“Over the first 22 years in the history of the Grammy Awards, no single artist had swept the so-called “BIG FOUR,” Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and New Artist of the Year.” Until 1981…. Christopher Cross made history while competing against some of music's heaviest hitters: Barbara Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Barry Gibb, Lionel Richie, Billy Joel, and Pink Floyd. He did it with his #1 smooth 80s classic Sailing... the song that defined Yacht Rock, a genre that wouldn’t be named for 30 years. He won the Oscar, 5 grammys and more and then banished them to his garage. The story is next.

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Hey music junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. If you know that dreadful feeling when walkman batteries started to die you’ll dig this channel of music nostalgia the stories straight from the legends. Make sure to subscribe below right now. click the bell so you’re always in the know of our latest interviews Also check out our content on patreon it’s a way to support us and keep the music alive.

The evening of February 25th, 1981 was an unforgettable night at the Grammy Awards inside Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The night didn’t belong to Barbara Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Barry Gibb, Lionel Richie, Billy Joel, or Pink Floyd. Instead, it belonged to a young man from San Antonio, Texas, named Christopher Charles Geppert, or better known by his stage name… Christopher Cross.

On that night, Christopher Cross swept the BIG FOUR categories when he won for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. In the first 22 years of the Grammy Awards, no artist had walked away with the Big Four. Even more incredible than the sweep itself is that it was achieved by an artist that was a virtual unknown 14 months before that historic night.

The song that won both Song of the Year and Record of the Year for Christopher Cross was his magnificent, unblemished escape simply called…. “Sailing.” Christopher's inspiration for composing this Yacht Rock masterpiece came from his high school friend, Al Glasscock, who was a few years older than Christopher.

Glasscock acted as a surrogate big brother for Christopher. He was also a fellow guitarist. The two buddies shared a mutual love for music. Glasscock used to take Christopher out sailing on his small Sunfish Sailboat out on Canyon Lake, just northeast of San Antonio.The liberating excursions on Canyon Lake were deeply important to Christopher. “Sailing” with Al was a way for Christopher to breakaway from what he called the “trials & tribulations” of being a teenager, and the perils of growing up with an alcoholic father.

When the wind was right, Christopher could “sail away” ...leave his troubles on the shore beyond him, and find tranquility. Flashback to the mid-70s… Christopher Cross was sitting alone at a table in his cheap apartment when the first verse, and the chorus suddenly came to him… He quoted Joni Mitchell when he described how it happened. As Joni said, “these tunings put you in sort of a trance.” In that trance, the lyrics came out in one steady stream of consciousness.