HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

William Bradford Champlin (born May 21, 1947) is an American singer, keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter. He formed the band Sons of Champlin in 1965, which still performs today, and was a member of the rock band
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
from 1981 to 2009. He performed lead vocals on three of Chicago's biggest hits of the 1980s, 1984's " Hard Habit to Break" and 1988's "
Look Away "Look Away" is a song by American rock band Chicago. Written by Diane Warren and produced by Ron Nevison, the Sentimental ballad, ballad is the second single from the band's 1988 album ''Chicago 19''. "Look Away" topped the US Billboard Hot 100 ...
" and "
I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" is a hit song written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond for the group Chicago (band), Chicago and recorded for their album ''Chicago 19'' (1988), with Bill Champlin singing lead vocals. It is the first Chica ...
". During live shows, he sang the lower, baritone, vocal parts originally performed by founding guitarist
Terry Kath Terry Alan Kath (January 31, 1946 – January 23, 1978) was an American guitarist and singer who is best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He played lead guitar and sang lead vocals on many of the band's early hit singl ...
, who had died in 1978. He has won multiple
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
s for songwriting.


Early career

As a child, Champlin demonstrated a talent for piano and eventually picked up the guitar after being inspired by
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
. He started a band called The Opposite Six while at
Tamalpais High School Tamalpais High School (often abbreviated as Tam) is a public secondary school located in Mill Valley, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is named after nearby Mount Tamalpais, which rises almost above Mill Valley. Tamalpais High Scho ...
in
Mill Valley, California Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States, located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge and from Napa Valley. The population was 14,231 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Mill Valley is lo ...
. He then studied music in college, but was encouraged by a professor to drop out and pursue music professionally.


