In 1978 I was honored to be one of seventeen, singers/songwriters/musicians to record a compilation album by gay/straight/feminist men on the Folkways Record label entitled "Walls to Roses: Songs of Changing Men". In 1987, The Smithsonian Institute realizing just how important the Folkway's Collection was and wanting to preserve it for future generations, purchased the entire Folkway's catalog, lock stock and barrel. "Brothers" and "The Sensitive Little Boy", two of the ten songs on the "Walls to Roses" album, are written and performed by me. I am a permanent part of The Smithsonian...could'ya die? Okay there are sound bite samples so you'll get your jollies listening to me almost 30 years ago.

http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=2044

One interesting hi-light, when the album was finished and debuted on a popular community radio station in Boston, one song was banned from radio play even by the most liberal of radio stations...

oh yes, it was one of mine, it was too 'gay'...could'ya die?
This album was how I came 'out' to my parents and they have lived long enough to take pride in that once shameful album...could'ya die? Now I can!
Peace and Pride,
Chris VonTanner
(a.k.a. Chris Tanner)

Folkways recording artist chris VonTanner and drummer extraordinaire michael VonTanner began performing in 1996, as VONTANNER. Whether it's a performance of traditional Christmas music or a live production in a disco/dance club complete with go-go girls and boys, VONTANNER's music is anything but boring. With the original and innovative rhythms of michael VonTanner set to showcase the vocals of their lead singer and songwriter , chris VonTanner. (Serious Christian musicians with quite a serious sense of humor!) Within a year after their first public performance as VONTANNER, chris and michael started Scream-like-a-girl Records (SLAG) and VT Pro, their production company. And to top off the first year, they completed their first CD, "Naked to the World". A new CD followed every year, "Family Traditions" (Christmas carols of our childhood), "I will survive", their first pride CD, "dance", you guessed it, and then last year they released their 5th CD "Can't find the music..."

And now, this year being no exception, they have just finished their 6th CD and according to all the rumors, with leaps and bounds, this is their best.

VONTANNER "angel"

The simplest and perhaps best way to describe "angel" is in cVonTanner's own words, "I guess you could say it's Gospel according to VONTANNER. It's by far our most personal CD, we sing about our beliefs, the truth we find in our hearts, our spirituality, our God. It's about the joys and challenges of 'living', here and now!"


Mostly influenced by instinct and guts, VONTANNER gives praise to the likes of Patti Labelle, Stevie Wonder, Gino Vannelli, CASSELBERRY-DUPREE, their mentor Elton John, Steven Grossman (another mentor), Crystal Lewis, The Pet Shop Boys, Dickie Dworkin (the first of many to tell me I had no rhythm), Giorgio Moroder and Donna Summer, Joni Mitchell, Amy Grant, Laura Niro (URMissed), and many, many (Melba) moore...