- - -
Chris Watson was born in Denton, TX in 1986. Growing up in a musical household, Chris' father Wallace was a major blues lover and supporter. Early on in Chris' life the importance of this and all music was portrayed in the way of a father-son bond. Later on in life Chris became interested in playing the guitar and wanted to imitate the blues men he had grown up listening to. Around age 15 he recieved his first guitar and amplifier and proceeded to reproduce the sounds he heard comin from such guitars as BB King, Albert King, Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Freddie King, and so many others.It was apparent very early on that he had a tremendous knack for playing the guitar. After learning a few scales and chords Chris was off to the races soaking everything up that he could find musically that caught his ear, from country to funk to rock. Not too long after learning the small bit that he was initially taught, Chris was performing at local blues jams. He was able to cut his teeth with some of the finest local blues artists in the D/FW area and was writing songs in his free time. Eventually people got used to seeing this minor making his way around all the old blues clubs and whoing his obvious passion and talent while portraying his "old soul," as most would put it.After a while of gathering stage time, and with a bag full of riffs and licks, Chris was added into his father's band, the UpAllNight Blues Band, as the new lead guitar player. It was in this band that Chris got a taste of what it was like to be up on stage and in the spotlight. This revelation was the first stepping stone into his singing career, and in no time Chris was performing the songs he had written as well as some of the oldest blues classics. With help from his father and everyone else around that he had come to know and respect, Chris was able to form the band that he now has been fronting for years.The Chris Watson Band is now a staple in the Denton music scene, as well as in all of the known blues clubs in and out of Dallas and Ft. Worth. He has taken everything he has learned from the old blues men and the tapes that he used to listen to and has added his own unique touch, style and feel to create a southern rock sound that is not subjective to any particular genre or demographic. After shows in many different venues, people of all ages and backgrounds flock to say how much they enjoyed the show and get involved in future events.-----------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------Chris Watson
Just For Show…Just For Show… may not be the best title for the debut CD by 21-year-old Denton guitarist Chris Watson. You see, unlike a lot of young players more interested in being just for show, eagerly adapting the 6-string slinger persona, Watson proves on this collection of seven originals that he knows it’s not all about him and his guitar – it’s about the song. Sure there’s guitar here – he’s a guitar player and it’s his project – but he’s smart enough to step back and let the vocals or the organ or the groove itself step into the spotlight. What a refreshing change that is, and it puts him ahead of the pack of the young bloods in the area.Chris not only wrote all the songs, but shares a co-producer credit with his dad Wallace “Wally†Watson. He handpicked a top notched seasoned band to take in to the studio: Bill Cornish on bass and Brian “H-Bomb†Ferguson on drums provide a base that’s at once rock steady AND rocking. And Eric “Scorch†Scortia never overplays on the delicious grooves he’s laying down, whether on organ, piano or B3.As someone who’s watched Chris develop his style and confidence at jams all over the DFW Metroplex during the last few years, the project is a joy to listen to. But even if this is your first time to hear him, Watson proves he’s been listening and learning from the best North Texas has to offer. He and this CD are proof that although it’s lying pretty damned low some days, the blues is not dead around here. You can’t beat the Blues masters, but every time someone under the age of 25 takes a serious, respectful interest in it, and gets others excited about it, the Blues gets a transfusion and roars back to life again. And the blues is in need of that now. Right now.It will be interesting to see what path Chris chooses to go down to develop his talents. Many a young guitarist has been wooed away from blues by rock - enticed by the glitter and the call of cold hard cash. Hard not to blame them. A blues musician’s life is not an easy or glamorous one. But for now, Chris Watson feels the blues and shares them with us all on Just For Show… Time will tell if it’s for keeps.- Blue Lisa -Southwest Blues Magazine CD Review - September 2008
