Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Manning
Hi Chris, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a Dallas-based guitarist, songwriter, and session player who has a lifelong passion for music, all things guitar, recording, mixing, studio work, and live performance. I have been featured in Guitar Player magazine (Dec 2008), and shared stages with Drowning Pool, George Lynch/Lynch Mob, Michael Schenker, Dokken, Stephen Pearcy (Ratt), and Dangerous Toys. I am also a founding member of The Zeppelin Project, one of the top Led Zeppelin tributes in the southwest and in addition to Texas we have played in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, and Arkansas performing at clubs, theaters, as well as festivals with crowds in the thousands.
I have also recently released several albums of original songs on ‘No Life ‘Til Metal Records’, both featuring up-and-coming LA vocalist Cris Hodges (Grey Daze, In The End). Both albums include one song featuring amazing solos from Bruce Kulick, former KISS guitarist who was also the creative consultant on both albums.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It is seldom a smooth road to achieve something worthwhile and playing an instrument is no different. Fender Musical Instruments mentioned that 90% of everyone who takes up guitar quits in the first year and I believe that is probably true. The reason is most people have very unrealistic expectations about what is required to learn an instrument and play it well. And the better the guitarist, the easier it looks.
I have worked very hard over the years to get my 10,000 hours on the guitar. Many years ago, I injured my fret hand from overuse on the guitar and it looked like for a time that I might not ever play again. Rather than give up, I persevered seeing seven doctors and three physical therapists over an 18 month period before I found the right physical therapist. Since then, I have worked tirelessly on doing my PT exercises, something that continues to this day to keep my hands in good shape.
That experience taught me a lot about myself and I am so proud of my perseverance. I had a lot of moments of discouragement as I rehabbed my hand and it wasn’t too long until my other hand took on the same symptoms. I learned that my hands will never be pain-free but it has never stood in the way of me performing live with my original band or my Led Zeppelin tribute or from writing and recording great original music.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I play in a Dallas-based Led Zeppelin tribute, The Zeppelin Project has been active for almost eight years. We have played throughout Texas as well as five other states going as far north as Missouri. The band is comprised of professional musicians and veterans of the southwest music scene and we are all good friends. We have David Roberts (Whitecross) on vocals, Rick Read (Herd of Instinct) on bass and keys, and Chris Irpino (Small Tribe) on drums. I have been performing in Led Zeppelin tribute bands since 2011 and the other members come from other Zeppelin tributes over the years. Our goal is to perform the music of Zeppelin, some live and some studio versions accurately with an attention to detail that honors their musical legacy.
While I love performing the music of Led Zeppelin as Jimmy Page, my other passion is writing, recording, and releasing original music, something I’ve done for over 20 years. Most recently I have released two rock/metal albums, Destination (2020) and Reach The Sky (2023) both featuring LA vocalist and co-writer Cris Hodges (Grey Daze, In The End) on No Life ‘Til Metal Records. I am very proud of these two releases and Reach The Sky is now available on vinyl! I worked very hard on these albums and the songs are very catchy and fans of Alice In Chains, Aerosmith, and Dokken will love these albums. They are available on all major streaming platforms along with physical product (Vinyl and CDs) from the record label and in 2025, they can be purchased directly from Target.com and Tower Records! Both albums feature legendary guitarist Bruce Kulick as the albums’ creative consultant, and he also solos on one song on each album!
Recently, I also released a new single “Ghosts of Dragon Lake” which features bass legend and Grammy winner Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets, Tommy Bolin, Robben Ford). Jimmy has played with several of my guitar heroes and it was great to have him lend his talents to my original music. The music video utilized some AI as people, lakes, boats, ghosts, and dragons morph constantly into different objects so it is very catchy!
What sets me apart as an original artist is that after 10,000 hours on guitar, I have developed my own style and sound, something that is critical in standing out in a very crowded independent artist industry. My unique style and sound really comes alive in my compositions which in addition to rock & metal, I also write very mellow, ambient instrumentals like “Epiphany” that I wrote about my parents decline into dementia. In the same genre, I wrote a song “Waiting” about my marine son Michael’s time in combat in Afghanistan over ten years ago. The video for “Waiting” features my music and Michael’s images he took while in Afghanistan so it’s a powerful and haunting video!
Who else deserves credit in your story?
It begins with my parents as well as my wonderful stepmom, all who supported me in everything I’ve done. My siblings, Dan Manning & Allison Eubanks, also musicians have been great as well. Ultimately, my inspiration comes from my amazing wife Carol who understands me and knows that music and playing guitar is who I am and is something that is a driving force in my life. We met because of music!
My musical mentor since 2019 has been legendary guitarist Bruce Kulick who was in KISS for 12 years during the non-make up era. I started out taking guitar lessons remotely from Bruce and it quickly evolved into a quest to really improve my songwriting abilities as well as various guitar techniques and everything I do. Bruce has been an incredible mentor and helped shape every song on both albums. Our process starts with me sending him a new song demo and then meeting via FaceTime to get his feedback, thoughts, and impressions of my work. This has been an invaluable education for me and as anyone will tell you who has met Bruce, he is a very nice, humble guy.
As a quick sidenote, I think it is important as a guitarist and musician to always keep learning new things and always keep a humble attitude about your skills and achievements. Some guitarists scoff at the idea of taking lessons and I think they are only limiting themselves and their potential.
My two closest friends also deserve mention. I have known mastering engineer Rob Colwell since 1992 and he even introduced me to my wife! He has always been there for me and as I’ve grown as an artist and musician, he has grown into a world-class mastering engineer with many credits to his name.
My other close friend is Steve Taylor who is also my guitar tech for live shows. Steve is just one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet and our friendship started after one of my Zepp tribute shows. Steve was very interested in learning more about the guitar as well as everything it takes to set up for a live show and we quickly became great friends.
Looking ahead to 2025, I am almost halfway through writing a new album with Cris Hodges that I hope to release in later in the year. Like the previous two albums, Bruce Kulick continues to be involved in critiquing my songs and offering tips to improve them. I am very grateful to be working with Cris Hodges and Bruce Kulick!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chris-manning.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrismanningmusician/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3aa-DuLzhEy_FT68dnWspw
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/chrismanning-1
- Other: https://chrismanning.bandcamp.com/
Image Credits
1. Demethrus Mckinzie
2. Thomas E. Moore
3. Trish DeBarbera
4. Matt Story
5. Gregg Gannon
6. Joe Groves