The Sons of Champlin and solo career

The Opposite Six, Champlin's band from high school, had changed their name to the Sons of Champlin and had recorded a number of well-reviewed (although not commercially successful) albums (including ''Loosen Up Naturally'' and ''Circle Filled With Love'') by 1977, when 30-year-old Champlin moved to Los Angeles. During the 1969–1970 period, Champlin was uncertain of the future of the Sons of Champlin, so he joined with
Jerry Miller Jerry Miller (July 10, 1943 – July 20, 2024) was an American songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. He performed as a solo artist and as a member of the Jerry Miller Band. He was also a founding member of the 1960s San Francisco band Moby Grape, ...
of
Moby Grape Moby Grape is an American rock band founded in 1966. Part of San Francisco's psychedelic music scene, the band merged elements of rock and roll, folk music, pop, blues, and country. They were one of the few groups of which all members were lea ...
in The Rhythm Dukes, following the departure of
Don Stevenson Don Stevenson (born October 15, 1941) is the American drummer and a singer and songwriter for Moby Grape, a band which was formed in San Francisco in 1966 and continues to perform occasionally today. Biography Born October 15, 1941, in Seattle, ...
. The band achieved a significant degree of acclaim as an opening act for many popular performers of that time, and recorded one album, ultimately released in 2005 "Flashback". 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. The National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) awarded Champlin the Most Valuable Player peer award for male background vocalists in 1980. Champlin won a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for Best Rhythm and Blues Song in 1980 for co-writing the hit song "
After The Love Has Gone "After the Love Has Gone" is a song by Earth, Wind & Fire, released in 1979 as the second single from their ninth studio album ''I Am'' on ARC/Columbia Records. The song reached No. 2 on both the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 (behind the Knack's "M ...
" with
Jay Graydon Jay Joseph Graydon (born October 8, 1949, Burbank, California) is an American songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, keyboardist, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards (in the R&B category) ...
and
David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s befor ...
(which was made popular by
Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling ba ...
) and a second Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song in 1983 for co-writing the song "
Turn Your Love Around "Turn Your Love Around" is a pop/ R&B single by George Benson. The song was written by Grammy winners Bill Champlin of Chicago, Steve Lukather of Toto and producer and guitarist Jay Graydon to help fill out Benson's 1981 greatest hits album, '' ...
" with Jay Graydon and Steve Lukather (which was made popular by
George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American jazz fusion guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the ...
). In 1979, Champlin was approached by the then-widely successful band
REO Speedwagon REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. Speedwagon), or simply REO, was an American Rock music, rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial suc ...
to add background vocals on some of their songs appearing on their album '' Nine Lives''; which was the last album in which REO Speedwagon had a predominantly hard-rock edge. This work allowed Champlin to become acquainted with other in-demand session men such as
Jay Graydon Jay Joseph Graydon (born October 8, 1949, Burbank, California) is an American songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, keyboardist, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards (in the R&B category) ...
,
David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s befor ...
, and
Steve Lukather Steven Lee "Luke" Lukather (born October 21, 1957) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer, best known as the sole continuous founding member of the rock band Toto. His reputation as a skilled guitarist led to ...
(of Toto). Among other artists that he worked with were
Al Jarreau Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and songwriter. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and ...
,
George Duke George Martin Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as ...
,
Boz Scaggs William Royce "Boz" Scaggs (born June 8, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was a bandmate of Steve Miller (musician), Steve Miller in the Ardells in the early 1960s and a member of the Steve Miller Band from 1967 to 196 ...
,
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
,
The Tubes The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band. Their self-titled 1975 debut album included the single " White Punks on Dope", while their 1983 single " She's a Beauty" was a top-10 U.S. hit and its music video was frequently played in the ear ...
,
Lee Ritenour Lee Mack Ritenour ( ; born January 11, 1952) is an American jazz guitarist who has been active since the late 1960s. Biography Ritenour was born in 1952, in Los Angeles, California. At the age of eight he started playing guitar and four years l ...
,
Amy Grant Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She began her music career in contemporary Christian music (CCM) before crossing over to pop music in the mid-1980s. Grant has been referred to as "Honorific ...
, and Nicky Trebek. He also appeared on
Barry Manilow Barry Manilow ( ; born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer with a career that spans over sixty years. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", "Looks Like We Made It", "Brandy (Scott ...
's 1982 EP, ''Oh, Julie!'' and was a featured background vocalist on Manilow's ''
Here Comes the Night "Here Comes the Night" is a 1964 song, written by Bert Berns. It became a hit for Northern Irish band Them, fronted by Van Morrison, in March 1965, charting at No. 2 in the UK and No. 24 in the US. Them's single is listed at either No. 33 or No ...
''. In 1986, Champlin dueted with
Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...
on ''Last Unbroken Heart'' for
Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, Ricardo "Rico" Tub ...
, which was released that same year on the album " Miami Vice II" In 1991, he provided backing vocals for
Kim Carnes Kim Carnes (; born July 20, 1945) is an American singer and songwriter born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles. A veteran writer of many of her own hits, as well as those for numerous other artists, she began her career in 1966 as ...
' album '' Checkin' Out the Ghosts'' (released only in Japan); in 1997, Champlin revived the Sons of Champlin and continued to play with them between tours with Chicago. Throughout the 1990s he released several solo albums and toured Europe and Japan in support of his live solo album "Mayday". In 2009 Champlin collaborated with the Italian-American composer, arranger, singer, actor, and producer Manuel De Peppe and in 2011, Champlin played the Hammond B3 organ on the songs "Moon Cry" and "Mississippi Creek" by Curt Campbell and the Eclectic Beast Band. He and second wife, singer/songwriter Tamara Champlin, were part of the Scandinavian tour headlined by
Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock a ...
that also featured Joe Williams and Peter Friestedt. Champlin teamed up with conductor Lars Erik Gudim and the
Norwegian Radio Orchestra The Norwegian Radio Orchestra (Norwegian, ''Kringkastingsorkestret'', abbreviated as KORK) is a radio orchestra affiliated with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (''Norsk rikskringkasting AS'', or NRK). Its principal base is the ''Store Studi ...
(KORK) in
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
for a special performance that aired December 27, 2011 on NRK TV in
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
. From 2014 to 2017 he performed several acoustic shows with
Tamara Champlin Tamara Champlin (née Matoesian) is an American singer-songwriter who started her career as a session singer in Houston, Houston, Texas, later moving to Los Angeles. She has performed with and written for singers such as Elton John, Leon Russell ...
in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and South and Central America, where they joined the Rock Pack Tour, guested with California Transit Authority featuring
Danny Seraphine Daniel Peter Seraphine (born August 28, 1948) is an American drummer, record producer, theatrical producer, and film producer. He is best known as the original drummer and a founding member of the rock band Chicago, a tenure which lasted from ...
, played concerts to benefit Eddie Tuduri's Rhythmic Arts Project with the Pockets. They entertained with other indie artists for the Lone Wolf Entertainment Foundation and rejoined the re-formed Sons of Champlin for a series of shows in the Northwest. In 2017, he and Tamara were part of the Ambrosia & Friends Tour.


