(via Guitar Player) by Joe Matera
When Christopher Cross came out of nowhere to score big time with his 1979 self-titled debut album, many assumed he was an overnight sensation. At the 23rd Annual Grammy Awards held in February 1981, Cross would take home five Grammys for the disc including, for the first time ever, four of the most prestigious awards: Record of the Year and Song of the Year (both for the single “Sailing”), Album of the Year and Best New Artist.
Despite his status as an overnight sensation, Cross had journeyed 10 years to reach that night — from his early days as an up-and-coming electric guitar player with killer chops to his sudden ascension to the top of the 1980s’ soft-rock genre… or as it’s known today, yacht rock.
Remarkably, Cross’s underrated guitar playing talents have always taken a back seat to his songwriting. Yet upon closer inspection, his output occasionally reveals his proficiency on the instrument. While the dulcet tones of “Sailing” might make listeners overlook his guitar skills, it’s hard to miss the face-melting guitar solo on the outro to Cross’s 1980 hit “Ride Like the Wind” (although you may wish they’d mixed it a tad louder).
Remarkably, there’s one guitarist who was aware of Cross’s talents long before nearly everyone else: Ritchie Blackmore.
In August 1970, Blackmore and his then-current group Deep Purple arrived in the U.S. on a tour that launched at the Jam Factory in San Antonio, Texas, Cross’s hometown. Cross, then working under his birth name, Chris Geppert, was one of the hottest guitarists on the local scene, a long-haired, heavy-music loving axeman who played in a covers band called Flash…
Every Moment Has A Song 