Chris McCall

Chris McCall (born October 6, 1967) is a singer and songwriter. She writes and records all of her own music.
Childhood
Christine "Chris" Marie McCall was born on October 6, 1967 in St. Mary's Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, to Mary and Donald "Don" McCall. Chris grew up in Detroit with her parents and six siblings. She has six older siblings: Joe McCall, Bethanne McCall, Maureen McCall, Tim McCall, and Maria McCall; and one younger sibling: John McCall.
Chris grew up surrounded by music. Her mother Mary was a church organist and choir director at Christ the King Church in Detroit, Michigan. Her father Don, while being an active member in the choir was also a professional musician himself, having performed with artists such as Sammy Davis Jr. and Jerry Lewis. McCall joined the church choir at the age of seven and performed her first solo within a year at the age of eight. She continued to sing in the church choir and still does occasionally. She sang and performed throughout her teens and into her early twenties. It was in her early to mid twenties that she joined together with some fellow musicians to form the band called Akwabate.
Bands
Akwabate
The band known as Akwabate was formed in 1986. The band consisted of six people: Chris McCall (Lead Vocal), Maria McKane (Co-Lead vocal), Paul Corte (Guitarist and cousin of Chris's on her mothers side of the family), Al Skinner (Keyboard), Mike McElya (Drums), and Jill Zimba (Bass). The name of the group was derived from the bottle of Aquanet that the band would drink before performing and a Batman t-shirt that belonged to a member of the band. The group was together from 1986 to 1988 when the group disbanded. The group unfortunately did not record any albums during the 2 year span that they were together.
Jugglers and Thieves
After Akwabate disbanded in 1988 Chris got together with three other people to form the band known as Jugglers and Thieves. This band consisted of Chris (Lead Vocal and Keyboard), Jill Zimba (Bass), Matt Sage (Guitar), and Colin O'Brien (Drums). Jugglers and Thieves recorded one self-titled album on vinyl. The name for the band was derived from a Jimmy Hendrix song Watchtower. In the song, though its Jokers and Thieves, so the band put their own spin on it to become Jugglers and Thieves. This group disbanded in 1991.
Swamp Beggars
In the early 1990s, Chris joined together with another woman named Bonnie Shanburne to form a duet, named Swamp Beggars. The name is actually a reference to a native American plant named the Swamp Beggar. This duo was singing and songwriting oriented pair that was doing mostly folk-like music. They unfortunately broke up within a year.
Thunderharp Choir
In 1991, Chris started working with the Thunderharp Choir. The choir consisted of five people besides Chris: Jay Kuehn (Guitarist), Graham Strachan (Co-Lead Singer), Ron Vensko (Drums), John Donabedian (Percussion) and Don Didonato (Bass). The Thunderharp Choir made two Cd's while together: Hope and Gloria and That Sinking Feeling. That Sinking Feeling was released on tape cassette in 1993. Hope and Gloria's songs were a collaboration between Chris, Graham and Jay, meaning they were not all written by her, and the album was released in 1995. The choir went their separate ways in 1995.
Star Search
In the early 1990s, along with the aforementioned band forming and disbanding, a lot happened in both Chris's personal and professional lives. In spring of 1992, Chris appeared on the show Star Search, that took place in Los Angeles, California. Star Search was the early 90's version of what today is American Idol. She appeared on six episodes to loose in the semi-finals. While on Star Search, Chris performed 6 songs: Shaking All Over (which she repeated in her final round), I Only Have Eyes For You, At Last, Into the Mystic, and Never Been Touched (a song that was written for her band-mate and soon-to-be husband Jay Kuehn).
Jay Kuehn
On September 26, 1992, Chris married Jason "Jay" Kuehn, longtime friend and band-mate, who now is a co-producer on all Chris's albums and owns his own record studio, at which they recorded some of Chris's solo album's. He also has written songs for her such as Never Been Touched, which she performed on Star Search.
Solo Albums
After the Thunderharp Choir disbanded Chris started working on her own solo album in 1999. Chris's first solo album, The Real You, was released in 2003 comprised of 7 songs recorded in her home studio with her husband, Jay Kuehn.
Her second solo album, Irish, was released in 2006. This CD was comprised mostly of Irish folk songs, a tribute to her Irish roots (Don McCall, her father, was full Irish). Don also makes a guest vocal appearance on this CD.
Her third and most recent solo album she released, named Contact was released early in 2009. This CD has a more upbeat and rocking feeling/tone to it. This could be partly contributed to the fact that the 5 years previous to the release of this album, while she was writing her music and released two solo albums she was also suffering from the Epstein-Barr virus, also known as Chronic Fatigue syndrome, which she has recovered from at the beginning of 2009.
Recent Years
In recent years, Chris has done some performing for notable events such as at Super Bowl XL in 2006 and All-Star baseball games in Detroit and Pittsburgh which she performed with an Acapella group she is part of named Lorelei. The group consists of Chris McCall, Tracy Cash-Thomas, Maggie McCabe, and Jo Serrapere. This group has performs on and off together in the past couple of years since 2007.
In the Press
Chris has also been recognized in several different magazines for her voice and original music.
<ul>
<li>The Jam Rag in particular describes "Chris McCall is one blessed singer, she has the voice to end all voices."
<li>Bob Talbert of the Detroit Free Press also praised McCall by saying, "Chris McCall successfully threads where angels would fear to by redoing Janis Joplin's 'Mercedes Benz' on 'Cruisins Songs from the Motor City'."
<li>Wendy Case writer for the Detroit News states "The former Star Search contestant has reinvented herself in 2001 as a mature and competent solo artist, armed with pipes and the material to do serious battle with the festering hordes of vapid songbirds cluttering the airwaves."
</ul>
Discography
Jugglers and Thieves (1990)
1. Springtime
2. Shadows of Your Eyes
3. Train Tracks
4. Mara's Song
5. Perfect in Autumn
6. Prelude in E Minor
7. Silence Calling
8. Released Again
9. Amazing Grace
Hope and Gloria (1995)
1. Magical Days
2. Ruin of My Life
3. I Don't Remember
4. Strawberries
5. Soon
6. Home
7. Perfect
8. Lambs Last Dance
9. Red Dress
10. Where Your Heart Was
11. Eye to Eye
12. Everybody Goes Down
The Real You (2003)
1. Crow in the Snow
2. The Real You
3. Glass People
4. Call it the Truth
5. Damage
6. Don't Give Up
7. Lips
Irish (2006)
1. 40 Shades of Green
2. Whiskey in the Jar
3. Danny Boy
4. Castle of Dromore
5. The Stuttering Lovers
6. Maggie
7. The Minstrel Boy
8. Trod on the Tail of Me Coat (vocal by Don McCall)
9. Jug of Punch
Contact (2009)
1. Contact
2. Real Life
3. Everyday the Rain
4. Woolly Mammoth
5. 50 Times
6. All of This
7. Elevator
8. Telegraph
9. What You Say
10. Love Hurts
11. The Is To Mother You
Reference

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See Also

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