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Chris Rodrigues (born June 7, 1989) is an American Contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist. He is well known for a viral video titled "Angels in Heaven" with activist and percussionist Abby the Spoon Lady, which reached over 200 million views on Facebook and another ten million views on YouTube.[1]
Chris Rodrigues | |
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 Chris Rodrigues busking in Asheville NC 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Chris Rodrigues |
| Born | June 7, 1989 Asheville, NC, U.S. |
| Origin | Asheville, North Carolina, USA |
| Genres | blues, folk, country, Christian |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, banjo, fiddle |
| Years active | 2002–present |
Background
edit
Born on June 7, 1989, in Asheville, North Carolina, the son of Teresa Lundsford and Bill Rodrigues. He was raised in the Asheville, North Carolina area and graduated from North Buncombe High School.[2] His father left when he was five years old. He started doing odd jobs, including cleaning, with his mother at a very young age to help her pay the bills. He was given his first guitar as a toddler and learned to play at a very early age. During grade school and high school Chris played with various bluegrass, metal, and rock and roll bands. In an effort to help raise money for bills, Chris Rodrigues eventually took to street performing in Asheville, North Carolina.[1]
Chris Rodrigues started street performing on a more regular basis starting in 2012 and started playing music with Abby the Spoon Lady in the spring of 2013.[3] He released his first solo album I'll Keep My Light Lit on July 8, 2016, and he and Abby the Spoon Lady released their album Working on Wall Street on October 29, 2017.
In 2015, filmmaker Erin Durham released the film Buskin' Blues, a documentary centering around the street performance culture in the Asheville, North Carolina area. The film featured Chris Rodrigues and his performance partner Abby the Spoon Lady.[4] In 2017 filmmaker Justin Johnson directed a short film title Abby the Spoon Lady which chronicles a day in the life of a musician and features Chris Rodrigues.[5]
Genre
editHis repertoire consists of a mix of Americana, country blues, jug band, Vaudeville, Appalachian folk and contemporary originals.
Influences
editMusicians that have influenced him include Flatt & Scruggs, Bill Monroe, and the Dixie Hummingbirds, and also LaShun Pace, a gospel singer who originally wrote a song called, "I Know I've Been Changed", which Rodrigues added verses to and released as his own work.
Studio albums
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| I'll Keep My Light Lit |
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| Working On Wall Street |
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Music videos
edit| Title | Year | Album | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Angels in Heaven" | 2017 | Working on Wall Street | Watch |
| "Mrs. Jones" | 2016 | with Abby the Spoon Lady | Watch |
| "Don't Let The Devil Ride" | 2018 | Watch | |
| "Soldier in the Army Of The Lord" | 2017 | Watch | |
| "Jesus on the Mainline" | Watch | ||
| "Nobody's Fault But Mine" | Watch |
References
edit- ^ a b Rowell, David (October 29, 2018). "The Song Of Abby The Spoon Lady". Washington Post.
- ^ Benton, Hayley (January 10, 2017). "Asheville Buskers Left In The Cold". Asheville Citizen Times.
- ^ King, Nick (November 13, 2014). "Living Portrait series: The Spoon Lady". Asheville Citizen Times.
- ^ "Buskin' Blues". IMDb.com. April 17, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
- ^ "Abby the Spoon Lady". IMDb.com. Retrieved November 5, 2020.