Canadian born Kerry Chater’s childhood was filled with hours spent at the piano playing for fun, and an extensive education in music composition, theory, arranging, and directing.
Kerry began his professional musical career in 1967 when he and his friend, Gary Puckett, formed the pop-rock band Gary Puckett and The Union Gap, and for the next four years Kerry was the group’s bass player and arranger for live performances. He also wrote for the group, and many of his songs can be heard on their albums.
In 1970, Kerry left the band to pursue a career in songwriting and expand his education into musical theater. For five years, Kerry was one of a small group of students accepted for study by Lehman Engel, then considered the dean of the American Musical Theater. Kerry and his co-writer, Ellen Fitzhugh, created the musical comedy “Freud’s Follies,” which was performed in Los Angeles, CA.
In 1978, Kerry teamed up with legendary country songwriters Rory Bourke and Charlie Black to write “I Know A Heartache When I See One” and Jennifer Warnes’ recording of that song climbed well into both the Pop and Country charts on its way to becoming the first of five BMI Million Broadcast Performance songs penned by Kerry.
In 1983, Chater collaborated with singer/songwriter Dickey Lee to write “You’re The First Time I’ve Thought About Leaving,” which became a #1 single for Reba McEntire. Then, in 1984, Kerry teamed up with Austin Roberts to write the song “I.O.U.” for which they received a Grammy Nomination for Song of the Year. The recording of that song won Lee Greenwood the Grammy for Best Performance by a Male Artist. “I.O.U.” has since gone on to be honored with BMI’s Two Million Broadcast Performances Award.
George Strait jumped on the Kerry Chater ‘Song Wagon’ when he recorded “You Look So Good In Love,” and that song became a #1 Country hit and a Three Million BMI Performances Award winner. (Recently, Jamie Foxx sang his own rendition of “You Look So Good In Love” for the nationally televised “All Star Salute To George Strait” to celebrate George being named Artist of the Decade by the ACM.) In 1989 the group Alabama took Kerry’s song “If I Had You” to #1 status, giving Kerry his fourth time at that cherished chart position.
Many of Kerry’s songs have produced significant chart activity, and he has songs on fifteen platinum and multi-platinum CDs, and twenty-five gold CDs. Kerry has received sixteen BMI Performance Awards, CMA’s #1 Song Award, and ACM #1 Song Award, as well as other achievements. He is a graduate of Nashville’s prestigious Leadership Music Program.
In 1987, Kerry moved to Nashville where he resides with his wife and writing partner, Lynn Gillespie Chater. Together, they have written songs for Mindy McCready, Restless Heart, Highway 101, Anne Murray, Paul Brandt, and others, and two musicals which have been performed in Nashville, TN. Currently, their songs can be heard on bluegrass artist Donna Ulisse’s CDs, “Walk This Mountain Down,” “Holy Waters,” “Easy Climb,” and “All The Way To Bethlehem.” Also, the Chaters have produced CDs on two Christian Gospel artists.
Recently, Kerry, along with his wife Lynn, have moved into book authorship with the release of their first thriller novel, “Fortune’s Web,” and are working on the second book, “Blood Debt,” with plans for a third work, “Collusion,” to complete the trilogy.
Words from the official Kerry Chater website.
Discography
Blue-Eyed Blues
CD Baby 2012
Tracks: A Far Cry (From Cryin´Over You), A Little Bit Of Lonely, Her Heart´s Got A Mind Of Its Own, Waitin´For Your Love To Come Around, Heart Of Stone (Do You Really Want My Love), Tell It To My Heart, Dream Train, That´s The Way It Goes, Dixie Rose & You Can´t Get There From Here.
Musicians on the Blue-Eyed Blues album: Kerry Chater, Chris Leuzinger, B. James Lowry, Peter Bordonali, Cyril Rawson, Lynn Gillespie Chater, Christy Cornelius & Beeb Birtles.
Love On A Shoestring "Reissue"
Real Gone Music 2014
Tracks: Well On My Way To Loving You, Quicksilver, No Room In My Life, Once Is Enough, Leave Well Enough Alone, Ain´t Nothing For A Heartache, Easy Love, Say Your Mama Won´t Mind, Little Girls & Love On A Shoestring.
Musicians on the Love On A Shoestring album: Kerry Chater, Mike Boots, Peter Freiberger, Tim Weston, Michael Omartian, Sally Stevens, Susan Stevens, Jim Haas, Jon Joyce, Jim Horn, Ernie Watts, Jon Clarcke, Chuck Findley, Dalton Smith, Victor Feldman & Assa Drori.
Part Time Love "Reissue"
Real Gone Music 2014
Tracks: Beginning Of The End, No Love On The Black Keys, Part Time Love, One More Time Tonight, Dance To The Rhythm Of Your Love, Here Comes The Rain, Even A Fool Would Let Go, Breaking Up (Is Gonna Breake Me Down), Misty Mary & If We Get Together Again.
Musicians on the Part Time Love album: Kerry Chater, David Hungate, Lee Sklar, Dean Parks, Chuck Findley, Michael Omartian, Jim Horn, Steve Madaio, Victor Feldman and others.
Love On A Shoestring
WEA Records 1978
Tracks: Well On My Way To Loving You, Quicksilver, No Room In My Life, Once Is Enough, Leave Well Enough Alone, Ain´t Nothing For A Heartache, Easy Love, Say Your Mama Won´t Mind, Little Girls & Love On A Shoestring.
Musicians on the Love On A Shoestring album: Kerry Chater, Mike Boots, Peter Freiberger, Tim Weston, Michael Omartian, Sally Stevens, Susan Stevens, Jim Haas, Jon Joyce, Jim Horn, Ernie Watts, Jon Clarcke, Chuck Findley, Dalton Smith, Victor Feldman & Assa Drori.
Part Time Love
Warner Bros 1977
Tracks: Beginning Of The End, No Love On The Black Keys, Part Time Love, One More Time Tonight, Dance To The Rhythm Of Your Love, Here Comes The Rain, Even A Fool Would Let Go, Breaking Up (Is Gonna Breake Me Down), Misty Mary & If We Get Together Again.
Musicians on the Part Time Love album: Kerry Chater, David Hungate, Lee Sklar, Dean Parks, Chuck Findley, Michael Omartian, Jim Horn, Steve Madaio, Victor Feldman and others.