Chris Nelson was born & raised in Clinton, NC. His southern upbringing & deep roots in classic country music, combined with his ambitions to learn instrumental classical & jazz music, collided in 2018 when he performed as a vocalist for the first time. He began mixing his love for traditional country music with his ability to play the saxophone & guitar. The result was the creation of original songs with a unique traditional country-soul mixture that immediately caught the attention of local venues and fans. He has averaged 200+ performances per year since 2020.

 

In 2022, at The Carolina Country Music Awards, Chris won Music Video of The Year & was nominated for Emerging New Artist for his debut single, “Working Class Heroes” – produced and recorded by music legends Robbie Vanhoy (Henry Berry Band) & Larry Chavis (BJ Thomas) at Soundland Studios – the video was shot by the talented Tony Murnahan (Stwrongtone Media). This song was a tribute to his father, who also starred in the music video. In 2023, Chris was nominated for Male Artist of The Year & Country Single of The Year for his second single release, “Broken Cowboys” at The Carolina Country Music Awards.

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In 2024, Chris recorded with Kent Wells (Producer for Dolly Parton, Reba, & others) on music row in downtown Nashville, TN and signed a record deal with Hwy One Records where he began working with their booking & PR team at Murray Town Entertainment. As a result of these two deals, Chris released "I've Done Time" in 2024 and "Slice of Heaven" & "Coharie Creek" in 2025. I've Done Time received nominations for Song of The Year at The Josie Music Awards and was featured on the International Singer-Songwriters Association radio station. Coharie Creek features his ability to play the saxophone and pays homage to his Native American ancestry through the usage of Native style singing and drumming by the group "Red Clay". 

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In 2025, Chris received (4) nominations at the Josie Music Awards in Nashville, TN at the Grand Ole Opry for; Male Vocalist of The Year, Rising Star of The Year, Song of The Year (I've Done Time), & Musician of The Year (Saxophone). He also recieved reocgnition from the Carolina Country Music Awards with nominations for Tour of The Year and Country Song of The Year. In 2025, Chris expanded ground covered on the road by adding Washington State, New York and Pennsylvania to the places he has toured with plans on further expansion with his 2026 tour dates.

 

Chris is a member of; the CMAs (Country Music Association), Josie Music Awards, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, The International Singer-Songwriter Association, The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, & The Carolina Country Music Association.