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Although Chris comes from a musical family, his rebellious nature led to him rejecting piano lessons at the age of six, accusing the teacher’s piano of being out of tune when he played a wrong note. In the sixties he taught himself the guitar and became a semi-professional folk singer in East Sussex, at one time running his own folk club, but after marrying and moving to Norfolk, became interested in other things. In 1992, he was stricken by ME, which left him unable to play by ear. As therapy, he learnt the viola, and later took trombone lessons with Richard at West Norfolk Music Centre. He is a member of the Norfolk Symphony Orchestra and Centre Stage Swing Band. Chris’ love of the eccentric and idiosynchratic meant that when he came across the serpent, he had to have one, and his interest in early music and folk music in turn led to him reviving the King’s Lynn Waites.

Chris designs and manages websites for arts organisations, and is an established poet, having been published in several anthologies and magazines and given public readings and radio broadcasts. His first book of poems, 'An English Man At Home', was published in 1999. He also recently made his film debut with a small part in the short feature film 'Something I Forgot' by local writer James Burch, produced by Dealing With It Films.

The traditional title of Chief Waite does not in any way imply the remotest musical superiority, but was used for whichever member of the original Lynn Waites was responsible for financial dealings with the Town Council, and therefore reflects Chris’ position as the band’s manager.