Chris DeStefano
Background information
Birth nameChristopher Michael DeStefano
OriginNashville, Tennessee, U.S.
GenresCountry, pop, pop rock
Occupation(s)Songwriter, record producer
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • piano
  • bass
  • drums
  • mandolin
  • banjo
  • violin
  • pedal steel
percussion
Years active2010–present

Christopher Michael DeStefano[1] is a Grammy Award-winning American singer/songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist currently living in Nashville. As a songwriter, he has multiple #1 songs with artists Carrie Underwood (“Good Girl”, "Little Toy Guns"), Billy Currington (“Hey Girl”), Brett Eldredge ("Don't Ya"), Luke Bryan ("That's My Kind of Night", "Kick the Dust Up" ), Miranda Lambert & Carrie Underwood ("Somethin' Bad," later reworked as the opening theme for NBC Sunday Night Football), Rascal Flatts ("Rewind") and Jason Aldean ("Just Gettin' Started").

DeStefano was raised in Mount Laurel, New Jersey and graduated from Lenape High School in 1993. He was in the school's music program while playing with a progressive rock band in the area.[2]

Underwood's "Good Girl", which DeStefano co-wrote, reached number 1 on Hot Country Songs in 2012.[3][4] He also co-wrote and produced Brett Eldredge's number 1 single "Don't Ya".[5] He co-wrote “Something in the Water” sung by Carrie Underwood which was the #1 song for seven weeks, the 3rd longest running female #1 Hot Country song in chart history. DeStefano co-wrote "Kiss Somebody" (July 2017) with Australian singer, Morgan Evans, and fellow American songwriter, Josh Osborne.[6] At the APRA Music Awards of 2018 the song and its writers won Country Work of the Year.[6][7]

Discography

Songwriting discography

Year Artist Album Song Co-written with
2010 David Archuleta The Other Side of Down "Something 'Bout Love" David Archuleta, Sam Hollander, Dave Katz
2011 Kelly Clarkson Stronger "Let Me Down" Kelly Clarkson
David Cook This Loud Morning "This Is Not The Last Time" David Cook, David Hodges
Eli Young Band Life at Best "Every Other Memory" Catt Gravitt, Josh Kear
Scotty McCreery Clear as Day "Better Than That" Jess Cates, Craig Wiseman
2012 Kris Allen Thank You Camellia "Turn the Pages" Kris Allen, Jess Cates, Lindy Robbins
"Shut That Door" Kris Allen, Jess Cates
Connie Britton The Music of Nashville: Season 1 Volume 1 "Buried Under" Natalie Hemby
Jana Kramer Jana Kramer "Why Ya Wanna" Catt Gravitt, Ashley Gorley
Haley Reinhart Listen Up! "Now That You're Here" Haley Reinhart, Sam Watters
Carrie Underwood Blown Away "Good Girl" Carrie Underwood, Ashley Gorley
2013 Lauren Alaina — "Barefoot and Buckwild" Lauren Alaina, Jon Nite
Big Time Rush 24/Seven "Picture This" Carlos Pena Jr., James Maslow, Ashley Gorley
"Just Getting Started" Kendall Schmidt, Logan Henderson, Ashley Gorley
"Lost in Love" (feat. Jake Miller) Carlos Pena Jr., Jake Miller, Shari Short
"Na Na Na" Carlos Pena Jr., Ashley Gorley
Luke Bryan Crash My Party "That's My Kind of Night" Dallas Davidson, Ashley Gorley
Billy Currington We Are Tonight “Hey Girl” Rhett Akins, Ashley Gorley
Gavin DeGraw Make a Move "Heartbreak" Gavin DeGraw
Brett Eldredge Bring You Back "Don't Ya" Brett Eldredge, Ashley Gorley
Florida Georgia Line Here's to the Good Times "Take It Out on Me" Ashley Gorley, Shane McAnally
Jake Owen Days of Gold "Ghost Town"
"Life of the Party" Ashley Gorley, Dallas Davidson
Chris Young A.M. "Aw Naw" Chris Young, Ashley Gorley
"A.M."
"Goodbye"
"We're Gonna Find It Tonight" Chris Young, Rhett Akins
2014 Jason Aldean Old Boots, New Dirt "Just Gettin' Started" Rhett Akins, Ashley Gorley
Dan + Shay Where It All Began "Nothin' Like You" Ashley Gorley, Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney
Florida Georgia Line Anything Goes "Smile" Dallas Davidson, Ashley Gorley
"Every Night" Tyler Hubbard, Tyler Kelley, Ashley Gorley
Lucy Hale Road Between "Kiss Me" Mike Daly, Ashley Gorley, Lindy Robbins
"Lie a Little Better" Mike Daly, Melissa Peirce
"That's What I Call Crazy" Ashley Gorley, Kacey Musgraves
Miranda Lambert Platinum "Somethin' Bad" (duet with Carrie Underwood) Brett James, Priscilla Renea
Rascal Flatts Rewind "Rewind" Ashley Gorley, Eric Paslay
Cole Swindell Cole Swindell "Swayin'" Rhett Akins, Ashley Gorley
Chase Rice Ignite the Night "Ready Set Roll" Chase Rice, Rhett Akins
"Do It Like This" Dallas Davidson, Ashley Gorley
"Beach Town" Chase Rice, Jon Nite
"Beer With The Boys" Chase Rice, Ashley Gorley
"We Goin' Out" Chase Rice, Shane Minor
"50 Shades Of Crazy" Chase Rice, Jon Nite
"Best Beers Of Our Lives" Chase Rice, Shane Minor
Carrie Underwood Greatest Hits: Decade #1 "Something in the Water" Carrie Underwood, Brett James
"Little Toy Guns" Carrie Underwood, Hillary Lindsey
2015 Bon Jovi Burning Bridges "Life Is Beautiful" Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Falcon
Luke Bryan Kill the Lights "Kick the Dust Up" Dallas Davidson, Ashley Gorley
Kelly Clarkson Piece by Piece "Second Wind" Shane McAnally, Maren Morris
Thomas Rhett Tangled Up "Tangled" Adam Hoffman, Matt Lipkins, Josh Osborne, Scott Schwartz
Carrie Underwood Storyteller "Renegade Runaway" Carrie Underwood, Hillary Lindsey
"Smoke Break"
"Clock Don't Stop" Hillary Lindsey, Blair Daly
2016 Dan + Shay Obsessed "From the Ground Up" Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney
Rachel Platten Wildfire "Superman" Rachel Platten, Lindy Robbins
Bon Jovi This House Is Not for Sale "Roller Coaster" Jon Bon Jovi, Ashley Gorley
2018 Carrie Underwood NBC Sunday Night Football "Game On" Carrie Underwood, Brett James

