Christopher Lynn Newman (July 11, 1953 - May 9, 2021) was an American musician from Oregon. In 2007, he was inducted to the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.
Early life edit
Chris Newman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 July 1953 Longview, Washington |
| Died | 9 May 2021 |
| Genres | Rock |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar |
Christopher Newman was born on 11 July 1953 in Longview, Washington.
Career edit
Newman spent most of his musical career in Portland, Oregon, leading bands such as Napalm Beach, Snow Bud and the Flower People (formed 1986), Boo Frog,[1] and the Chris Newman Deluxe Combo. Newman played frequently in and around Portland and Seattle beginning in the 1970s, and was known for his intense blues- and psychedelic-influenced guitar leads and vocal stylings ranging from operatic to powerhouse bellows. Newman was revered for his prolific songwriting talent and live performances [2] Much of his early music was distributed on homemade cassettes throughout the Pacific Northwest during the 1980s, and his 1960s-garage-influenced riff-heavy rock has been cited as an influence by many of the Pacific Northwest "grunge" bands that became popular in the 1990s.[3]
In 2007, Newman was among the first group of honorees inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.[4] Newman recorded around thirty studio albums.[5] Napalm Beach, featuring drummer Sam Henry (Wipers), toured Europe in 1989 and played Berlin the day the wall first came down. Newman continued to write music and record in his 8-track studio up to 2021.
Death edit
After being diagnosed with terminal cancer in January 2021, Chris Newman died on 9 May 2021.[6]
References edit
- ^ Lannamann, Ned (2009-10-02). "Get to Know Boo Frog | End Hits | Portland Mercury". Endhits.portlandmercury.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-26. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
- ^ "History Of Portland Rock". 29 June 2007. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ "20 years of Two Louies". 12 November 2006. Archived from the original on 12 November 2006. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ "Previous Oregon Music Hall of Fame Honorees: 2009 and Earlier". Honorees. The Oregon Music Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
- ^ "Discography". Skullman Records. Archived from the original on 2014-03-03. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
- ^ Singer, Matthew (2021-05-10). "Chris Newman, Frontman of Influential Portland Punk Band Napalm Beach, Has Died". Willamette Week.