Christopher Douridas
Encyclopedia
Chris Douridas is a popular DJ and musical tastemaker at Santa Monica
, California
, radio station KCRW
, where he hosts a two hour program showcasing progressive new music. He is also a filmmaker, actor, television presenter, and a three-time Grammy-nominated producer of soundtracks and music videos.
, Ohio
. After attending North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas) where he was involved in campus radio station KNTU-FM
, Douridas went on in the 1980s to work in Dallas
, Texas
at public radio station KERA
where he produced an innovative radio show called "90.1 at Night". While there, he created a series called "Sound Sessions", live radio sessions featuring Dallas area bands. This show gave a platform, recording resources and eventually compilation CD exposure to bands such as the Dixie Chicks
. At the time the only other broadcasts that featured local bands were on KDGE.
's daily three-hour new music program, Morning Becomes Eclectic
, bringing a personal character to the show. He was also the station's music director at the time. When he went independent of KCRW in 1998, he maintained a link to the station by presenting a two-hour program called "Ground Zero
", which was renamed "New Ground" after the 9/11 attacks
. Later, the show was extended to three hours.
Perhaps Douridas' greatest contribution to the station was his hiring of most of the on air staff including Liza Richardson (a former colleague at Dallas' KERA), Jason Bentley (formerly of KXLU, and current music director/host of "Morning Becomes Eclectic"), Garth Trinidad, Anne Litt, Gary Calamar, Kevin Ponthier (a former colleague at his college station, KNTU), and Tricia Halloran. Halloran recently left the station and is a staff music supervisor at Hum in Santa Monica, CA.
, As Good as It Gets
and the Austin Powers
trilogy. His work on 1999's American Beauty
and 2004's Shrek 2
brought him Grammy nominations.
Douridas was also a judge for the 7th annual Independent Music Awards
to support independent artists' careers.
, the label started by David Geffen
, Mo Ostin
and Lenny Waronker
. While there, he brought in the bands the Eels and Propellerheads
.
The Jesse Owens Story, 1986 episode of Dalton's Code of Vengeance
, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Waterworld
, and Wim Wenders' 1997 film The End of Violence
. Television roles include appearances on Party of Five
and Ellen
.
, a live interview and performance series on PBS
. The first season featured sessions with Beck
, Fiona Apple
, Philip Glass
, Ani DiFranco
, Yo Yo Ma, Sinéad O'Connor
, Patti Smith
, Sonic Youth
, and David Byrne
, among others. Douridas brought in renowned documentarian D.A. Pennebaker to shoot the accompanying interview segments for each of the first season's performances.
, a project spearheaded by Josh Felser and Jim Van Huysse. Felser lured Douridas from DreamWorks. While at AOL, Douridas launched the online interview and performance series "Sessions@AOL
", which he hosted and produced.
Following his work with AOL, Douridas was hired by Apple's Steve Jobs
to be a creative consultant for the launch of the iTunes
music store, creating and producing the iTunes Originals
series and iTunes Essentials, a popular lifestyle playlist series.
On April 30, 2006, Douridas' only daughter died in a drowning accident at her family's home in South Pasadena. She was 14 years old.
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, radio station KCRW
KCRW
KCRW is a public radio station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, carrying a mix of National Public Radio news, talk radio and freeform music format. The general manager of KCRW is Jennifer Ferro...
, where he hosts a two hour program showcasing progressive new music. He is also a filmmaker, actor, television presenter, and a three-time Grammy-nominated producer of soundtracks and music videos.
KERA
Douridas was born in ColumbusColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. After attending North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas) where he was involved in campus radio station KNTU-FM
KNTU
KNTU is the campus radio station of the University of North Texas which was formerly known as North Texas State University at Denton, Texas. The signal of the station covers much of the Dallas and Fort Worth Metroplex of North Texas with a format of news and primarily Jazz music...
, Douridas went on in the 1980s to work in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
at public radio station KERA
KERA (FM)
KERA is the National Public Radio affiliate station for North Texas. Based in Dallas, Texas the station's main transmitter is located in Cedar Hill, Texas with translators that serve Tyler , the Sherman/Denison area , and Wichita Falls...
where he produced an innovative radio show called "90.1 at Night". While there, he created a series called "Sound Sessions", live radio sessions featuring Dallas area bands. This show gave a platform, recording resources and eventually compilation CD exposure to bands such as the Dixie Chicks
Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...
. At the time the only other broadcasts that featured local bands were on KDGE.
KCRW
In the 1990s, Chris Douridas became known as the host of KCRWKCRW
KCRW is a public radio station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, carrying a mix of National Public Radio news, talk radio and freeform music format. The general manager of KCRW is Jennifer Ferro...
