Bill Champlin

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Bill Champlin
Champlin in 2008
Background information
Birth name	William Bradford Champlin
Born	May 21, 1947 (1947-05-21) (age 62) Oakland, California, U.S.
Genre(s)	Rock, blues, R'n'B
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instrument(s)	Vocals, keyboards, guitar
Years active	1967–present
Associated acts	Sons of Champlin The Rhythm Dukes Chicago
Website	www.billchamplin.net
Notable instrument(s)
Hammond organ

William Bradford "Bill" Champlin (born on May 21, 1947 in Oakland, California) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player, arranger and producer known for his work with Chicago and the Sons of Champlin.

Early career

As a child, Champlin demonstrated a talent for piano, and eventually picked up the guitar after being inspired by Elvis Presley. He started a band, The Opposite Six, while at Tamalpais High School, in Mill Valley, California and went on to study music in college, but was encouraged by a professor to drop out of school and pursue music professionally.

The Sons of Champlin and solo career

The Opposite Six, Champlin's band from high school, changed their name to the Sons of Champlin, and eventually recorded a number of well-reviewed. but poorly-selling albums (including Loosen Up Naturally and Circle Filled With Love) by 1977, when the 30 year old Champlin moved to Los Angeles.^[1]

In LA he began extensive studio session work. He was especially in demand for his singing, appearing on hundreds of recordings throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In addition, he co-wrote the hit songs "After The Love Has Gone" (Earth, Wind & Fire) and "Turn Your Love Around" (George Benson), winning two Grammy Awards in the process.

In 1979, Champlin was approached by the then-widely successful band, REO Speedwagon to add background vocals on some of their songs, which would appear on the album Nine Lives; this would be the last album in which REO Speedwagon would have a predominately hard rock edge, turning to a more pop-oriented style with their next release, Hi Infidelity.

This work allowed Champlin to become acquainted with other in-demand session men such as Jay Graydon, David Foster, Steve Lukather (of Toto), and many more. Among other artists he worked with were Boz Scaggs, The Tubes, and Lee Ritenour. He also appeared on Barry Manilow's 1982 EP, Oh, Julie! David Foster in particular produced two solo albums for Champlin: Single and Runaway. Unfortunately, the poor promotion from his record company led to poor sales of both albums.

In the 1990s, Champlin released several more solo albums: No Wasted Moments, Burn Down the Night, Through It All, He Started to Sing, and Mayday. The last was a live recording of songs from his career, and featured musicians like Greg Mathieson, Jerry Lopez, Eddie Garcia, Tom Saviano and Rochon Westmoreland.

In 1997, Champlin revived the Sons of Champlin, with whom he continues to play live shows throughout the West Coast of the United States.

In 2009 Bill Champlin with his wife Tamara co-wrote the lyrics on one new pop ballad composed, arranged and produced by the Italian-American composer, arranger, and producer Manuel De Peppe. The title is "Til You Believe". The song is also performed by Bill and Tamara. It is not yet known when this song will be published.

Tenure with Chicago

In 1978, the day after Chicago guitarist Terry Kath died, Champlin received a call from someone connected to the group, suggesting that he audition to take Kath's place. Champlin turned down the offer, saying he could not fill that role. But in 1981, he collaborated with Chicago's drummer, Danny Seraphine, singing some backgrounds with Peter Cetera on a non-Chicago project.

Seraphine and Champlin co-wrote a few songs, and Champlin was invited to sing one song ("Sonny Think Twice") as a guest vocalist on what would eventually become Chicago 16. Champlin suggested to Seraphine that David Foster might be a good choice as a producer for Chicago at that time.

Seraphine began a campaign to get Champlin into the group, despite some obstacles (Robert Lamm, initially jealous at the prospect of another keyboardist, said, "What the hell do we need him for?" and Kenny Loggins personally called Champlin, saying, "What are you doing? Those guys are over!"). Reluctant at first, especially after hearing that he would be singing "Colour My World" ("I never really liked that one much"), Champlin finally said, "Why not? I'll give it a year," and joined the band in 1981.

In the meantime, he was the musical director for the television show Fridays and was featured singing several songs on 16, including "Bad Advice" and "Follow Me."

1984's Chicago 17 enhanced Champlin's presence in the group, when he wrote several songs ("Please Hold On," and "Remember the Feeling"), and sang (with Cetera) the hit single "Hard Habit to Break."

When Cetera left the band in 1985, the focus shifted to a new bassist/vocalist, 23 year old Jason Scheff. Chicago 18 featured several Scheff sung hits, a situation Scheff acknowledged as being generous on Champlin's part.

In 1988, however, it was Champlin whose voice appeared prominently on several major hit singles: "Look Away", "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love", and "You're Not Alone" from Chicago 19. That year he also sang the theme to the television show In the Heat of the Night.

In 1990, Champlin wrote, produced and sang lead on "Hearts in Trouble", a song for the movie soundtrack of Days of Thunder. Originally a solo song, the producers of the movie decided, for marketing purposes, that it be released under the name of Chicago; so the band's horn section added a brass arrangement to the track and, subsequently, it was released as a single. In the summer of 1990, Chicago launched their Hearts in Trouble Tour.

By the early 1990s, Chicago's popularity began to wane (Chicago Twenty 1, featuring the Champlin tune "Who Do You Love?" sold poorly), and the band recorded the now infamous Stone of Sisyphus, a project that remained unreleased until June 17, 2008, fifteen years after it was recorded. Champlin sings on the tracks "Mah Jongg", "Here With Me", "The Show Must Go On", and "Plaid."

Champlin made major contributions to Chicago's big-band tribute Night & Day Big Band in 1995, and to both editions of their Christmas album (Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album, re-released with additional tracks as What's It Gonna Be, Santa?).

Most recently he co-wrote four of the songs on the band's 2006 album Chicago XXX.

In early August, 2009, Champlin released a new solo album titled No Place Left to Fall. One week later, Chicago and Champlin announced his formal departure from the group. Chicago's management released a statement saying "Bill Champlin is no longer in Chicago. He was a long time band member and we wish him all the best as he embarks on his new solo project, for which he’s worked long and hard." Meanwhile, Champlin's publicist released a statement saying, "After 28 years with Chicago, singer-songwriter-keyboardist Bill Champlin is parting ways with the classic jazz/rock band to focus once again on his solo career."

Personal life

Champlin has been married since 1982 to his second wife, singer/songwriter Tamara Champlin (former Tamara Matoesian), and has three grown children. The couple's only child, Will, graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts ^[2] and is currently pursuing a career as a singer and songwriter.

Champlin resides in Nashville, Tennessee.

Discography

Studio Albums