By: Daniel P’Lopez
Photos by: Levi Walker
Kristine W. is a woman who has accomplished a lot in her career and who has worked with many big-name artists in the music industry. She was born and raised in Eastern Washington state. Kristine admits coming from a very musical family, with someone playing an instrument or singing on both sides of her family. Her family was also involved in farming, and her dad was a rodeo participant and an all-American football player in high school and college.
Her grandpa farmed alfalfa and raised grass-fed Angus cattle for the Black Angus restaurant. Before Kristine’s dad passed away at the age of thirty-three from a ruptured spleen, he was also a singer in a band with his wife, a folk singer. After they got married, they formed a dual group called the Humdingers. On weekends, they would perform all over Eastern Washington. Her Auntie, Joe, was also in the band, bringing a comedic approach to the act, which included writing their own jokes as a side show.
After Kristine’s father’s passing, the Humdingers continued on singing with her mom and Auntie Joe. Until her Auntie Joe moved to Florida to work for cruise lines, Kristine’s mom couldn’t go because she was raising four kids as a single mother. Nevertheless, Kristine and her grandmother were a great help to her mother, assisting with her hair, makeup, and costumes, as well as creating outfits for her many shows.
Kristine followed her parents’ footsteps and started singing in church every Sunday with the kids’ choir, and eventually started doing solos. Church is also where she learned about harmony. Additionally, she admits that watching her mother and Auntie Joe’s work ethic in music was a significant influence on her decision to start singing.
Kristine says she had a gay musical director named Jim McGee, so her love for the gay community goes way back. Kristine was in beauty pageants and won many competitions, including Miss Washington. As a track star in high school and a national javelin champion, with a leg in sports and on her way to something big, she chose another route because she wanted to be glamorous.
She eventually moved to California and began singing in other people’s bands until she formed her own band, Christine and the Sting, which performed mostly up-tempo party music. With a full band, dancers, and many shows under their belt, Christine made a name for herself and won numerous awards for her music.
Kristine revealed that she gets her song ideas from just living life, and from other people’s stories, the great and the rough times. To date, Kristine has seventeen number-one dance hits on the dance charts, working with notable artists such as Elton John and Patti LaBelle, among others.
Kristine also garnered a lot of attention with the show Queer as Folk, with some of her songs featured on the hit show.
Her new single, “Personified,” is a powerful new house anthem, and another song, a remake of Sade’s classic “Smooth Operator,” is poised to be another chart topper.
Kristine will be participating in DC Pride this summer and will also be performing with The Gay Men’s Choir in Los Angeles, featuring over 205 voices. Kristine has a busy lineup as well as a cruise to do.
When Kristine is not working on music, she has a horse hotel in Las Vegas, called Flag in Ranch.
Kristine would like to thank her many fans and her two great kids. “I’m really blessed, I’ve got so many people in my life that I am thankful for all of them, and it’s such a blessing to have great friends, family, and fans that have become family. My whole circle of people it’s a big circle, and I am so thankful for it.”
Kristine would like to be known for writing music that helps people navigate their journey. “Life is not good. It’s not easy, and when you have uplifting music that can get you through hard times, it’s really special.” Kristine said in her interview.
Kristine has been there for the LGBTQ+ community with her music and her humanity, in a time when it wasn’t as supportive as it is today. Kristine is proud that she and her music have raised many millions of dollars for AIDS. She is also happy that she has said ‘yes’ to many things in her career, even when her wheels were falling off her bus.
To learn more about Kristine, you can check out her website, Kristinew.com
You can also follow her on Spotify, YouTube, @KristineWmusic, and on Instagram
@KristineW.