Chris DeStefano

{{short description|American singer/songwriter, record producer and multi instrumentalist}}

{{distinguish|Chris Distefano}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Chris DeStefano

| image = File:Chris Destef.jpg

| image_size =

| landscape =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name = Christopher Michael DeStefano

| birth_place =

| origin = Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.

| genre = Country, pop, pop rock

| occupation = Songwriter, record producer

| instrument = {{flatlist|

• Vocals
• guitar
• piano
• bass
• drums
• mandolin
• banjo
• violin
• pedal steel

}}

percussion

| years_active = 2010–present

| label =

| associated_acts =

}}

Christopher Michael DeStefano{{cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/Home/ace-title-search/index.aspx |title=ACE Title Search |accessdate=June 5, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306032310/https://www.ascap.com/Home/ace-title-search/index.aspx |archivedate=March 6, 2013 }} is a Grammy Award-winning American singer/songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist currently living in Nashville. As a songwriter, he has multiple #1 songs with artists Carrie Underwood (“Good Girl”, "Little Toy Guns"), Billy Currington (“Hey Girl”), Brett Eldredge ("Don't Ya"), Luke Bryan ("That's My Kind of Night", "Kick the Dust Up" ), Miranda Lambert & Carrie Underwood ("Somethin' Bad," later reworked as the opening theme for NBC Sunday Night Football), Rascal Flatts ("Rewind") and Jason Aldean ("Just Gettin' Started").

DeStefano was raised in Mount Laurel, New Jersey and graduated from Lenape High School in 1993. He was in the school's music program while playing with a progressive rock band in the area.Pensiero, Nicole. [https://www.southjerseymagazine.com/article/1112/Mr-Write "Mr. Write"], South Jersey Magazine, February 2014. Accessed June 8, 2020. "Chris DeStefano’s career has had more twists and turns than, say, one of the chart-topping songs he’s co-written for the likes of Carrie Underwood or Luke Bryan. The Grammy Award-winning Mount Laurel native—who now divides his time between Nashville and Los Angeles—is riding high on a wave of acclaim for his songwriting and production talents in the world of country music.... 'I took private lessons, and Lenape High School (where he graduated from in 1993) had an amazing music program—I learned so much there,' DeStefano recalls."

Underwood's "Good Girl", which DeStefano co-wrote, reached number 1 on Hot Country Songs in 2012.{{cite web|url=http://ascap2012.sched.org/speaker/chrisdestefano#.UmFT4ySXKvk|title=Chris DeStefano|work=ASCAP|accessdate=18 October 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ascap.com/playback/2012/08/faces-places/nashville/chris-destefano-ashley-gorley-top-the-charts.aspx|title=Chris DeStefano & Ashley Gorley Top the Charts with "Good Girl"|date=30 August 2012|work=ASCAP|accessdate=18 October 2013}} He also co-wrote and produced Brett Eldredge's number 1 single "Don't Ya".{{cite web|url=http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1714539/brett-eldredge-savors-first-no-1-with-co-writers-ashley-gorley-chris-destefano.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929053240/http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1714539/brett-eldredge-savors-first-no-1-with-co-writers-ashley-gorley-chris-destefano.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 September 2013|title=Brett Eldredge Savors First No. 1 With Co-Writers Ashley Gorley, Chris DeStefano|last=Morris|first=Edward|date=24 September 2013|work=Country Music Television|accessdate=18 October 2013}} He co-wrote “Something in the Water” sung by Carrie Underwood which was the #1 song for seven weeks, the 3rd longest running female #1 Hot Country song in chart history. DeStefano co-wrote "Kiss Somebody" (July 2017) with Australian singer, Morgan Evans, and fellow American songwriter, Josh Osborne.{{cite web | title = Full List of Winners | url = http://apraamcos.com.au/awards/2018-awards/apra-music-awards/full-list-of-winners/ | publisher = Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS) | year = 2018 | accessdate = April 13, 2018 | archive-date = April 5, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200405152847/https://apraamcos.com.au/awards/2018-awards/apra-music-awards/full-list-of-winners/ | url-status = dead }} At the APRA Music Awards of 2018 the song and its writers won Country Work of the Year.{{cite web | url = http://apraamcos.com.au/awards/2018-awards/apra-music-awards/country/ | title = Country Work of the Year | publisher = Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS) | year = 2018 | accessdate = April 14, 2018 }}