Chris Cross

Christopher Thomas Allen (14 July 1952 – 25 March 2024), known professionally as Chris Cross, He went to Belmont Secondary Modern School and William Forster Comprehensive. He began his music career playing in different bands, with his major early influences being Small Faces, Desmond Dekker and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Meanwhile, after answering an advertisement, the band Tiger Lily was created in 1974, with the founding members consisting of Cross (then identified as Chris St. John), singer Dennis Leigh, guitarist Stevie Shears, drummer Warren Cann, and violinist/keyboardist Billy Currie. After playing gigs from 1974 to 1976, in the latter year the band renamed themselves Ultravox! and signed to Island Records.

In 1979, after three commercially unsuccessful but influential albums – Ultravox! (1977), Ha!-Ha!-Ha! (1977) and Systems of Romance (1978) – original vocalist John Foxx and guitarist Robin Simon, who had replaced Stevie Shears a year before, left Ultravox.

Midge Ure joined Ultravox in 1979, and the band released their commercially successful Vienna album a year later. The band then produced another few successful albums: Rage in Eden (1981), Quartet (1982), Monument (1983) and Lament (1984). After U-Vox, a studio album released in 1986, Cross left Ultravox in 1989 and pursued a career as a psychotherapist. Before Cross's departure, Ure had also left the band to perform as a solo artist before rejoining, but Cross noted the band "fell apart" after Ure rejoined, also stating "it was like everyone lost interest".

The 2012 album release, Brilliant, included Cross as co-writer with Billy Currie and Midge Ure on all tracks. The album was promoted with a UK theatre tour and a series of European dates.

Death Cross died on 25 March 2024, aged 71. His death was announced by Midge Ure.