Christopher Cross has tested positive for COVID-19. The singer-songwriter, best remembered for his early Eighties hits “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” and “Sailing,” revealed the news to his fans via a Facebook post on Friday morning.
“I’m not in the habit of discussing medical issues on social media, but I do so in the hope this will help other people to understand how serious and how contagious this illness is,” he wrote. “Although I am fortunate enough to be cared for at home, this is possibly the worst illness I’ve ever had.”
Cross found incredible success with his 1979 self-titled debut LP. Not only did album tracks “Ride Like the Wind” and “Sailing” become huge radio hits, but they helped him win Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best New Artist at the 1981 Grammy awards. No other artist would pull off the feat of winning all four major awards until Billie Eilish earlier this year.
The same year as his Grammy victory, he scored another huge hit with “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” from the soundtrack to the film Arthur. The song reached #1 on the Hot 100 and earned Cross an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
He never matched the success of his early hits, but he remains a popular live performer. Last year, he hit the road with Micky Dolenz, Todd Rundgren, Chicago singer Jason Scheff and Badfinger guitarist Joey Molland to perform music from the Beatles’ White Album.
In his Facebook post, Cross warned the public to take COVID-19 seriously. “For those of you who still do not believe the COVID-19 virus is real, or think it is a ‘hoax’ or part of some conspiracy,” he wrote, “my advice to you is to understand right now that this is a deadly illness spreading like wildfire throughout the world.”
