Chris Bowman

EARLY THEME FROM DAYTON MUSICIAN
Dayton Daily Newspaper

While others watch Bryant Gumbel's return to morning TV Monday, Dayton
musician Chris Bowman will tune in THE EARLY SHOW for the music.

He wrote it.

"I had an upbeat tune called 'Sunrise' that I thought was appropriate for a morning
show," says Mr. Bowman 39, who plays in a Dayton band called Buck Naked.

He sent a CD of the song to CBS in May, after a friend told him about Gumbel's
new CBS morning show.

Four months later, a CBS producer called to say that Mr. Gumbel wanted to use
it for the theme and commercial breaks.

"It was like hitting the lottery. I took a chance at one-in-a-million shot, not
knowing that I'd hit it," he say's.

Mr. Gumbel, in a CBS statement said that "out of the hundreds of videotapes,
audio tapes and CD's that were sent to me, Chris Bowman's work clearly stood
out and compared favorably with the best efforts of the established professionals.
I'm happy for him and glad that his taste and ours fit so nicely."

Mr. Bowman began composing music before graduating from Chaminade-Juliene
High School in 1976. He played synthesized guitar for Buck Naked, a four-member
cover band that plays "everything from Led Zeppelin to K.C. and the Sunshine
Band and Garth Brooks."

He mailed the song to CBS a few weeks after quitting his day job of nine years,
banquet manager at a country club, to devote full time to music.

"Working 60-70 hours at the country club, and then playing a gig until 2:30am,
was just too much," he says. "I'm a workaholic, I just wanted to dedicate all my
time to music and see what happens."

Thanks to Mr. Gumbel, he hopes that TV exposure "on a giant like CBS" could
lead to a recording contract.

"I just want Bryant Gumbel to know I'm so grateful that he has given me this
opportunity," he says. "I'd like to tell him in person, or on the phone. I'd love for
him to know, even if he just reads it in the newspaper."

Soundsamples at

http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/194/chris_bowman.html