Christopher Allen Thomas Cummings (born August 11, 1975) is a Canadian
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, o ...
artist. In his career, he has released five studio albums, one compilation album, and one extended play. Several of his singles have charted on the Canadian country charts, including the Number One hits "
Sure Enough
"Sure Enough" is a single by Canadian country music artist Chris Cummings. Released in 1996, it was the second single from his album ''Somewhere Inside''. The song reached #1 on the ''RPM
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min ...
" and "
The Kind of Heart That Breaks
"The Kind of Heart That Breaks" is a single by Canadian country music artist Chris Cummings. Released in late 1997, it was the first single from Cummings' album '' Chris Cummings''. The song reached #1 on the ''RPM'' Country Tracks chart in Februa ...
".
Biography
Chris Cummings began performing in 1980, at the age of five years. In 1990, Chris released an independent CD, which found its way to
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels.
Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Enya, Michael ...
president
Jim Ed Norman
Jim Ed Norman is an American musician, multi-platinum record producer, arranger and label-head. As an arranger and producer, he was one of the principal architects of the distinctive sound of West Coast 1970s pop and country rock. He was Preside ...
, who signed him on in 1992. At age 17, he was the youngest artist they had ever signed.
His first single, "I Waited," was released in Canada in the fall of 1995, and shot into the top 5. Produced by
Jim Ed Norman
Jim Ed Norman is an American musician, multi-platinum record producer, arranger and label-head. As an arranger and producer, he was one of the principal architects of the distinctive sound of West Coast 1970s pop and country rock. He was Preside ...
and Rick Scott, Chris released his debut CD, '' Somewhere Inside'', on June 18, 1996. The second single, "
Sure Enough
"Sure Enough" is a single by Canadian country music artist Chris Cummings. Released in 1996, it was the second single from his album ''Somewhere Inside''. The song reached #1 on the ''RPM
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min ...
," went straight to No. 1. Follow-up songs "Somewhere Inside" and "Almost Always" also reached the top 5 in Canada reaching No. 3 and No. 4 respectively, and the album was certified gold.
Chris' second CD, '' Chris Cummings'', was released in both the United States and Canada on February 24, 1998. Since 7 of the songs were already on Chris' Canadian debut, Reprise released an EP in Canada (''The Kind Of Heart That Breaks'') in 1997 containing the 3 new songs, along with "Lonesomeville" and an acoustic version of "Somewhere Inside." The first single released from the project was "
The Kind of Heart That Breaks
"The Kind of Heart That Breaks" is a single by Canadian country music artist Chris Cummings. Released in late 1997, it was the first single from Cummings' album '' Chris Cummings''. The song reached #1 on the ''RPM'' Country Tracks chart in Februa ...
." While the song went to No. 1 in Canada, it stalled at No. 50 on
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
in the U.S. The American follow-up single, "I Waited," failed to chart. Meanwhile, Chris returned to the Canadian top 10 with "A Minute And A Half."
Chris was transferred to WEA Canada for the release of his third CD, '' Lonesomeville''. The disc was released on February 15, 2000. The first two singles, "That'll Teach Her" reached No. 4 on the charts with the second single "No One Hurts Me More Than Me," reached No. 7 in Canada. The final single, "A Little At A Time" entered the top 20 charts landing at No. 19.
Chris released his fourth CD, ''Ooh, That Could Cost Him the Gold, Bob!'' on March 26, 2002. He continued his string of hits in Canada with songs like "Cowboy Hats," "Betty," and "Benefit Of Doubt."
Chris' ''Greatest Hits'' package was released on April 27, 2004. Singles released from the album included "Lucy Got Lucky" and "Not Again." Chris left Warner at the end of 2004 for more control over his career.
Chris signed with
Koch Entertainment
Koch Entertainment was an American record label and a distributor of film, television, and music. It was purchased by Canadian entertainment company Entertainment One in 2005.
History First years
The company began in 1975 as part of Koch Intern ...
in 2006. Chris' first album for Koch, ''Who Says You Can't?'', was released on October 17. Chris had a hand in producing the album, which brought him back to the Canadian top 30 with the songs "Dixie Beauxderaunt," "For The Music," "Love Is Fine," "In The Nicest Way," and the last single, "Hey What You Know" released in July 2008.
Returning to his home Province of New Brunswick in mid-2007 after being gone since the age of 17 living in California, Tennessee, Ontario and Alberta, he took on a special project. Chris partnered with a local organization to record the
John Sebastian
John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonicist who founded the rock band The Lovin' Spoonful. He made an impromptu appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969Welcome Back", a song that Cummings saw as a perfect "anthem" for the city and entire Province of New Brunswick. In addition, he decided to shoot the video for it in the city of Saint John the communities that surround it. In the summer of 2008 he was named an "Ambassador for the Province of New Brunswick" by Premier,
Shawn Graham
Shawn Michael Graham (born February 22, 1968) is a Canadian politician, who served as the 31st premier of New Brunswick from 2006 to 2010. He was elected leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Party in 2002 and became premier after his party captur ...
.
Chris signed with
Royalty Records
Royalty Records is a Canadian country music record label and Record distributor, distributor established in 1974."Surprise music industry award leaves Smith speechless". ''Edmonton Journal'', October 5, 2004.
Royalty artists
* Roy Acuff
* After ...
in April 2010 for his newest CD entitled ''Give Me Tonight'' The first single "Heart Like A Stone" was released online and to Canadian country radio on May 17, 2010, and the CD was released on September 21, 2010. Released at the same time as the new CD, the follow up single "Leavings Not An Option" had special meaning for Chris as he co-wrote it with one of his long-time songwriting mentors
Don Schlitz
Donald Alan Schlitz Jr. (born August 29, 1952) is an American country music songwriter. For his songwriting efforts, Schlitz has earned two Grammy Awards, as well as four ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year awards.
In 1993, he was inducted int ...
(one of three Schlitz co-writes on the new CD), the single was well received at radio returning Chris to the forefront of the Canadian country music scene.