Inspired at first listen by the new wave classic Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, Christopher Gordon Dowd began his musical journey in the summer of 1980. The budding 13-year-old singer/songwriter, keyboardist and trombonist would soon become one of the key musical architects behind the legendary Los Angeles-based Fishbone, a band revered by its musical peers including The Minutemen, Jane’s Addiction, No Doubt and Bad Brains.

Launching their careers at a time when over-produced arena rock and power pop ruled the airwaves, Fishbone transformed the club scene of the early 1980s with a fresh sound that blended such disparate influences as Sly and the Family Stone, Jimi Hendrix, The Specials, and Parliament. During Dowd’s time in Fishbone (1979-1994), he and his bandmates released eight critically-acclaimed albums and collaborated with the likes of Little Richard, Curtis Mayfield, NOFX and Murphy's Law. In his downtime, Dowd contributed to seminal records of the period including Jane’s Addiction’s Nothing's Shocking, and Uplift Mofo Party Plan and Mother’s Milk from The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

After 15 years of excessive and exhaustive touring (Lollapalooza, The Beastie Boys’ Licensed To Ill tour, Glastonbury Festival), and television appearances (Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Later…with Jools Holland), Dowd became disillusioned with Los Angeles, leaving the band he helped create for
the sanctuary of New York City.

In 1994, he joined his best friend and former roommate Jeff Buckley, working with him on The Seedy Arkhestra’s album Puzzle. Also featuring the likes of N’Dea Davenport (The Brand New Heavies), Joan Wasser (The Dambuilders, Antony and the Johnsons, Joan As Policewoman), David Ryan Harris (Follow For Now, John Mayer), Joshua Roseman (The Skatalites, Cibo Matto), and Joseph ‘Amp’ Fiddler (Parliament-Funkadelic), Puzzle was the first step in Dowd’s musical rebirth. Dowd followed this fruitful collaboration by founding the recording studio "Bowery Digital" with his partner Hod David (Maxwell), developing and producing the artist Morley for Sony/Work Group.

Following the tragic death of Jeff Buckley in May of 1997, Dowd continued to tour with and produce artists such as Jerry Cantrell and Carly Simon. Upon his return to Los Angeles in 1999, he wrote and recorded with Nicole Scherzinger (Pussycat Dolls) on her solo debut before switching gears to pursue his other longtime love—food. Enrolling in Le Cordon Bleu in 2004, this self-described foodie took a hiatus from music to work as a chef, finding success in his newfound epicurean enterprises.

The fortuitous accident of finding Jeff Buckley’s signature Telecaster guitar for sale in April 2011 reignited Dowd’s desire to return to the studio. He enlisted his friends Mike Inez (Alice In Chains) and Steve Perkins (Jane’s Addiction) to lay down the first two tracks of his new brainchild…Beautiful Carnage. Dowd made his long awaited return to the stage at Arlene’s Grocery in NYC on November 13, 2011 at “An Evening with Jeff Buckley,” a tribute to the talented friend who continues to inspire him. Dowd will complete and release Beautiful Carnage in 2012.