Production discography

Year Artist Album Song Co-produced with
2010 David Archuleta The Other Side of Down "Something 'Bout Love"
2011 Kelly Clarkson Stronger "Let Me Down"
"Don't Be a Girl About It"
2012 Kris Allen Thank You Camellia "Turn the Pages"
Haley Reinhart Listen Up! "Now That You're Here"
2013 Big Time Rush 24/Seven "Picture This" Damon Sharpe
"Just Getting Started"
"Lost in Love"
"NaNaNa"
Brett Eldredge Bring You Back "Don't Ya"
2014 Chase Rice Ignite the Night "Ready Set Roll"
"Do It Like This"
"Beach Town"
"Beer With The Boys"
"We Goin’ Out"
"50 Shades of Crazy"
"Best Beers of Our Lives"
"Mmm Girl"
"Carolina Can"
"Gonna Wanna Tonight"
"U Turn"
"What’s Your Name"
"Country In Ya"
"Ride"
Dan + Shay Where It All Began "Nothin' Like You"
2015 Kelly Clarkson Piece by Piece "Second Wind"
Kip Moore Wild Ones "Wild Ones"
"Complicated"
Thomas Rhett Tangled Up "Learned It from the Radio"
"Playing with Fire" (featuring Jordin Sparks)"
2018 Carrie Underwood NBC Sunday Night Football "Game On" With Mark Bright

References

  1. ^ "ACE Title Search". Archived from the original on 6 March 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  2. ^ Pensiero, Nicole. "Mr. Write", South Jersey Magazine, February 2014. Accessed June 8, 2020. "Chris DeStefano’s career has had more twists and turns than, say, one of the chart-topping songs he’s co-written for the likes of Carrie Underwood or Luke Bryan. The Grammy Award-winning Mount Laurel native—who now divides his time between Nashville and Los Angeles—is riding high on a wave of acclaim for his songwriting and production talents in the world of country music.... 'I took private lessons, and Lenape High School (where he graduated from in 1993) had an amazing music program—I learned so much there,' DeStefano recalls."
  3. ^ "Chris DeStefano". ASCAP. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  4. ^ "Chris DeStefano & Ashley Gorley Top the Charts with "Good Girl"". ASCAP. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  5. ^ Morris, Edward (24 September 2013). "Brett Eldredge Savors First No. 1 With Co-Writers Ashley Gorley, Chris DeStefano". Country Music Television. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  6. ^ a b "Full List of Winners". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2018. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Country Work of the Year". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
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