1. Chip is the #1 Christmas music artist in history with over 31 million Christmas records sold; the second highest Christmas artist is Elvis Presley with 17 million.
   

   Photo by Matt Christine Photography

2. 2019 was the 35th anniversary of Mannheim Steamroller Christmas tour, making it the longest running consecutive tour in the entertainment industry.
3. The music industry told Chip “Don’t do a Christmas album because that will signal the end of your career.” He went ahead anyway, releasing his first Christmas album in 1984. The album revolutionized the sounds of Christmas blending traditional carols with his unique synthesized style. His success made Christmas albums a “must” for all top music artists, resulting in today’s competitive holiday market.
4. The Mannheim Steamroller Christmas phenomena followed his “Fresh Aire” series, which debuted in 1974 on his own newly established American Gramaphone label. Quickly dubbed “18^th Century Classical Rock”, the Mannheim sound is largely credited with establishing a whole new music genre. His “Fresh Aire 7” was awarded a Grammy, and American Gramaphone went on to become one of the largest independent labels in the industry.
   

   Photo by Matt Christine Photography

5. Since then, Mannheim Steamroller has sold more than 41 million total albums including Halloween, Fourth of July, Valentine’s Day and other themes.
6. With 19 gold, 8 multi-platinum and 4 platinum certified records, Chip is among an elite group of artists — including U2, Jay-Z, The Beach Boys and Michael Jackson — with this number of RIAA certifications. He consistently ranks among the top 50 music recording artists
7. Do you remember the hit record “Convoy,” which blew open the CB craze in 1975 and the Convoy movie starring Kris Kristofferson? They were based on C.W. McCall, a fictional truck driver co-created by Chip in his jingle-writing days. He was named SESAC’s Country Music Songwriter of the Year in 1976.
8. Chip has written, arranged and recorded more than 35 albums and expanded his brand into lifestyle products. He is the author of nine children’s books and has created an entire line of food items, bath and apparel products and clothing under the Mannheim Steamroller name.
   

   Photo by Matt Christine Photography

9. Chip and Mannheim Steamroller have been involved in NASA’s Space Shuttle program. NASA provided unprecedented access to the Mannheim team which taped two Shuttle launches and one landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Characterized as the most accurate ever made, they are part of “The Music of The Spheres” album, released in 2013.
10. Chip’s patented music therapy system, Ambient Therapy, combines Chip’s specialized music compositions with natural sounds and is used in medical facilities such as Mayo. The system is also installed in the National Intrepid Center, a military state-of-the art facility where soldiers with traumatic brain injuries are treated.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) NewsCenter is the organization’s editorial platform for stories, announcements, interviews, and coverage of theatre and cultural programming in Colorado. We are committed to producing accurate, trustworthy, clearly sourced journalism that reflects our mission and serves our community. This article was originally published in 2022; updated in 2026.