Acoustic Guitar that he uses a one-of-a-kind Gibson: "For my electric, I've got a one-off Gibson version of a Gretsch 6120, a sort of Chet Atkins thing. They made one of these things and gave it to me to see if I liked it, and I liked it so much I've been playing it ever since. People told me they thought it was a White Falcon, but it's not. It's just a white Gibson. I don't think they ever manufactured any of the things. They strung up this one prototype, scratched their heads, and said, 'Huh. Give it to Isaak.'"
Isaak also plays a Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar, which he uses for songwriting.
Bono from U2 performing live on their Joshua Tree Tour in Rotterdam, Holland in July 1987
'I thought of improvisation as a large ball of string (a melody as yet unravelled)'. Cover art for Phish's 1997 album Slip Stitch and Pass
Unique contact sheet print of AC/CD's, Angus Young by photographer David Corio, taken at Hammersmith Odeon, London, November 1st, 1979
Johnny Cash was known for his deep, calm bass-baritone voice and a trademark look, which earned him the nickname "The Man in Black"
Van Morrison is a Northern Irish singer, songwriter and musician who is usually known by the name "Van the Man" to his fans.
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960 and widely regarded as the most influential acts of the rock era.
Ozzy Osbourne is a singer, songwriter & television personality who rose to prominence as the lead vocalist of the band Black Sabbath.
A photographic celebration of Manchester's rock music history. Free exhibition at the University of Manchester
The USA has given us many of the world's greatest music artists - we celebrate the best of the best
For eight years photographer Brian Duffy worked with David Bowie and shot his most iconic and enduring images. View his fantastic collection
The Beatles were one of the most popular & influential bands of all time. Here we showcase our collection of their iconic fine art prints
