Chris Isaak

Isaak was born in Stockton, California, to Dorothy (née Vignolo; 1931-2021), and Joseph "Joe" Isaak (1929-2012), a forklift driver - respectively of Italian and German ancestry.

The name was borrowed from the guitar brand popularized in the 1950s.

The group remained with Isaak as his permanent backing band.

Christopher Joseph Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional actor.

Noted for his reverb-laden rockabilly revivalist style and wide vocal range, he is popularly known for his breakthrough hit and signature song "Wicked Game"; as well as international hits such as "Blue Hotel", "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing", and "Somebody's Crying".

With a career spanning four decades, Isaak has released a total of 13 studio albums, toured extensively with his band Silvertone, and received numerous award nominations.

His sound and image are often compared to those of Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, and Duane Eddy.

Isaak is closely associated with film director David Lynch, who has used his music in numerous films.

As an actor, he played supporting roles and bit parts in films such as Married to the Mob, The Silence of the Lambs, Little Buddha, That Thing You Do! and Lynch's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, and starred in two television series: the sitcom The Chris Isaak Show and the talk show The Chris Isaak Hour.

Attending Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Stockton, Isaak was class president all three years, student body president of his senior class, head of the all-male cheer squad, and the class of 1974 valedictorian.

He subsequently attended a local college, San Joaquin Delta Community College, before transferring to the University of the Pacific, graduating with a bachelor's degree in English and communications arts in 1981.

He also participated in a Japanese exchange program.

After graduating from college, Isaak put together his first band, Silvertone, a rockabilly group with James Calvin Wilsey (guitar), Rowland Salley (bass), and Kenney Dale Johnson (drums).

In 1985, Isaak signed a contract with Warner Bros. Records and released his first album, Silvertone, to critical acclaim, including from John Fogerty.

Despite being named after his band, Silvertone was mostly recorded with session musicians.

The album's sound was raw and diverse, mingling country blues with conventional folk ballads.

Although the album was a critical success, it failed to sell respectably.

Two tracks from the album, "Gone Ridin'" and "Livin' for Your Lover", featured in David Lynch's 1986 film Blue Velvet.

Isaak's self-titled follow-up album was released in 1987 and reached the Billboard 200.

The album saw Isaak hone his style to sophisticated R&B.

The artwork for Chris Isaak was photographed by fashion photographer Bruce Weber.

Three tracks from the album -- "You Owe Me Some Kind of Love", "Blue Hotel", and "Lie to Me" –- were used in Episode 5 of the 1987 TV series "Private Eye".

Warner Bros. moved Isaak to their Reprise Records label in 1988.

That same year, "Suspicion of Love" by Isaak appeared in Married to the Mob, a hit movie starring Matthew Modine, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Dean Stockwell.

Isaak's best known song is "Wicked Game".

In an interview with Mark Needham, an engineer who worked with Isaak on "Wicked Game", Needham claimed that it took several years to put the track together.

It was first released on the 1989 album Heart Shaped World, and an instrumental version of the song was subsequently featured in the 1990 David Lynch film Wild at Heart.

Lee Chesnut, an Atlanta radio station music director who was obsessed with Lynch films, played the vocal version and it became the station's most-requested song.

Chesnut spread the word to other radio stations and the single became a national top 10 hit in February 1991, peaking at number 6.

It also reached No. 10 in the UK Singles Chart.

The music video for the song was directed by Herb Ritts and was an MTV and VH1 hit; shot in black and white, it featured Isaak and supermodel Helena Christensen in a sensual encounter on the beach, caressing each other and whispering in each other's ears.

Another less-seen version of "Wicked Game" is directed by David Lynch and comprises scenes from the film Wild at Heart.

"Two Hearts" from Isaak's fourth album, San Francisco Days, was featured in the closing credits of True Romance, a 1993 film directed by Tony Scott, written by Quentin Tarantino, and starring Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette.

In 1995, Isaak split with longtime guitarist James Calvin Wilsey.

That year he released Forever Blue, Isaak's fifth album, and the accompanying tour featured Hershel Yatovitz on guitar.

The album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Album, and the single "Somebody's Crying" was nominated for a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.

On March 15, 1996, the album was certified Platinum by the RIAA.

"Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" was featured in Stanley Kubrick's final film, Eyes Wide Shut, in 1999.

The music video for the song was directed by Herb Ritts (his second collaboration with Isaak); it was shot in color and featured Isaak and French supermodel Laetitia Casta in a motel room.

"Wicked Game" featured as the backing music in the 2001 TV advertisement for the Jaguar X-Type in the UK.