French postcard by Editions F. Nugeron, no. Record 139. Photo: E. Todoir / London Features International.
Chris Isaak (1956) is an American rock musician and occasional actor. He is best known for his hit Wicked Game. The steamy clip for the song helped make Isaak a multi-media star and sex symbol. For the cinema, he often worked with directors Jonathan Demme and David Lunch.
Christopher Joseph 'Chris' Isaak was born in the blue-collar town of Stockton, California, in 1956. He is the son of Dorothy (née Vignolo), a potato chip factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. As a boy, he listened to records by Elvis and Roy Orbison, which were major influences. Borrowing his brother's guitar, Isaak taught himself how to play and started writing songs as a teenager. He found early inspiration in country musicians, such as Hank Williams, who his father liked to listen to on the radio. Isaak attended college at the University of the Pacific in Stockton. Outside of his academic studies, he spent much of his time training at a boxing gym and fighting as a light heavyweight. Isaak later spent some time in Japan as an exchange student, and it was there that he first considered a career in music. Graduating in 1980 with a bachelor's degree in English and communications, Isaak moved to San Francisco. He started out as a solo act, but in the early 1980s Isaak formed a rockabilly-influenced group called Silvertone. Isaak's luck turned around when he caught the attention of producer Erik Jacobsen. With his help, Isaak signed a contract to Warner Bros. Records for his first album, Silvertone (1985). Two tracks from this album, Gone Ridin' and Livin' for Your Lover featured in David Lynch's cult classic Blue Velvet. Isaak's second self-titled album, Chris Isaak, was photographed by fashion photographer Bruce Weber. Isaak's contract was renewed in 1988 when Warner Bros. moved him to their Reprise Records label. Suspicion of Love appears in the film Married to the Mob (Jonathan Demme, 1988) starring Michelle Pfeiffer. Isaak's best known song is Wicked Game, released on the album Heart Shaped World (1989). An instrumental version of the song was later featured in the film Wild at Heart (David Lynch, 1990). 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. It also reached No. 10 in the UK Singles Chart. The black and white music video for the song was directed by Herb Ritts. It featured Isaak and supermodel Helena Christensen in a sensual encounter on the beach, caressing each other and whispering erotically in each other's ears. In 1995, Isaak split with longtime guitarist James Calvin Wilsey. The album Forever Blue (1996) and the accompanying tour featured Hershel Yatovitz on guitar.
Chris Isaak has appeared in numerous films, mostly playing cameo roles. He starred, however, with Keanu Reeves and Bridget Fonda in Little Buddha (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1993) as the father of a boy who may be the reincarnation of a Buddhist teacher. He also played a major role in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (David Lynch, 1992). Other films include the organized crime comedy Married to the Mob (Jonathan Demme, 1988), The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991), That Thing You Do! (Tom Hanks, 1996), A Dirty Shame (John Waters, 2004), and The Informers (Gregor Jordan, 2008). In 1999, Isaak's Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing was featured in Stanley Kubrick's final film, Eyes Wide Shut. The song is on his 1995 Forever Blue album. Isaak's producer, Erik Jacobsen, was instrumental in his sound for 15 years. Isaak ceased working with Jacobsen on his 2002 album, Always Got Tonight. In 2006, he was guested by Johnny Hallyday to cover Fats Domino's hit Blueberry Hill. The duet was recorded and issued on Johnny Hallyday's live album La Cigale (2007, Warner Music). Isaak collaborated with John Shanks for his 2009 album Mr. Lucky. Isaak released an album called Beyond the Sun. On television, he guest-starred in series like Friends (1996), and From the Earth to the Moon, as astronaut Ed White (1998). From 2001 till 2004, Isaak starred in his own comedy show, The Chris Isaak Show on the cable television network Showtime. In 2009, he was the host of The Chris Isaak Hour, a one-hour talk show on The Biography Channel. In May 2015, Isaak was confirmed to be replacing Redfoo on the seventh season of The X Factor Australia. He was be joined by James Blunt and returning judges Guy Sebastian and Dannii Minogue.
Sources: Wikipedia, Biography.com, and IMDb.