22 Facts About Bill Champlin

William Bradford Champlin was born on May 21,1947 and is an American singer, keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter.

Bill Champlin formed the band Sons of Champlin in 1965, which still performs today, and was a member of the rock band Chicago from 1981 to 2009.

Bill Champlin started a band called The Opposite Six while at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, California.

Bill Champlin then studied music in college, but was encouraged by a professor to drop out and pursue music professionally.

Bill Champlin was especially in demand for his singing, appearing on hundreds of recordings throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Bill Champlin won a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song in 1980 for co-writing the hit song "After The Love Has Gone" with Jay Graydon and David Foster and a second Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song in 1983 for co-writing the song "Turn Your Love Around" with Jay Graydon and Steve Lukather.

In 1979, Bill Champlin was approached by the then-widely successful band REO Speedwagon 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.

In 1986, Bill Champlin dueted with Patti LaBelle on Last Unbroken Heart for Miami Vice, which was released that same year on the album "Miami Vice II".

In 1991, he provided backing vocals for Kim Carnes' album Checkin' Out the Ghosts ; in 1997, Bill Champlin revived the Sons of Bill Champlin and continued to play with them between tours with Chicago.

In 2009 Bill Champlin collaborated with the Italian-American composer, arranger, singer, actor, and producer Manuel De Peppe and in 2011, Bill Champlin played the Hammond B3 organ on the songs "Moon Cry" and "Mississippi Creek" by Curt Campbell and the Eclectic Beast Band.

Bill Champlin teamed up with conductor Lars Erik Gudim and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in Oslo, Norway for a special performance that aired December 27,2011 on NRK TV in Norway.

In 1978, the day after Chicago guitarist Terry Kath died, the band reached out to Bill Champlin suggesting that he audition to take Kath's place.

Bill Champlin turned down the offer, saying he could not fill that role.

In early 1981, Bill Champlin collaborated with Chicago's drummer, Danny Seraphine, by singing some backgrounds with Peter Cetera on a non-Chicago project.

Seraphine and Bill Champlin co-wrote a few songs for Chicago that year, and Bill Champlin was invited to sing one of those songs, "Sonny Think Twice", as a guest vocalist.

Bill Champlin suggested to Seraphine that David Foster might be a good choice as a producer for Chicago at that time.

Bill Champlin shared vocals with Cetera on "Waiting for You to Decide".

In 1990, Bill Champlin wrote, produced, and sang lead on "Hearts in Trouble", a song for the movie soundtrack of Days of Thunder.

Later, Bill Champlin would state that the abrupt decision was a surprise to him, and that he had no input in it.

In 2012 Bill 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.

Bill Champlin has two sisters, Mimi Champlin and Sally Champlin.

Bill Champlin was married in the 1970s and had two children, Bradford Raymond Bill Champlin and Amy Jo Kelly.