Solo releases

David Foster produced two solo albums for Champlin: ''Single'' (1978) and ''Runaway'' (1981). Both albums sold poorly due to lack of adequate promotion by his record company, although the latter album did include a pair of minor hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 ("Sara" and "Tonight, Tonight"). In the 1990s, Champlin released five 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 included musicians Greg Mathieson, Jerry Lopez, Eddie Garcia, Tom Saviano, and Rochon Westmoreland. In September, 2008, Champlin released ''No Place Left To Fall'' and a companion DVD in Japan on JVC/Victor. The record was produced by Champlin and Mark Eddinger, and featured musicians
Bruce Gaitsch Bruce R. Gaitsch (; born February 7, 1953) is an American guitarist, composer, and producer. He is best known for working with notable bands and musicians such as Chicago, Peter Cetera, Madonna, and Agnetha Fältskog as a session musician and son ...
, George Hawkins, Jr., Billy Ward,
Tamara Champlin Tamara Champlin (née Matoesian) is an American singer-songwriter who started her career as a session singer in Houston, Houston, Texas, later moving to Los Angeles. She has performed with and written for singers such as Elton John, Leon Russell ...
, Will Champlin, and Eddinger, with guest appearances by
Steve Lukather Steven Lee "Luke" Lukather (born October 21, 1957) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer, best known as the sole continuous founding member of the rock band Toto. His reputation as a skilled guitarist led to ...
,
Peter Cetera Peter Paul Cetera Jr. ( ; born September 13, 1944) is a retired American musician best known for being a frontman, vocalist, and bassist for the American rock band Chicago from 1967 until his departure in 1985. His career as a recording artist ...
, Michael English, Jerry Lopez, and enlisted such songwriting/player greats as Jay Graydon, Andreas Carlsson, Diane Warren, Michael Caruso, Tom Saviano, and Dennis Matkosky. The record was released in Europe by Zinc Music in December, 2008, and in the U.S. by DreamMakers Music in August, 2009. In January, 2021, Champlin's solo album ''Livin For Love'' was released by Imagen Records and featured Champlin on keyboard and guitars as well as players
Bruce Gaitsch Bruce R. Gaitsch (; born February 7, 1953) is an American guitarist, composer, and producer. He is best known for working with notable bands and musicians such as Chicago, Peter Cetera, Madonna, and Agnetha Fältskog as a session musician and son ...
, Carmen Grillo,
Steve Porcaro Steven Maxwell Porcaro (born September 2, 1957) is an American keyboardist, songwriter, singer, and film music composer, known as one of the founding members of the rock band Toto and the last surviving Porcaro brother (after the deaths of Jeff ...
,
Vinnie Colaiuta Vincent Peter Colaiuta (born February 5, 1956) is an American drummer known for his technical mastery who has worked as a session musician in many genres. He was inducted into the ''Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 1996 and the ''Classic Drumme ...
, George Hawkins Jr., Greg Mathieson, Gordon Campbell,
Lenny Castro Lenny Castro (born September 19, 1956) is an American percussionist from the Los Angeles area. He is one of the most prolific percussionists of all time, appearing on hundreds of albums, including those by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adele, Maroon ...
,
Marc Russo The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band from San Jose, California. Formed in the fall of 1970, the group was originally a quartet that featured lead vocalist and guitarist Tom Johnston, guitarist and second vocalist Patrick Simmons, bass ...
, Alan Hertz, Tal Morris,
Jason Scheff Jason Randolph Scheff (born April 16, 1962) is an American bassist, singer, and songwriter who was a frontman for the American rock band Chicago (band), Chicago from 1985 to 2016. Replacing former lead vocalist Peter Cetera, Scheff was the longe ...
, and
Abraham Laboriel Abraham Laboriel López (born July 17, 1947) is a Mexican-American bassist who has played on over 4,000 recordings and soundtracks. ''Guitar Player'' magazine called him "the most widely used session bassist of our time". Laboriel is the fathe ...
. Singers included Bill Champlin on lead and background vocals,
Tamara Champlin Tamara Champlin (née Matoesian) is an American singer-songwriter who started her career as a session singer in Houston, Houston, Texas, later moving to Los Angeles. She has performed with and written for singers such as Elton John, Leon Russell ...
, Gary Falcone, Jason Scheff, and
Andreas Carlsson Andreas Mikael Carlsson (; born 3 April 1973) is a Swedish music producer and pop songwriter. Biography Carlsson was part of the Cheiron Studios team until the studio was closed down in 2000. In January 2001, former Cheiron-members Andreas Carl ...
. Tracks were composed by Bill Champlin, Tamara Champlin, Bruce Gaitsch, Michael Caruso, Greg Mathieson, Jason Scheff, and Gary Falcone.