's daily three-hour new music program, Morning Becomes Eclectic
Morning Becomes Eclectic
Morning Becomes Eclectic is a three-hour adult album alternative radio program first aired in 1977 and broadcast live every weekday from KCRW in Santa Monica, California. The show's name is a play on the Eugene O'Neill trilogy of plays, Mourning Becomes Electra.The show is hosted by Jason Bentley,...
, bringing a personal character to the show. He was also the station's music director at the time. When he went independent of KCRW in 1998, he maintained a link to the station by presenting a two-hour program called "Ground Zero
Ground zero
The term ground zero describes the point on the Earth's surface closest to a detonation...
", which was renamed "New Ground" after the 9/11 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. Later, the show was extended to three hours.
Perhaps Douridas' greatest contribution to the station was his hiring of most of the on air staff including Liza Richardson (a former colleague at Dallas' KERA), Jason Bentley (formerly of KXLU, and current music director/host of "Morning Becomes Eclectic"), Garth Trinidad, Anne Litt, Gary Calamar, Kevin Ponthier (a former colleague at his college station, KNTU), and Tricia Halloran. Halloran recently left the station and is a staff music supervisor at Hum in Santa Monica, CA.
Soundtrack work
Douridas has carved an extensive career in film music supervision producing the soundtracks of such films as American Beauty, Shrek 2Shrek 2
Shrek 2 is a 2004 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film, produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon. It is the second installment in the Shrek film series and the sequel to 2001's Shrek...
, As Good as It Gets
As Good as It Gets
As Good as It Gets is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by James L. Brooks and produced by Laura Ziskin. It stars Jack Nicholson as a misanthropic, obsessive-compulsive novelist, Helen Hunt as a single mother with an asthmatic son, and Greg Kinnear as a gay artist. The screenplay was...
and the Austin Powers
Austin Powers (film series)
The Austin Powers series is a series of action-comedy films written by and starring Mike Myers as the title character, directed by Jay Roach and distributed by New Line Cinema...
trilogy. His work on 1999's American Beauty
American Beauty (film)
American Beauty is a 1999 American drama film directed by Sam Mendes and written by Alan Ball. Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, a middle-aged magazine writer who has a midlife crisis when he becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter's best friend, Angela...
and 2004's Shrek 2
Shrek 2
Shrek 2 is a 2004 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film, produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon. It is the second installment in the Shrek film series and the sequel to 2001's Shrek...
brought him Grammy nominations.
Douridas was also a judge for the 7th annual Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
to support independent artists' careers.
DreamWorks
In the late '90s, Douridas was an A&R executive for DreamWorks RecordsDreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records was an American record label. Founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG, the label operated until 2005 when it was shut down...
, the label started by David Geffen
David Geffen
David Geffen is an American record executive, film producer, theatrical producer and philanthropist. Geffen is noted for creating Asylum Records in 1970, Geffen Records in 1980, and DGC Records in 1990...
, Mo Ostin
Mo Ostin
Mo Ostin is a record executive who has worked for several companies, including Verve, Reprise Records, Warner Bros. Records, and DreamWorks. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 by Paul Simon, Neil Young, and Lorne Michaels...
and Lenny Waronker
Lenny Waronker
Lenny Waronker is a record producer for Warner Bros. Records.-Career:He produced recording sessions for Nancy Sinatra, The Everly Brothers, Van Dyke Parks, The Beau Brummels, Harpers Bizarre, Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, Arlo Guthrie, Maria Muldaur, Gordon Lightfoot, Rickie Lee Jones, James Taylor, ...
. While there, he brought in the bands the Eels and Propellerheads
Propellerheads
Propellerheads were a British big beat musical ensemble, formed in 1995 and made up of electronic producers Will White and Alex Gifford. The term propellerhead is slang for a nerd, and when Gifford and White heard a friend from California use this in a conversation, they thought it the perfect name...
.
Actor
Douridas' began his career as an actor in Texas. While in high school, he was a national champion at the 1980 National Forensics Competition. At North Texas State University, he was a theater major and scholarship recipient. In the late '80s, Douridas appeared on stage at the Dallas Theater Center, Stage #1, and Dallas Repertory Theater. Film acting credits include the 1984 television movieTelevision movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
The Jesse Owens Story, 1986 episode of Dalton's Code of Vengeance
Code of Vengeance
Code of Vengeance is the umbrella title for a series of American television programs, produced by Universal Television, that aired on NBC in 1985 and 1986. Charles Taylor stars as David Dalton, a Vietnam veteran who has become a drifter, travelling across the United States in a camper van with only...
, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Waterworld
Waterworld
Waterworld is a 1995 post-apocalyptic science fiction film. The film was directed by Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy. It is based on Rader's original 1986 screenplay and stars Kevin Costner, who also produced it. It was distributed by Universal Pictures...
