The untold story behind Christopher Cross’s meteoric rise

Before Christopher Cross became a household name in the early 1980s, he was quietly honing his craft in one of America’s most musically fertile cities: Austin, Texas. For a decade, Cross immersed himself in the city’s eclectic scene, surrounded by talents like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson, and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. It was a time of learning, friendship, and musical growth—but also of pragmatism.