About
Christopher Holt is a jack of all trades, and if you ask him, a master of none. But that doesn’t stop him from trying his hand at just about everything.
When he’s not busy touring the world as guitarist for Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame legends Don Henley, Mike Campbell and Max Weinberg, the five-time Dallas Observer Music Award winner (three of them for Musician Of The Year) juggles his time between being an in-demand multi-instrumentalist and a songwriter fronting his own bands, while releasing solo albums in between.
He’s played onstage with other legendary artists like Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Stevie Nicks, The Doobie Brothers, Derek Trucks, Benmont Tench, Steve Ferrone, Stan Lynch, Timothy B. Schmit, Chris Stapleton, Lyle Lovett, Jamey Johnson, The Chicks, Martina McBride, Clint Black, Steve Earle, and Patty Smyth, to name a few. He’s gigged and recorded with dozens of acclaimed artists from the DFW area over the past 20 years, including Sorta, The Slack, Rhett Miller, Cas Haley, Salim Nourallah, Olospo, Johnny Lloyd Rollins, and many others. He’s also been a longtime member of spot-on cover acts like Live & Let Die, Hard Nights Day, Big Mike’s Box Of Rock, Band On The Run, and Holt & Stockslager (performing the music of Simon & Garfunkel).
In recent years, he’s released new original music with Bastards Of Soul, whose albums have been met with critical acclaim and an adoring fanbase.
In 2020, Chris started his own online series called “Chris Holt’s All-Request Thursday”, as a way to remedy the lost income from multiple touring and gig cancellations due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, the A.R.T. series has thrived, with its own small but loyal audience, for more than 90 episodes.
In the summer of 2022, Chris joined Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs, playing guitar alongside one of his lifelong musical heroes. He was also awarded the distinct honor of “Texas Tornado” by Buddy Magazine, joining a long and illustrious Hall of Fame list of notable Texas Musicians.
Chris plays a wide variety of instruments, including guitar, piano, bass, drums, pedal steel, lap steel, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, and harmonica. Additionally, he’s spent many years as a dedicated teacher and mentor to budding musicians across the DFW metroplex, while being a husband and father of three. He loves movies, roller coasters, dogs, Tex-Mex, and The Beatles. He despises brown paper bags and straws. Oh, and pencils. "They’re the worst," he says.
Notable Awards and Recognition
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Dallas Observer Music Awards "Musician Of The Year" - 2005, 2006, 2007
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Dallas Observer Music Awards "Best Instrumentalist" - 2006
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Dallas Observer Music Awards "Best Act In Town" (Sorta) - 2006
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Dallas Observer Music Awards "Best Guitarist" - 2009
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Dallas Observer Music Awards "Best Cover Band" (Hard Nights Day) - 8 different wins
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Dallas Observer Music Awards "Best Album" - Spinnin’ (Bastards Of Soul - 2020)
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D Magazine "Best Album" - Corners (Bastards Of Soul - 2022)
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Buddy Magazine “Texas Tornado” (Texas Music Hall Of Fame award) - 2022