Tenure with Chicago

In 1978, the day after
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
guitarist
Terry Kath Terry Alan Kath (January 31, 1946 – January 23, 1978) was an American guitarist and singer who is best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He played lead guitar and sang lead vocals on many of the band's early hit singl ...
died, the band reached out to Champlin suggesting that he audition to take Kath's place. Champlin turned down the offer, saying he could not fill that role. In early 1981, Champlin collaborated with Chicago's drummer,
Danny Seraphine Daniel Peter Seraphine (born August 28, 1948) is an American drummer, record producer, theatrical producer, and film producer. He is best known as the original drummer and a founding member of the rock band Chicago, a tenure which lasted from ...
, by singing some backgrounds with
Peter Cetera Peter Paul Cetera Jr. ( ; born September 13, 1944) is a retired American musician best known for being a frontman, vocalist, and bassist for the American rock band Chicago from 1967 until his departure in 1985. His career as a recording artist ...
on a non-Chicago project. Seraphine and Champlin co-wrote a few songs for Chicago that year, and Champlin was invited to sing one of those songs, "Sonny Think Twice", as a guest vocalist. Champlin suggested to Seraphine that
David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His career began as a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark in the early 1970s befor ...
might be a good choice as a producer for Chicago at that time. Seraphine began a campaign to get Champlin into the group, and he joined before the end of 1981. The band did collaborate with Foster on their next album, 1982's platinum certified ''
Chicago 16 ''Chicago 16'' is the thirteenth studio album, sixteenth overall by the American rock music, rock band Chicago (band), Chicago, released on June 7, 1982. It is considered their "comeback" album because it was their first album to go platinum si ...
.'' Champlin was featured singing several songs, including "Bad Advice", "Follow Me", and "Sonny Think Twice". Champlin also shared vocals with Cetera on "Waiting for You to Decide". 1984's ''
Chicago 17 ''Chicago 17'' is the fourteenth studio album, seventeenth overall by American rock band Chicago, released on May 14, 1984. It was the group's second release for Full Moon/Warner Bros. Records, their second album to be produced by David Foster ...
'' 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". In 1988, Champlin's voice appeared prominently on several major hit singles from ''
Chicago 19 ''Chicago 19'' is the sixteenth studio album by American rock band Chicago, released on June 20, 1988. After recording '' Chicago 18'' with David Foster, the band worked primarily with producers Ron Nevison and Chas Sandford for this album. Thei ...
'': "
Look Away "Look Away" is a song by American rock band Chicago. Written by Diane Warren and produced by Ron Nevison, the Sentimental ballad, ballad is the second single from the band's 1988 album ''Chicago 19''. "Look Away" topped the US Billboard Hot 100 ...
", "
I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" is a hit song written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond for the group Chicago (band), Chicago and recorded for their album ''Chicago 19'' (1988), with Bill Champlin singing lead vocals. It is the first Chica ...
", and " You're Not Alone".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 A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured ...
of ''
Days of Thunder ''Days of Thunder'' is a 1990 American sports action drama film produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The film stars Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, Caroline Williams, a ...
.'' Originally a solo song, the producers of the movie decided, for marketing purposes, that it be released under the name of Chicago. 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 its ''Hearts in Trouble Tour.'' In 1991, Chicago released the album ''
Twenty 1 ''Twenty 1'' is the seventeenth studio album (and twenty-first overall) by the American band Chicago. Released on January 29, 1991, it was their first album of the 1990s. ''Twenty 1'' spent eleven weeks on the American ''Billboard'' 200, peaking ...
,'' featuring the Champlin-sung hit "
Chasin' the Wind "Chasin'" is a song by Australian alt-pop group Cub Sport, released in 31 August 2017 as the second single from the group's second studio album '' Bats''. The song was certified gold in Australia in early 2020. The track was written by frontm ...
", which peaked at No. 39 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the band's last top 40 hit on that chart. In 1993, Chicago recorded its "lost album", not released until 2008 as '' Chicago XXXII: Stone of Sisyphus.'' Champlin sings on the tracks "Mah-Jong", "Cry for The Lost", "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 the 1998 Christmas album '' Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album,'' including the additional track "What's It Gonna Be, Santa?" on the album's 2003 re-release. Champlin co-wrote four of the songs on the band's 2006 album '' Chicago XXX.'' In 2009, Chicago and Champlin announced he would be leaving the group during the band's summer tour with
Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling ba ...
. 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". A statement by Champlin's publicist said, "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". Later, Champlin would state that the abrupt decision was a surprise to him, and that he had no input in it.


