Although he released seven albums as a solo artist, Chris Bailey is best remembered as the frontman, songwriter, and producer of The Saints, a pioneering Australian punk band whose members were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2002. He was born as Christopher James Mannix Bailey in Nanyuki, Kenya, on July 24, 1957. Bailey's parents were Irish, and the family relocated to Belfast for several years before moving to Australia when Bailey was 7 years old. A decade later, he formed a band called Kid Galahad and the Eternals. The group soon changed its name to The Saints and released its debut album, (I'm) Stranded, in 1977. With Bailey serving as the band's lead singer and chief songwriter, The Saints gradually transitioned from punk music into a mainstream-friendly pop/rock style, scoring hits in both Australia and American with songs like "Just Like Fire Would," "Grain of Sand," and "The Music Goes 'Round My Head." Meanwhile, Bailey also released multiple albums as a solo artist, beginning with 1983's Casablanca. What We Did on Our Holidays followed in 1984, with Demons arriving in 1991. He remained particularly prolific throughout the early 1990s, releasing albums like 1992's Savage Entertainment, 1994's 54 Days at Sea, and 1995's Encore in 1995. The Saints continued releasing music, too, but the band's future became uncertain in 2022, when Bailey died on April 9 at 65 years old.