, and Wim Wenders' 1997 film The End of Violence
The End of Violence
The End of Violence is a 1997 film by the German director Wim Wenders. The film's cast includes Bill Pullman, Gabriel Byrne, Traci Lind, Rosalind Chao, Andie MacDowell, and Loren Dean, among others. It also features a soundtrack marked with the signature sounds of Wenders regulars Jon Hassell, Ry...
. Television roles include appearances on Party of Five
Party of Five
Party of Five is an American teen drama television series that aired on Fox for six seasons, from September 12, 1994, until May 3, 2000.Critically acclaimed, the show suffered from low ratings and after its first season was slated for cancellation...
and Ellen
Ellen
Ellen may refer to:* Ellen , a female given name* Television programs with Ellen DeGeneres:** Ellen , a sitcom about a bookstore owner...
.
Television Work
Douridas hosted the inaugural season of Sessions at West 54thSessions at West 54th
Sessions at West 54th was an American television program that featured music performances, and was in some ways a pop music variation on the theme set by the long-lived Austin City Limits, though the featured musicians represented a number of musical genres. It was called Sessions at West 54th...
, a live interview and performance series on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
. The first season featured sessions with Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
, Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success...
, Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
, Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, guitarist, poet, and songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums, and is widely considered a feminist icon.-Biography:...
, Yo Yo Ma, Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
, Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
, Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, and David Byrne
David Byrne
David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
, among others. Douridas brought in renowned documentarian D.A. Pennebaker to shoot the accompanying interview segments for each of the first season's performances.
Online: AOL and iTunes
Douridas was VP of Music for America Online, overseeing the popular Radio@AOL service, a network of 125 original online radio stations. This service was created by Spinner.comSpinner.com
Spinner is an AOL Music property, which bills itself as "the ultimate music blog for free MP3s, free CD listening, [and] discovering new artists."...
, a project spearheaded by Josh Felser and Jim Van Huysse. Felser lured Douridas from DreamWorks. While at AOL, Douridas launched the online interview and performance series "Sessions@AOL
Sessions@AOL
Sessions@AOL is a special avenue of programming conducted by AOL Music. Originally an AOL exclusive, Sessions@AOL can now also be seen as an avenue for non-AOL users as well. Sessions@AOL consists of exclusive and intimate performances of songs by popular musicians, with likes of bands such as...
", which he hosted and produced.
Following his work with AOL, Douridas was hired by Apple's Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs
Steven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc...
to be a creative consultant for the launch of the iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
music store, creating and producing the iTunes Originals
ITunes Originals
iTunes Originals is a series of digital releases available exclusively through the iTunes Store. It was developed and produced by longtime KCRW DJ and film music supervisor Chris Douridas, who recruited Stephen Marsh to provide audio mastering for the albums. Each release features the music of a...
series and iTunes Essentials, a popular lifestyle playlist series.
Personal life
In January 2006, Douridas and a friend were arrested at the Circle Bar in Santa Monica after a witness accused them of trying to drug and kidnap a female patron. The girl was taken to a local hospital and later released. Police awaited toxicology reports before deciding whether to file charges. Douridas maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, and the girl supported his story. Eventually all charges relating to the girl were dropped.On April 30, 2006, Douridas' only daughter died in a drowning accident at her family's home in South Pasadena. She was 14 years old.
Film Music Credits
- The Education of Charlie BanksThe Education Of Charlie BanksThe Education of Charlie Banks is a 2007 drama film directed by Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter, Eva Amurri, and Chris Marquette...
, Strongheart Pictures, (2009). - Monsters vs. AliensMonsters vs. AliensMonsters vs. Aliens is a 2009 American computer-animated 3-D science fiction film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures...
, DreamWorks, (2009). - The Women (2008 film)The Women (2008 film)The Women is a 2008 American comedy film written, produced and directed by Diane English. The screenplay is an updated version of the George Cukor-directed 1939 film of the same name based on a 1936 play by Clare Boothe Luce....
, New Line, (2008). - American TeenAmerican TeenAmerican Teen is a 2008 documentary film directed by Nanette Burstein and produced by 57th & Irving. It competed in the Documentary Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the Directing Award: Documentary...
, A&E IndieFilms, (2008). - Bobby (2006 film)Bobby (2006 film)Bobby is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Emilio Estevez. The screenplay is a fictionalized account of the hours leading up to the June 5, 1968 shooting of United States Senator from New York and former U.S. Attorney General Robert F...
, The Weinstein Company, (2007) (With Joel Sill). - Over the Hedge (film)Over the Hedge (film)Over the Hedge is a 2006 computer animated family action comedy film based on the characters from United Media comic strip of the same name. Directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick, and produced by Bonnie Arnold, it was released in the United States on May 19, 2006.The film was produced by...
