Hello again friends in 311 nation! Welcome back, another 311 fan spotlight is upon us. This week let’s meet C.J. Chipley!
During C.J.’s junior year of college in 1993, he became friends with two guys named Eric and Josh, who had a Sega Genesis and owned the game NBA Jams. They were who introduced C.J. to the music of 311. “As we played NBA Jams& enjoyed some recreational activities, Eric threw in a bootleg copy of Music (tape form / poor college students) and it was ON. The energy enveloped me & the lyrics spoke my language. The NBA Jams catchphrase “he’s on fiiiiiiiiiiiiire” became secondary to the six song run of Feels So Good, Do You Right, FTBS, (flip the tape over), Welcome, Freak Out & Visit. Although there are songs from every album that resonate with me & physically force me to ‘nod your head to this,’ this particular run of 6 songs will forever be stacked in my soul. This, however, was NOT the moment that 311 changed my life forever.”
First show for C.J. was April 15, 1993, in a tiny club in Memphis, Tennessee call Club 616 (now closed). Max capacity was about 400 and he said it was only about 60% full. This was the day that 311 changed his life forever. ” For anyone that has seen them live, the understanding of the feeling I describe goes without saying. In this smaller setting, the connection to every member of the crowd that each band member displayed throughout that entire show was not only kick-ass, but made the experience personal… like a group of guys you grew up with who were having shitloads of fun & a bit of success along the way, but would still go & grab you a beer from the fridge if you needed one. I was so incredibly blown away, I had to see them againasap & they were (fortunately) playing the next 2 nights at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, about a 3hr drive away. As a broke-ass college student, I had to become resourceful. Quickly. I pawned my golf clubs, about 15 CD’s (these actually had a bit of value in the early 90’s), sold back 5 college textbooks & got paid in advance to write a history paper for my roommate & another for my suitemate. Made both shows on 4/16 & 4/17. Best. Decision. Ever.”
For show count, C.J. is at 71. He’s had backstage, VIP passes three times, but says sadly no cruises yet. He’s been to every 311 Day show however. “On day 2 of 311 Day 2018, my wife & I decided to show up a bit early, enjoy a few cold adult beverages & grab our seats… relax a bit before the show. As we exit the beverage line (it was a line of 2… I mean we were REAL early), P-Nut comes walking around the corner from a back room & peaks into an (almost) empty arena. He has a smile ear-to-ear and a look in his eye like “we are about to fuckin’ ROCK this place.” As he exits the arena to return backstage, he takes one look at me as I exit the bar & says, “WOW, I’ve got to get a picture with that BIG ASS BEER!!” We proceeded to talk for a bit & it was super cool of him to share his excitement with us before the show. One of C.J.’s many stories: P-Nut asks to take a pic with me (actually my beer) & not vice versa.”
C.J. said that 71 seems like a lower show count for someone who’s been a fan so long, but part of the reason is that he moved to Hawaii in 2006. “I was previously living in Memphis, TN and 311 Day was shifted there for 2006 (as most know) due to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. After the show, my mind is always spinning (pun intended) & I thought to myself- I’m pretty damn good at my job… why am I still ‘making the donuts’ in Memphis?!? Where do I really want to be? I randomly look at the 311 ‘upcoming shows’ to get an idea (hopefully with some inspiration) and 3 of their next 4 shows were in Hawaii. About 6 months later, so was I- and have been ever since. Met my wife here & one of the things that ‘bonded’ us early in our relationship was her love of 311 as well (more to come on this). Have to give 311 a huge mahalo for their unknown karmatic inspiration. Omaha was never on my list.”
One of C.J.’s favorite events was when 311 played two shows back to back in a little club in Honolulu in 2010. His wife has epilepsy and due to the random bursts of light & patterns at shows, she had never been able to attend any bigger shows in her life. ” We practiced the ‘shut & cover’ method with her eyes routinely leading up to the show dates… we were ready. The 1st night, things worked out perfectly, her health was absolutely fine, she had gotten to experience her first live show & we were on Cloud 9 as we exited the venue. Cloud 9 quickly became Cloud 10 as we got into our car & saw the entire band getting into the van parked RIGHT NEXT TO US. Let’s have some fun. I tailed them all they way from the show venue to their pink hotel in Honolulu & believe I only ran 1 red light in the process… the other 2 were still orange. We got out at the hotel, talked/laughed with them quite a bit & left by saying “it would be great if you ended tomorrow night with FTBS as you ALWAYS did back in the day.” I think they ended night 1 with a badass Omaha Stylee/Creatures mash up & I also knew they still had not played Down. SA winked & nodded, Nick said “we’ll see.” Night 2 was another incredible show (duh) & then they came out for the encore… Down. Linda & I looked at each other, shrugged, laughed & enjoyed the hell out of a GREAT song. As they began to walk off the stage, suddenly they stopped (I mean, literally froze in place). About face. Returned to instruments. “This one goes out to all of the old schools fans that remember how we ALWAYS closed a show…” BOOM!! Linda & I both cried the happiest tears ever & I still get emotional telling the story.”
