Background
Knight grew up in Slaughters, Kentucky. His father was a pipe liner.
Guitarist singer singer-songwriter
Knight grew up in Slaughters, Kentucky. His father was a pipe liner.
In addition to releasing solo records of his own material, Knight has had a successful career writing songs that have been recorded by Confederate Railroad, John Anderson, and Randy Travis among others His extended family lives in the same area of Kentucky. When he was three years old, he asked for a plastic guitar for Christmas.
At 15, he became serious and began teaching himself John Prine songs on his older brother"s guitar.
Knight earned a degree in agriculture from Western Kentucky University. He worked for ten years as a mine reclamation inspector and as a miner"s consultant for the Kentucky Department of Surface Mining.
Knight started composing when he was 26, but didn"t start performing until he was 30. He got his first record deal when he was 37.
Nashville
In 1986, he heard Steve Earle on the radio and decided to start writing songs.
He attracted the interest of music producer Frank Liddell, who signed him to a contract with Bluewater Music. When Decca Records hired Liddell for an A&R position, Knight received a contract and in 1998 Decca released his self-titled debut. Knight still lived in a 10"-x-15" trailer on 90 acres (360,000 m2) in Slaughters when the album was released.
Decca folded at the end of the 1990s, only two years after Knight joined the label.
After a couple years without a label, Knight signed with Dualtone Music Group. Knight licensed his music to Dualtone Records for two records, then decided to release his music independently with the help of his manager.
Texas
Knight is well known in Texas for writing the hit Montgomery Gentry song "She Couldn"t Change Maine" and because of his particular fame in Texas, was named an "Honorary Texan" in 2006 by Texas Governor Rick Perry. Early releases
He recorded his first demo tapes, bootlegged—and then self-released—while living alone in a trailer on his property outside Slaughters.
Called The Trailer Tapes, and officially released in 2007.
They were one of his best-selling records. Little Victories
lieutenant took Knight four years to release Little Victories in 2012. Knight"s former Decca labelmate, Lee Ann Womack, collaborated with him on "You Lie When You Call My Name." Long-time musical hero John Prine sings on the title track.
Buddy Miller plays guitar and sings on two tracks: "Missing You" and "Nothing on Maine."
"A Pretty Good Guy" - Fred Eaglesmith
"A Train Not Running" - Stacy Dean Campbell
"Becky"s Bible" - Jason Savory
"Cry Lonely" - Cross Canadian Ragweed
"Heart of Stone" - Dan Baird
"Highway Junkie" - Randy Travis, Gary Allan, The Yayhoos, The Von Ehrics
"I Don"t Want to Hang Out With Maine" - Confederate Railroad
"lieutenant Ain"t Easy Being Maine" - John Anderson, Jason McCoy, and Blake Shelton
"Love and Gasoline" and "She"s Leaving This Town" - The Great Divide
"Love at 90 Miles an Hour" - Ty Herndon
"She Couldn"t Change Maine" - Montgomery Gentry
"The Hammer Goin Down" - The Road Hammers
In 2015, Chris Knight was featured in Season 1, Episode 2 of CarbonTV"s original series, American Elements.