Background

Christopher Stephen "Chris" Botti was born on October 12, 1962 in Portland, Oregon.  The future famous trumpeter went to college at Indiana University and was fortunate to study under the great jazz educators David Baker, Bill Adam, Woody Shaw and George Coleman. He started to gain experience and respect in the music world as a supporting musician for an impressive line of performers. The list of his collaborators included greats like Paul Simon, Sting and Joni Mitchell.

When he was playing on the street and doing scary gigs in bad neighborhoods, he was really enthusiastic about his music but blinded to reality. Drive was the most important thing that kept him going and pushing forward. One of his mentors told him that “Talent can be shaped and manipulated but if you don’t have drive, you’re never going to have a career.”

Music Career

The highly praised trumpeter has been marked as one of the most successful solo musicians in the history of music. When he does gigs around the globe, he is able to offer his new takes on standard jazz notes and create new music. Even though the music industry has changed so much during his career, he is still able to attract large crowds to enjoy his classy music.

In an interview with Smart Talks, Chris described his special bond with his instrument and what the genre of Jazz music can teach people about the relationship between life and love, “I think learning an instrument can teach you to not be afraid to do one thing great. A lot of young kids these days want to do many different things and they have many different distractions. Playing an instrument will give you some grounding point to do one thing great. For me, I focused on jazz music. I just basically forgot about everything else or did away with it. At a certain point, you’re committed to something to an extent that you would do anything, and I’ve always been that way since I was a kid. “

Chris’ career has been decorated with awards. He reached the peak of music recognition when he won the Grammy Award in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category in 2013. His album called Impressions was what set him apart from the rest of the nominees. It was the first time he won a Grammy after having been previously nominated in 2008 for his album Italia. He was also nominated three times in 2010 when he released a live album called Chris Botti In Boston.

Personal Life

Chris is hardly at home because of his tough and intense touring schedule but he has no issues with it. While some people would have trouble being away from home for so long, it is speculated that Chris doesn’t mind because he doesn’t have a family. Chris is very private about his personal life and there is no information on the public record about having a wife or children.

Chris and his band are on the road for almost 300 days out of the year and he wouldn’t have it any other way because he is so passionate about performing. He actually admits that he doesn’t have a life outside of his music. When he speaks to young people about pursuing a career in music, he tells them to make sure that they actually want to do it. It is not a lifestyle for everyone and sacrifices will have to be made if you really want to be great and succeed.