Celebrity Spotlight: Chris St. John
Celebrity Spotlight: Chris St. John
Tell me a bit about how your career began.
I’ve been writing songs since I was about 16. I mostly played them for myself. I recently went on a real cattle roundup on Bighorn Mountain during he beginning of Covid. We were 5 people punching 650 cattle down the mountain for a week. Twelve hours a day and nights in single person T-Pees. I purchased a horse I rode from the rancher. I named him Reagan and wrote a song about him. I’ve been a lawyer for 26 years and found myself wanting to be a cowboy and a horseman. After writing the song I liked it so much had the song “I Need a Horse” professionally produced. I wrote 3 more songs and brought 9 old ones to the table. I decided to make the album I’m Dreaming. The album started with the horse.
-What are some of your proudest accomplishments so far?
I served in the US State Department during the Reagan Gorbachev Summit, was a judge for 12 years, a prosecutor for 4, and am a volunteer firefighter. I’m most proud of co-founding a charity called HALO Missions, a 501C3 non-profit. No one in our group takes a stipend or salary, so our money goes directly to our cause. We contribute our own money and time to travel to developing countries to help the extreme poor, primarily orphans. We’ve been to Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. We’ve enabled thousands of children to go to school, provided medical care for thousands of children and surgeries for hundreds of adults (cataract and general). We discovered early on that the gift of giving brings a joy to the giver that is unattainable by any other means. When you pour yourself out to do God’s work here on earth, the reward stays with you.
-Do you write all this original material? If so, who influences you as a writer/artist?
Yes. My influences include The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, The Eagles, Pink Floyd, Jackson Browne and James Taylor, Carol King, Cat Stevens, John Denver and other artists from the 60’s and 70’s. I also enjoy Nat King Cole, the Platters, and all of the songs from my parent’s era. All of the old Country artists like Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash. I love the old American Standards. The list could go on and on.
-Who are some people/companies you want to collaborate with?
I’m lucky. I’m collaborating with the people I want.
-What’s next for you? anything new and exciting in the works?
I’m not sure. I’ll keep writing music, but I’m sure I’ll find other interests and reinvent myself. I’m living every day like it’s my last.
-Tell me a surprising, fun fact about yourself.
I became a professional firefighter at 48 years of age. I was by far the oldest to take and pass the exams in my training. Most of the men and women were in their late teens and early 20’s. When I was elected judge I was 36. I think I was the youngest in NY State at that time.
-What are you watching on TV these days?
I like to binge watch documentaries and other shows on Netflix.
-Where can people learn more about you?
-Anything else you want to tell America?
Be grateful and joyous. We are so lucky to have been born here.