Song that means the most to C.J. is “Jackpot.” It’s not his favorite, but it means the most because the album Uplifter was released while he and his wife were dating. That song is one they both loved the minute they heard it. “Every time we hear the word ‘jackpot’ used (wherever we may be) I will come in immediately with ‘all the people say’ and Linda then adds ‘whoa’ before we JACKPOT simultaneously. It’s our little thing.” As for favorite lyrics, he listed just a few samples as there are too many to fully list, including: “Welcome to this groove… you can move, right?,” “Unwind your mind & find entire minutes,” “Serendipitous my travels throughout time,” “We put that shit on the map,” “I kick in the teeth of condescending frowns,” “Nod your head to this,” and “I wanna stoke the fire.”
C.J. was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, and moved around a few times due to his father getting better opportunities as he grew up. He’s lived in Charlotte twice, Cleveland, Fort Smith, Arkansas, Memphis twice, Henderson, North Carolina, Monterey, Las Vegas, Honolulu, and Kailua, Kona. He was in the restaurant industry most of his life, but now supports his wife’s retail business in Hawaii. “Our jewelry business is named Blue Water Fantasies… cool as the blue water all around.”
C.J. and his wife Linda married on 11/11/11 at 8:16AM for many reasons. “one of the biggest was having the ability to say ‘we were married on 3-11’s’ for the rest of our lives. Our wedding photos are titled We’re just two Misfits that no one else gets.” C.J. has lived in Kailua-Kona for almost 15 years. He and Linda will celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary this year. “Currently have 3 fur-babies in the house- 2 cats (brother/sister Norwegian Forest Cats) & a German Shephard. Throughout my life, I have named at least 1 pet after each member of the band, also had a dog named Bobby & by chance, got the opportunity to name 2 donkey’s on a friend’s farm- one is now Terrence Henry & the other, Scott Stapp.”
C.J. since 1993 has included 311 stuff in his monthly budget, at $25 a month. “Gives me the rationale to buy anything 311-related and use the ‘yeah, but I’ve budgeted for this’ explanation.” Things he enjoys besides 311 are making others laugh, being a die-hard UNC Tarheels fan, plus the Steelers, Pirates, Penguins, and 76ers. “A huge fan of sports (competition in general) & unless playing one of ‘my’ teams, almost always have a soft spot for the underdog. Love seeing an ‘upset’ which re-enforces the principal that anyone can win. Everyone has a chance.”
Interesting fact about C.J. is that at one point he worked for a company where his territory covered 6 different time zones. “90% of my life was spent on the road & I always requested room 311. The travel also gave me the opportunity to catch a few 311 shows across the US, which is always nice.” Ever heard of the term Glossophobia? It’s the fear of public speaking, a very common phobia. C.J. does NOT have it. ” I am the categorical antonym of this. LOVE IT. Will get on stage in front of 1,000s of people and give speeches or facilitate presentations with passion, energy, excitement… it’s my juice. Love the process of learning the info & then energizing the masses/delivering the message as a knowledgeable, connected presenter. Do I get nervous or do I get butterflies?? Absolutely, along with a sweet blast of adrenaline… it’s when you don’t feel these things that you should worry.”
Guilty pleasure for C.J., well he loves gardening and has quite the green thumb. “I am blessed to have the climate zone that Hawaii provides, 365 days a year. In my time out here, I have grown (not at the same time) coffee, bananas, pineapple, mango & papaya, along with some amazing herbs all year round.I have a 10yr old bonsai tree (Buzz the bonsai) and a yard full of hibiscus, gardenia, plumeria, bougainvillea & palms to enjoy. Nature is pretty cool, you know?”
Other musical artists that C.J. can be found grooving to a rotating list of people. “Currently listening to quite a bit of RTJ… longtime fan of Zeppelin, Chili Peppers, Eric B & Rakim, Beastie Boys, SOJA, Snoop, Blind Melon, RATM, Pepper… occasional guilty pleasures include Tool, Toad the Wet Sprocket, NiN, Cyprus Hill, Ludacris, Slightly Stoopid, Jay-Z, Incubus, Slick Rick… & not gonna get mad if someone throws in something from the (very early) grunge era leading up to my 1993 “311 breakthrough.”
C.J. has been lucky to have had a few opportunities to meet the band and chat with them. He’s always given them a heartfelt thank you each time. “Each member seems like a friend & the ‘shout outs’ they give at shows & on albums feel personal, as if they are meant specifically for me. Each 311 Day, when the slide that says “…and ALL 50 STATES…” hits the screen, I know that I am the Hawaii representative. HeeHee. The culture of unity & positivity they have driven & enveloped throughout their 30+ years has created such a remarkable following of like-minded peoples. I appreciate the fact that their message has held true over the course of time.”
Now this is C.J.’s message to all his fellow 311 fans out there:
“If you have never had the opportunity to see a live show, make it the ABSOLUTE FIRST thing on your list when COVID is under control & we are again allowed to do so. If there is one thing that I will 100% guarantee & can attest to in all the live shows that I have been to (in addition to all the live online performances, etc.)à 311 never phones it in. Ever. The unity will grab hold of you & just might never let go… if you are lucky (again, pun intended). I bet that almost every 311 fan has thought to themselves or recited the line “To all my friends, it’s not the end, the earth has not swallowed me yet…” over the past year. Stay strong, stay safe, stay aware & never forget to stay positive & love your life.”
Huge thank you to C.J. for sharing his fun story! And everyone wish him a happy belated birthday, as he celebrated on 1/31. Many, many thanks to all the readers and supporters of the blog. Have an amazing week my friends!
Much Love – The Runt