Christopher Cross

Christopher Cross is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from San Antonio, Texas, whose smooth, jazz-inflected pop-rock sound became one of the defining voices of the yacht rock era. He broke through in 1979 with his self-titled debut album, which spawned the hits «Ride Like the Wind» and «Sailing», the latter becoming a chart-topping single praised for its warm, atmospheric production and Cross's gentle tenor.

Cross achieved a rare sweep at the 1981 Grammy Awards, winning in the major categories including Record, Album and Song of the Year, a feat that cemented his reputation as a meticulous craftsman of melodic, radio-friendly songwriting rather than a flashy rock performer. His polished blend of soft rock, light funk and orchestral pop set a template that many soft-rock and adult contemporary artists followed through the 1980s.

He further expanded his profile with «Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)», written for the film Arthur and performed alongside collaborators including Burt Bacharach, which earned him an Academy Award and additional Grammy recognition. Later songs such as «Think of Laura» and «All Right» kept him a steady presence on adult contemporary charts. Though his commercial peak was concentrated in the early 1980s, Cross has continued recording and touring for decades, remaining a respected figure in the soft rock and yacht rock revival.