Bill Champlin and WunderGround

Champlin formed a band in 2018, entitled "Bill Champlin and the WunderGround" that included members singer-guitarist Gary Falcone; singer
Tamara Champlin Tamara Champlin (née Matoesian) is an American singer-songwriter who started her career as a session singer in Houston, Houston, Texas, later moving to Los Angeles. She has performed with and written for singers such as Elton John, Leon Russell ...
; bass player Bill Bodine; Ambrosia's drummer
Burleigh Drummond Burleigh Drummond (born September 25, 1951) is an American drummer, percussionist, producer, songwriter, and singer. He is a founding member and the only drummer/percussionist for the five-time Grammy Award nominated band Ambrosia. He performs o ...
; and keyboardist-singer Mary Harris, releasing an album ''Bleeding Secrets'' and playing shows in the
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
area, to promote and support the music.


Champlin Williams Friestedt

In 2012 Champlin joined Joseph Williams and Peter Friestedt, who had been previously releasing an album under the name ''Williams Friestedt'' in 2011, for a European tour. As a result of the tour, a Live DVD/CD, recorded in Gothenburg on March 25, 2012, was released under the name "Bill Champlin Joseph Williams Peter Friestedt *All Star Band*" and hit the top of the Swedish charts. Champlin knew both Williams and Friestedt well, as they had worked together in the past during the recordings of Friestedt's solo albums "The L.A. project" and "The L.A. project Vol. 2". They decided to join forces and subsequently released under the name "Champlin Williams Friestedt" several singles, a self-titled album in 2015, "2" in 2020. and Champlin, Williams, Friestedt "3" in 2024


Personal life

Bill Champlin resides in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. He has two sisters, Mimi Champlin and Sally Champlin. Champlin was married in the 1970s and had two children, Bradford Raymond Champlin and Amy Jo Kelly. Champlin has been married since 1982 to his second wife, singer-songwriter
Tamara Champlin Tamara Champlin (née Matoesian) is an American singer-songwriter who started her career as a session singer in Houston, Houston, Texas, later moving to Los Angeles. She has performed with and written for singers such as Elton John, Leon Russell ...
, and together they have son
Will Champlin William Christopher Champlin (born April 24, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his appearance on Season 5 of the NBC singing competition '' The Voice'' as part of Adam Levine's team. He finished in third place behind Jacqu ...
, who finished third on
Season 5 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
(2013) of '' The Voice''. In 1983, the same year son Will was born, Bill and Tamara performed music together on screen in the film '' Copper Mountain''. On September 13, 2016, Champlin's son Bradford died from complications due to esophageal cancer. He was 51.


Discography


Studio albums

*1978: ''Single'' ( Full Moon /
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
) *1981: ''
Runaway Runaway, Runaways or Run Away may refer to: Engineering * Runaway reaction, a chemical reaction releasing more heat than what can be removed and becoming uncontrollable * Thermal runaway, self-increase of the reaction rate of an exothermic proce ...
'' ( Elektra) ''#178 Billboard Top 200 Album chart'' *1990: ''No Wasted Moments'' (Elektra) *1992: ''Burn Down The Night'' (
Emotion Emotions are physical and mental states brought on by neurophysiology, neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavior, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or suffering, displeasure. There is ...
) *1994: ''Through It All'' (Turnip The Music Group) *1995: ''He Started To Sing'' (Turnip The Music Group) *2008: ''No Place Left To Fall'' (DreamMakers Music) *2015: ''Champlin, Williams, Friestedt'' (AOR Heaven) *2018: ''Bleeding Secrets'' Bill Champlin & WunderGround (Wunderground Records) *2020: ''Champlin, Williams, Friestedt II (Black Lodge Records) *2021: ''Livin' for Love'' (Imagen Records)


Live albums

*1996: ''Mayday'' (Champlin Records) *2012: ''Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns: Live with the Champlins'' (Strokeland Records) *2012: Champlin Williams Friestedt *All Star Band* (LA Project Productions)


Singles

*1978: "Fly With Me" *1978: "What Good is Love" *1981: "Satisfaction" *1982: "Tonight, Tonight" ''#55 Billboard Hot 100'', '' #69 Cashbox Top 100'' *1982: "Sara" ''#19 Billboard AC, #61 Billboard Hot 100'', '' #68 Cashbox Top 100'' *1982: "Take It Uptown" *1986: "The Last Unbroken Heart" (with Patti LaBelle) ''#15 Billboard AC'' *1990: "The City" *1991: "Memories of Her" *1994: "In the Heat of the Night" *1996: "Southern Serenade"


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Champlin, Bill 1947 births Living people American male composers 20th-century American composers American blues guitarists American rhythm and blues guitarists American male guitarists American rock guitarists American session musicians American rock singers Chicago (band) members Epic Records artists Grammy Award winners Musicians from Oakland, California People from Mill Valley, California Tamalpais High School alumni Guitarists from California 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American keyboardists 21st-century American male musicians 20th-century American keyboardists