Chris Vaughn Messer: A Chronicle of Independent Vision

Aura Valehart
Nov 8, 2025
5 min read

Updated: Dec 19, 2025

Compiled from regional and national news archives for the Messer Trust Record (2025).

Across more than two decades of artistic output, Chris Vaughn Messer - known publicly as Chris Vaughn - has built a body of work that bridges film, music, and community service. His name appears repeatedly in the archives of New Jersey’s leading newspapers and magazines, from The Asbury Park Press and The Atlanticville to The Coaster, The Hub, and Mar Magazine. Together these publications trace the rise of a Monmouth County artist who transformed personal conviction into creative independence.

Early Years and the Asbury Park Press Era

Vaughn began his musical journey at the end of his senior year in high school back in 1994 when his best friend, Tom CeCe, had taken him in to live in his basement. Tom was starting a band, and Chris was writing a lot of poetry at the time, so they began jamming and writing mostly songs Tom had already started writing. Tom was reluctant to choose Chris right away as his front man, but their bond as friends eventually sealed the songwriting duo. They became well known around the local music scene under CoJack Productions as, Against The Grain, then later, Grayn from 1994-1997, opening up for National Acts and headlining some shows of their own. Vaughn broke away from the group for personal convictions and began writing with other artists after a sabbatical in early 2000s. During these years, as a young husband and father, he really struggled to find his voice. He ran into his first bassist, Mike Flannery one night at Red Bank Rehearsal and found out that he was signed to Atlantic Records. This was no surprise to him since he was one of the most talented members of Against the Grain's first lineup, but caused Chris to consider his direction and efforts. An appearance at the M.A.R. MAGAZINE Private Launch Party in Red Bank, New Jersey in the Summer of 2005 hints at his growing influence among the local entertainment community. (M.A.R. MAGAZINE spotting, Summer 2005).

However, the earliest traceable record of Vaughn’s creative career appears in The Asbury Park Press (March 9, 2008), which reported on his early production work connected to Stiletto (2008), the Nick Vallelonga-directed thriller starring Tom Berenger, Michael Biehn, and Diane Venora. The 2008 feature introduced Vaughn to professional production environments and later inspired his founding of New Toy Music, a small creative label registered with BMI.

By 2009, The Press and The Coaster were both documenting Vaughn’s growing presence along the Jersey Shore’s independent music scene. Articles from November 5–6, 2009 describe the release of his CD Speak and a benefit concert held at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, staged in cooperation with local hunger-relief organizations. The newspaper coverage—preserved today in multiple Archive.org holdings—highlights his blend of “rock-inspired Americana” and “faith-based introspection.”

“From Boy to Boss” and the Emergence of Jerseyboy Hero

A milestone arrived in 2011 when The Asbury Park Press ran a front-page feature under the headline “Chris Vaughn – From Boy to Boss.” The article, now archived in multiple editions (April 2, 2011), profiled Vaughn’s shift from local musician to filmmaker. That same spring, Backstreets Magazine and The Star-Ledger reported on the theatrical premiere of his documentary Jerseyboy Hero at Clearview Cinemas in Red Bank, New Jersey.

Jerseyboy Hero combined live-action documentary storytelling with performances by Bruce Springsteen and Nick Vallelonga, framing them within themes of perseverance and New Jersey identity. The film’s local release served a dual purpose: community entertainment and charity. Press clippings confirm that ticket proceeds benefited the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties - an early sign of Vaughn’s commitment to service through art.

The film’s enduring cultural footprint is underscored by its inclusion in Monmouth University’s Bruce Springsteen Special Collection, catalogued under “Selected Printed Items - Jerseyboy Hero (2011).” The entry situates Vaughn among the notable chroniclers of New Jersey’s modern creative landscape.

Regional Coverage and Cultural Impact

From 2005 through the mid-2010s, Vaughn remained a fixture in local print media. The Hub, The Independent, The Atlanticville, and The New Transcript each ran short columns or event notices highlighting his community involvement, including participation in regional arts fundraisers and appearances alongside Nick Clemons, son of the late Clarence Clemons of the E Street Band.

A 2011 Coaster follow-up reviewed his ongoing performances at Bar Anticipation in Lake Como and The Saint in Asbury Park, describing Vaughn as “one of the few remaining bridge artists between the Shore’s musical tradition and its new generation of independent storytellers.”

Return to Film: The Fifth Chair

After several years focused on songwriting and post-production, Vaughn re-emerged in 2022 with the short film The Fifth Chair, a meditative piece exploring regret and spiritual awakening. Press reviews preserved by IndieWrap Magazine and Take 2 Indie Review note both the film’s ambition and its raw emotional tone. Cinedump Magazine later published an extended interview, “From Songwriter to Storyteller,” profiling Vaughn’s process as a self-funded director working outside the studio system.

In 2023, The Garden State Film Festival announced The Fifth Chair as an official selection, screening it at the Jersey Shore Arts Center. The festival’s press release, archived on March 26, 2023, cited the film’s “message-driven narrative and excellence in direction,” reaffirming Vaughn’s continuing relevance within New Jersey’s creative circuit.

Earliest Features and Retrospectives

Coverage of Vaughn’s career predates the 2010s. M.A.R. Magazine - Summer Book (2005) included party-page photos and captions placing Vaughn in the Jersey Shore arts scene. It should be noted that President Donald Trump was featured on the cover of this magazine. Through 2009–2011, regional outlets such as The Coaster, The Hub, The Atlanticville, The Independent, and Asbury Park Press ran event notices and features tied to his CD release, Wonder Bar performances, and the Jerseyboy Hero premiere. (Many of these clippings are preserved on Archive.org with 2025 upload timestamps, but the original publication dates are 2005 and 2009–2011.)

Supplementary searches on Newspapers.com show hits beginning in 2011 for “Chris Vaughn” and “Jerseyboy Hero,” confirming recurring mention across multiple issues rather than a single one-off. Together, these contemporaneous articles document sustained regional coverage of Vaughn’s work and community activity - sufficient for the Messer Trust’s cultural recordkeeping.

Archival Context and Family Record

For the House of Messer, these clippings serve both genealogical and institutional purposes. They establish Christopher Vaughn Messer as an independently verified creative contributor within the State of New Jersey’s cultural sector. His documented appearances in The Asbury Park Press, The Star-Ledger, Backstreets Magazine, and affiliated regional outlets form a credible evidence chain of public recognition.

The earliest unrelated clipping - Asbury Park Press, February 19, 1987 - references Donny Messer, providing historical linkage within the family name’s local record to the Baby M Story (see background section of Wikipedia). While distinct in subject, its inclusion within this archive underscores the continuity of the Messer lineage in New Jersey public documentation and may explain his commitment to cultural reform regarding the sanctity of marriage.

Summary

From his 2008 production debut to his 2023 festival recognition, Chris Vaughn Messer’s career represents a sustained narrative of self-directed creativity anchored in faith, community, and legacy. His story, documented across more than a dozen independent news sources and preserved by Archive.org, portrays a regional artist who navigated the boundaries between musician and filmmaker - transforming the challenges of independence into enduring cultural testimony.

All cited materials verified via Archive.org and Newspapers.com holdings, 2008–2025. Compiled November 2025 for the official Messer Trust Cultural Record.