, DreamWorks, (2006). - Rumor Has It…, Warner Bros., (2005).
- Madagascar (2005 film)Madagascar (2005 film)Madagascar is a 2005 computer-animated film produced by DreamWorks Animation, and released in movie theaters on May 27, 2005. The film tells the story of four Central Park Zoo animals who have spent their lives in blissful captivity and are unexpectedly shipped back to Africa, getting shipwrecked...
, DreamWorks, (2005). - The ChumscrubberThe ChumscrubberThe Chumscrubber is a 2005 dark comedy film directed by Arie Posin and written by Posin and Zac Stanford, starring an ensemble cast. The film focuses on the lack of communication between teenagers and their parents, and the prevalence of prescription drugs in American society...
, El Camino, (2005). - Shrek 2Shrek 2Shrek 2 is a 2004 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film, produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon. It is the second installment in the Shrek film series and the sequel to 2001's Shrek...
, DreamWorks, (2004). Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media - nominee - The Girl Next Door (2004 film), Regency, (2004).
- Under the Tuscan SunUnder the Tuscan SunUnder the Tuscan Sun is a 2003 film based on Frances Mayes' 1996 memoir of the same name. The film was directed by Audrey Wells and starred Diane Lane.-Plot:...
, Touchstone, (2003). - Down With LoveDown with LoveDown with Love is a 2003 romantic comedy film directed by Peyton Reed and written by Eve Ahlert and Dennis Drake. It stars Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor, and is a pastiche of the romantic comedies of the early 1960s starring Doris Day, Rock Hudson and Tony Randall such as Pillow Talk and Lover...
, Warner Bros., (2003) (With Laura Wasserman Ziffren). - The Count of Monte Cristo (2002 film)The Count of Monte Cristo (2002 film)The Count of Monte Cristo is a 2002 adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. The film is the tenth adaptation of the book of the same name by Alexandre Dumas, père and stars Richard Harris, James Caviezel, Dagmara Dominczyk, Guy Pearce, and Luis Guzman...
, Spyglass, (2002). - One Hour PhotoOne Hour PhotoOne Hour Photo is a 2002 American psychological thriller written and directed by Mark Romanek and starring Robin Williams. Fox Searchlight Pictures distributed the film in the United States. One Hour Photo also starred Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Gary Cole, and Eriq La Salle. Williams won a...
, Fox Searchlight, (2002). - American Beauty (film)American Beauty (film)American Beauty is a 1999 American drama film directed by Sam Mendes and written by Alan Ball. Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, a middle-aged magazine writer who has a midlife crisis when he becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter's best friend, Angela...
, DreamWorks, (1999). Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media - nominee - Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged MeAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged MeAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, released in 1999, is the second film in the Austin Powers series that began with 1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued with Austin Powers in Goldmember. The film was directed by Jay Roach, co-written by Mike Myers and screenwriter...
, New Line, (1999). - As Good as It GetsAs Good as It GetsAs Good as It Gets is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by James L. Brooks and produced by Laura Ziskin. It stars Jack Nicholson as a misanthropic, obsessive-compulsive novelist, Helen Hunt as a single mother with an asthmatic son, and Greg Kinnear as a gay artist. The screenplay was...
, TriStar, (1997). - One Eight SevenOne Eight SevenMusic from the Motion Picture 187 is the soundtrack to the 1997 film, One Eight Seven. It was released on July 29, 1997 through Atlantic Records and unlike films like Dangerous Minds and The Substitute that dealt with similar subject matter, this soundtrack did not receive an Urban music...
, Warner Bros., (1997). - Austin Powers: International Man of MysteryAustin Powers: International Man of MysteryAustin Powers: International Man of Mystery is a 1997 American science fiction/action-comedy film and the first film of the Austin Powers series. It was directed by Jay Roach and written by Mike Myers who also stars in the title role. Myers also plays Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' arch-enemy...
, New Line, (1997). - Grosse Pointe BlankGrosse Pointe BlankGrosse Pointe Blank is a 1997 American Black comedy film, directed by George Armitage, and starring John Cusack and Minnie Driver.In 2000, readers of Total Film magazine voted Grosse Pointe Blank the 21st greatest comedy film of all time. The film's soundtrack features mainly independent music hits...
, Hollywood, (1997). - Grace of My HeartGrace of My HeartGrace of My Heart is a 1996 film written and directed by Allison Anders, set in the pop music world, starting off in New York's Brill Building early 1960s era, weaving through the California Sound of the mid '60s and culminating with the adult-contemporary scene of the early 1970s.The plot follows...
, Universal, (1996). - Heat (1995 film), Warner Bros., (1995).