Ross Childress is a guitarist and songwriter, best known as the former lead guitarist and co-songwriter of internationally renowned rock band Collective Soul from 1993 to 2001.
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Biography
Collective Soul
Ross grew up with and had played with the original band members of Collective Soul before the group signed to Atlantic Records in early 1994. Over a period of eight years with the band, Ross recorded on, and toured in support of, five studio albums that have sold for a total of over seven (7) million copies and generated seven (7) #1 singles on the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock charts[1]. He left the band in September 2001 after the release of the greatest hits compilation 7even Year Itch. Much debate still exists regarding the reason for his departure. The band had released a brief statement on its website urging fans to understand that the situation was very personal. During his time with Collective Soul, Ross was known for his metallic guitar sounds and heavier grunge riffs. There were always elements of metal and blues influences in his playing, and a lot of the Collective Soul songs have a distorted grunge sound. Along with songwriter Ed Roland, he penned many catchy and memorable "hooks" as evident on Collective Soul's most popular songs. Ross wrote, sang lead vocals, and performed guitar on the song "Dandy Life" on the 1999 release Dosage. This was the first time that a member other than Ed had sung lead on a studio recording. He also emerged as one of the more technically proficient guitarists of the 1990s modern rock movement. He combined various effects and versatility into his play, showcasing his skills during hundreds of live gigs/performances all over the world. He often did take a "whatever fits the song" kind of approach. However, Ross was able to creatively improvise on stage often adding in more complex elements, letting his playing do the talking, such as extended solos or expanded guitar parts.
Other projects
In 2004/2005 Ross returned to recording music as a studio musician for the Trevor Hurst project entitled "Hurst". He contributed in many ways, including co-writing & producing. The band recruited a few other musicians to join. The album has done moderately well in Canada since its release in June 2005. Ross played a few shows, but decided not to play live and remain in the background. More recently, in November 2006, Ross was mentioned on the myspace.com page of Atlanta based Metal/Rockabilly band "The Hot Rods" as the producer of their debut album "Rumble Seat" slated for release in January 2007. In December 2006, a myspace.com page for Ross appeared. It spoke of a new project entitled "Ross Childress Experience", consisting of himself on vocals/guitar, and two musician friends on bass and drums. "Ross Childress Experience" is now "Starfish and Coffee". Visit them at www.myspace.com/starfishandcoffeeonline
Discography
Collective Soul
- Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid, (1994) - guitars
- Collective Soul, (1995) - guitars
- Disciplined Breakdown, (1997) - guitars
- Dosage, (1999) - guitars, vocals
- Blender, (2000) - guitars
- 7even Year Itch: Greatest Hits 1994-2001 Compilation, (2001)
Hurst - (Trevor Hurst)
- Wanderlust EP, (2005) - guitars, bass, keyboards, co-writer & producer, engineer
