Raised in the small town of White Pine, Tennessee, Chris has been influenced by the likes of Jim Croce, James Taylor, and Merle Haggard, as well as his own musical family. Singing in churches and bars was not enough. After Graduating Jefferson County High Chris Moved to Nashville, TN, where he lasted in the hard to break in music industry about 8 months. He Came back home broken. He got a job at a factory in Morristown and worked there for almost 8 years. He started driving back and forth to Nashville and decided to take the plunge. He made his way to “Music City” where he soon landed his first songwriting deal with “King Lizard Music” that began his professional career. From “King Lizard,” he moved to Corlew Music Group, and he is now signed with Warner Chappell Music.
Chris has enjoyed active chart success and numerous cuts, most recently, his multi-week number one hit single with Montgomery Gentry, "Something To Be Proud Of." He’s also had top five hits with “I’m Tryin’” by Trace Adkins, and “Speed” by Montgomery Gentry. Other charted singles include “Your In My Head” (Brian McComas), "What Brothers Do” (Confederate Railroad), and “John J. Blanchard” (Anthony Smith), which were all top 40 hits. Artists who have cut Chris’s songs include Lorrie Morgan, Montgomery Gentry, Sammy Kershaw, Tommy Shane Steiner, Earl Scruggs, Trace Adkins, Michael Peterson, Jeffrey Steele, Confederate Railroad, Keith Anderson, Neal McCoy, Brian Mccomas, Brad Paisley, Diamond Rio, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith and many more.
An active advocate for songwriter’s rights, Chris has traveled with other influential members of NSAI to Washington DC to help revise legislature concerning intellectual property rights.