Depending on who you ask, Chris Well (aka CsW) is "the guy who broke up Sixpence None the Richer," "the former lead singer of the WhoTicks," "a pioneering Christian music journalist," or "Bill Gaither's protégé."

Well, there are actually historical reasons for each of those descriptives. True, Chris has been known to write a thing or two for the legendary Bill Gaither, but to call him a "protégé" would be more than a stretch. And Sixpence None the Richer? There was never an official band biography (as in a book) because Chris didn't write it. But to say he caused them to disband would be melodramatic at the very least. "What about his role with the WhoTicks?" Um...WHAT role? I challenge you to find Chris listed in the album credits of ANY WhoTicks CD. (And just because the band never included him in the "Special Thanks" section of their liner notes, don't go thinking they had a negative relationship, because they didn't.) That leaves us with the "pioneering Christian music journalist" tag.

OK, I'll budge on that one... a little. True, Chris was once the editor of the now defunct Syndicate Magazine, long considered the ultimate in alternative Christian music cool. And he then went on to found and oversee the original 7ball Magazine. And yes, he broke new territory there. Like... even writing one stunning sentence to serve as an entire 7ball album review. Summarizing one band's new "best of" CD, Chris stated simply:

"I would think this would have been a blank disc."

But that was several years ago, and today we see a kinder, gentler Chris Well (sort of). You know him now as CCM's List-O-Rama guy. And if that's your favorite section of CCM Magazine, then you're no doubt cluing into the fact that there's a reason for that. Chris Well's an enigma. And out of respect for his mysterious life history, I will refrain from attempting to profile him further.

Reading this, you may be wondering whether this is a sort of "We're Pleased to Have Chris Well on Our Team" type of posting, or actually an editor's disclaimer about having Chris Well on the team.

In a word, YES.

Respectfully,

Jay

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