Mannheim Steamroller

Mannheim Steamroller—the multi-Platinum-selling neo-classical group founded by Chip Davis—is best known for popular reworkings of classic Christmas songs. ∙ Born into a musical Ohio family, Davis composed his first piece at age six, played in the University of Michigan’s concert band, and became a junior high music teacher. ∙ He cocreated the character of C.W. McCall, whose 1975 trucker-rebellion single “Convoy” topped Billboard’s Country and Pop charts and inspired Sam Peckinpah’s like-named 1978 film. ∙ Mannheim Steamroller’s debut album, 1975’s Fresh Aire—featuring classical music played on electric bass and synthesizers—was a hit with audiophiles due to its high-tech sound. ∙ The band’s first collection of holiday classics, 1984’s Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, rose into the Billboard 200—and by 2004 the album had sold more than six million copies. ∙ The Mannheim Steamroller LP Fresh Aire 7 won a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album in 1991. ∙ In 2019, the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Tour celebrated 35 straight years, with two different touring troupes, plus a third group that performed at a popular Florida theme park.