Chris Birkett

Chris Birkett is a multi-talented, award winning producer, singer/songwriter,composer and sound engineer. His music collaborations with A-list artists like SineadO’Connor, Alison Moyet, Dexys Midnight Runners, Talking Heads, The Pogues, BobGeldof, Quincy Jones, Mel Brooks, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Steve Earle have soldover 100 million records and earned him a Canadian Juno and three AMPEX GoldenReel Awards for excellence in the music businessHis career began as a guitarist, playing in London clubs before touring with Memphisartists Rufus Thomas, Ann Peebles and King Floyd. At 23, Chris joined the popgroup Love Affair, whose song "Everlasting Love" ruled the UK charts. The followingyear, he joined Omaha Sheriff who had just signed a major recording deal with TonyVisconti, manager of Good Earth Records and producer for David Bowie and theMoody Blues.With Visconti as a mentor, Chris expanded his career to include producing,engineering and mixing many UK and international hits including Sinead O'Connor’s#1 hit "Nothing Compares 2 U". His London studio was a beehive of activity that wasrated #2 in the world on Billboard’s top studio charts.At the same time, Chris’ own single “Where Do We Go From Here?” was picked byEd Bicknell (Dire Straits’ manager) to play alongside U2, Peter Gabriel, Bob Marley,Tears for Fears and Queen on Polygram’s “One Voice One Love” album withproceeds going to CARE International’s African famine relief fund.In 1993, Chris left the UK for France and built a recording studio inside his chateaunear Bordeaux. There he produced albums with the Buena Vista Social Club andother world-class musicians, including Etran Finatawa, whose album received thebest world music album in 2006. He then moved his studio to Paris, where hereleased his second album, “Freedom” and received growing acclaim for his workwith world musicians like Algerian sensation Ali Amran.Chris is no stranger to Canadian music, having produced three albums for Canadianartist Buffy Sainte-Marie, including her Juno award-winning album Running for theDrum in 2009. In 2012, he moved to Canada opened a recording studio in Torontoand finished work on his third album "Be Creative" featuring performances frommany talented Canadian artists including Glen Milchem (Blue Rodeo) and RickEmmett (Triumph).Now a permanent resident of Canada, Chris’ latest credit is co-producer of BuffySainte-Marie’s fourth album Power in the Blood (including the title track) with JohnLevine and Michael Wo