Chris Isaak

Born Christopher Joseph Isaak on June 26, 1956, in Stockton, California, Chris Isaak is a musician and occasional actor. He attended Amos Alonzo Stagg High School, where he was class president and valedictorian of the class of 1974. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in English and communications arts from the University of the Pacific in 1981, having also participated in a Japanese exchange program. After his education, Isaak formed his first band, Silvertone, a rockabilly group that evolved into his permanent backing band.

Isaak signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1985, releasing his debut album, “Silvertone,” to critical acclaim. While it garnered attention, including from John Fogerty, commercial success was limited. His self-titled follow-up album in 1987 reached the Billboard 200. In 1988, he moved to Reprise Records, another Warner Bros. label. His most recognized track, “Wicked Game,” was released on the 1989 album “Heart Shaped World.” An instrumental version appeared in David Lynch’s 1990 film “Wild at Heart,” which helped the song gain traction, becoming a national top 10 hit in 1991 and reaching No. 10 in the UK Singles Chart.

His career includes 13 studio albums and extensive touring. “Forever Blue,” released in 1995, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album, while its single “Somebody’s Crying” was nominated for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. Notable singles also include “Blue Hotel” and “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing.” Beyond music, Isaak has appeared in films such as “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991) and “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me” (1992), and starred in “The Chris Isaak Show” (2001-2004) and “The Chris Isaak Hour” (2009). He joined “The X Factor Australia” as a judge in 2015 and received the Americana Music Honors & Awards Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance in 2022.