Chris Godbey
{{Short description|American songwriter and vocal engineer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Christopher L. Godbey
|birth_place = Houston, Texas, United States
|alma mater = Baylor University
| module = {{Infobox musical artist |embed=yes
|genre = {{hlist|R&B|hip hop|gospel|pop}}
|label = Earflower Inc.
|occupation = {{Hlist | Songwriter | Vocal engineer | vocal mixer | vocal mastering | producer }}
|website = {{URL|https://earflower.net/}}
|background = person
}}
}}
Chris Godbey is an American songwriter, vocal engineer, producer, and mixer, best known for his frequent work with gospel artist Kirk Franklin (before working alongside producer Timbaland), including Grammy-winning albums Hero, The 20/20 Experience, BEYONCE, The Blueprint 3, Everything Is Love, and The Fight of My Life, among others.{{Cite web|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/people/inside-track-justin-timberlakes-2020-experience|title=Inside Track: Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience|website=www.soundonsound.com|access-date=July 3, 2023|archive-date=July 3, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703193841/https://www.soundonsound.com/people/inside-track-justin-timberlakes-2020-experience|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/bmi_congratulates_its_grammy_nominees|title=BMI Congratulates its GRAMMY Nominees|date=December 23, 2014|website=BMI.com|access-date=July 5, 2023|archive-date=July 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705232743/https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/bmi_congratulates_its_grammy_nominees|url-status=live}} Godbey also co-wrote "Take It Easy On Me" from Robin Thicke's 2013 album Blurred Lines, "Walk It Out" from Jennifer Hudson's 2014 album JHUD, and "Yeah, I Said It" from Rihanna's 2016 album Anti.{{Cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/music/a/zach-frydenlund/a-look-at-the-production-credits-for-rihannas-anti-album|title=A Look at Who's Who on Rihanna's 'ANTI' Album|first=Zach|last=Frydenlund|website=Complex|access-date=July 5, 2023|archive-date=July 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705232850/https://www.complex.com/music/a/zach-frydenlund/a-look-at-the-production-credits-for-rihannas-anti-album|url-status=live}}
Career
Godbey, originally from Houston, began his music career as an instrumentalist in various Texas-area rock bands prior to attending Baylor University in 1993 to study telecommunications. While attending school, Godbey worked at a small studio in Waco, TX, before beginning employment with recording studio Dallas Sound Lab upon graduation. He began working with Kirk Franklin and several other gospel acts in Dallas, winning two Grammy Awards for Franklin's albums Hero in 2005 and The Fight of My Life in 2007 respectively, both in the Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album category. In 2007, Godbey met producer Timbaland through mutual friends, subsequently mixing, engineering, or mastering records, as well as playing bass guitar or programming.
Selected songwriting, programming and production credits
Credits are courtesy of Tidal and Spotify.
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col" style="width:28em;"| Title ! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Artist ! scope="col"| Album |
| scope="row"|"Could've Been Me"
|2000 | rowspan="2"|Kirk Franklin |
|---|
| scope="row"|"Throw Yo Hands Up"
|2002 |
| scope="row"|"Bukowski" (Congleton/Godbey Remix)
| rowspan="3"|2004 |
| scope="row"|"Incredible"
| rowspan="2"|Anthony Evans | rowspan="2"|Even More |
| scope="row"|"Unity (We Stand)" (Featuring Kirk Franklin) |
| scope="row"|"Imagine Me"
|2005 |Hero |
| scope="row"|"Fascinated" (Featuring Justin Timberlake & Timbaland)
|2011 |{{N/A|Non-album single}} |
| scope="row"|"Hands In The Air" (Featuring Ne-Yo)
| rowspan="2"|2012 | rowspan="2"|Timbaland |
| scope="row"|"Break Ya Back" (Featuring Dev)
|{{N/A|Non-album single}} |
| scope="row"|"Take It Easy On Me"
| rowspan="3"|2013 |
| scope="row"|"I Don't Have to Sleep to Dream"
|Cher |
| scope="row"|"Grown Woman"
| Beyoncé | {{N/A|Non-album single}} |
| scope="row"|"Walk It Out" (Featuring Timbaland)
| rowspan="3"|2014 |JHUD |
| scope="row"|"Movin’ Bass" (Featuring Jay-Z)
| rowspan="2"|Rick Ross | rowspan="2"|Hood Billionaire |
| scope="row"|"If They Knew" (Featuring K. Michelle) |
| scope="row"|"Yeah, I Said It"
| rowspan="3"|2016 |Anti |
| scope="row"|"Dust My Shoulders Off" (Featuring Timbaland) |
| scope="row"|"Smile" (Featuring Timbaland) |
| scope="row"|"Too Much" (Featuring Timbaland)
|2018 |
| scope="row"|"Bow Down (Homecoming Live)"
|2019 |
| scope="row"|"Keep Going Up" (With Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake)
|2023 |Textbook Timbo |
= Full Mix, engineered and/or mastered projects =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Albums with more than 80% Chris Godbey mixing/mastering/engineering credits, showing year released and album name ! scope="col" style="width:26em;"| Album ! scope="col" | Artist ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Label |
| scope="row"| Kirk Franklin Presents 1NC
|2000 |
|---|
| scope="row"| Tha Absolute Truth
|2006 |DSR / T-Town / Universal Music Group |
| scope="row"| Thirsty
|2007 |
| scope="row"| Shock Value II
|2009 |
| scope="row"| The 20/20 Experience
|rowspan="3"|Justin Timberlake |2013 |rowspan="3"|RCA Records |
| scope="row"| The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2
|2013 |
| scope="row"| Man of the Woods
|2018 |
| scope="row"| Iconology (EP)
|2019 |
| scope="row"| In Pieces
|2023 |
| scope="row"| Everything I Thought It Was
|Justin Timberlake |2024 |