Chris O'Brien
http://www.chrisobrienmusic.com/
2007 WUMB New Artist of the Year
Boston based singer/songwriter Chris O'Brien is an artist on the rise. Since the release of his CD "Lighthouse," Chris has caught the attention of many. He was chosen from a pool of nearly 1,000 contestants to appear on Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" in the "People in Their Twenties" talent contest, he was one of Falcon Ridge Folk Festival's Emerging Artists, and also was also a finalist in the Mountain Stage New Song competition and on the local Boston front Chris headlined at Club Passim. In addition to all that, Chris also appeared at a Farm Aid event and a big benefit show for the ABC show "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" for a deserving family in Vermont.
Chris O'Brien took to the guitar after seeing Shawn Colvin and the Indigo Girls in concert when he was twelve. Struck by his passion to learn the guitar, family friend Dar Williams sat down with Chris and taught him to play his first chords. His stepmother, a former manager at the famed Iron Horse in Northampton, is also a folk DJ. Chris grew up surrounded by music and musicians, he was raised on a steady diet of Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon. Influenced by Martin Sexton, David Gray and Richard Shindell he started crafting his own songs by the age of 14.
After a couple of years of college in Oregon, Chris returned home and became a regular face at the Iron Horse open mics. With some encouragement from friend Stephen Kellogg Chris moved out to Boston to try his luck in the renowned Cambridge Folk scene. The folks at the legendary acoustic music venue Club Passim immediately embraced the young songwriter and present him on stage on a regular basis. He is also finding success in New York City venues and has returned to western Massachusetts . . . this time as a featured artist.