Lon Christian Smith, known as Chris Christian, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer born in 1951. Christian was a member of the trio Cotton, Lloyd & Christian in the early 1970s, which produced two hits on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. In 1981, the artist released the single “I Want You, I Need You”, which reached number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 8 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Their discography includes the albums Chris Christian (1981), Love Them While We Can (1983), Let the Music Start (1984), and Higher Ways (1987). A medley of Motown songs (1982) recorded with Amy Holland reached number 21 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Christian produced albums for artists including Amy Grant, the Pointer Sisters, and B.J. Thomas, earning four Grammy Awards. The artist wrote music for the children’s program Gerbert, which received an ACE award. Christian was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2007. Their recordings include the album Harbour (2000).
