Born Aug. 30, 1958 in Redwood City, California, and spending the bulk of his childhood in Santa Rosa, Chris was first inspired to become a musician as a result of listening to the Beatles at an early age. He began playing trumpet in school band and learned to sight-read for that instrument. After acquiring his first electric guitar at the age of 12, he began to dabble in songwriting, starting to write in earnest after graduating high school. To date he has penned over 300 songs on guitar, mandolin, bouzouki and, occasionally, whistle and keyboards. His other instruments include bass guitar, doumbek, bodhran, bowed psaltery, harp, and just about anything else he can get his hands on.

After being introduced to Irish music via the Bothy Band, Chris began teaching himself the intricate dance tunes on the fiddle, soon switching to mandolin which shares the fiddle's tuning. Utilizing years of finely honed guitar playing skills he taught himself the fiddle ornaments (full turns) on mandolin, also incorporating the Irish bouzouki into his repertoire. This unusual style of left-handed ornamentation has become his trademark and set the tone for (former band) Silverhand's unique sound. The songs he wrote (and later recorded) for the group reflect a wide variety of musical influences while retaining their Celtic heart.

Nowadays Chris works with his new band, "Circle of Stone" playing regularly at the "Laughing Clam" in downtown Grants Pass (Oregon), and at the "Hungry Woodsman" in Medford.

Chris is a Reformed Druid and the "Official Bard"of the Order of the Mithril Star.