Chris Ballew | |
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Ballew in 2005
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Background information | |
Birth name | Christopher Ballew |
Born | May 28, 1965 |
Origin | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
Genres | Alternative rock, post-grunge, power pop, grunge, pop punk |
Instruments | vocals, guitar, bass, basitar, guitbass |
Years active | 1986–present |
Associated acts | The Presidents of the United States of America, Balls, EGG, Caspar and Mollusk, Supergroup, The Minus 5, The Giraffes, The Tycoons, Chris and Tad, The Feelings Hijackers, Caspar Babypants |
Christopher "Chris" Ballew (born May 28, 1965) is an American musician best known as the former lead singer and 'basitarist' of the alternative rock group The Presidents of the United States of America. He also performs as a children's artist under the pseudonym Caspar Babypants.
Ballew grew up in Seattle and attended middle and high school at The Bush School, where he met Dave Dederer, with whom he would later form The Presidents of the United States of America. In the late 1980s and early 90s Ballew lived in Boston, where he performed as a street musician in a duo called Egg with Phil Franklin (later of Caroliner Rainbow and Sunburned Hand of the Man). Many of Ballew's songs with Egg would become well-known Presidents songs, most notably Naked and Famous, which is performed by Egg as a bonus track on a 2005 reissue of the Presidents' eponymous debut album. The two members of Egg were also part of the experimental triple-bass guitar ensemble Balls, which released a 12" EP in 1991. While in Boston, Ballew also played briefly with Mary Lou Lord, and with Mark Sandman of Treat Her Right and Morphine in a duo called Supergroup, in which they developed the oddly stringed instruments that would become a staple of both the Presidents' and Morphine's sound.