# Bill Champlin
**Bill Champlin** (William Bradford Champlin, born 1947 in [Oakland, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/oakland-california)) is an American singer, keyboardist, guitarist, and songwriter known for fronting the San Francisco band Sons of Champlin and for his long tenure as vocalist and keyboardist with the rock band Chicago[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill) • [2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bill-champlin-mn0000058380). He is a two-time Grammy winner as a songwriter, for "After the Love Has Gone" (recorded by [Earth, Wind & Fire](https://www.edgepedia.org/earth-wind-and-fire)) and "Turn Your Love Around" (recorded by [George Benson](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-benson))[3](https://www.grammy.com/artists/bill-champlin/8760/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1947, Oakland, California[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill) |
| Grammy wins | Best Rhythm & Blues Song, 1980, for "After the Love Has Gone"; Best Rhythm & Blues Song, 1983, for "Turn Your Love Around"; 3 wins and 13 nominations in total[3](https://www.grammy.com/artists/bill-champlin/8760/) |
| Sons of Champlin | Debut album *Loosen Up Naturally* (1969); disbanded 1977; re-formed 1997[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill) |
| Chicago | Member from 1981 to 2009 (28 years); lead vocals on "Hard Habit to Break" (1984) and "Look Away" (1989), the band's last No. 1 hit[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bill-champlin-mn0000058380) • [1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill) |
| Session recognition | NARAS Most Valuable Player peer award for male background vocalists, 1980[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill) |
| Recent solo album | *Livin' For Love*, released January 2021 on Imagen Records[4](https://www.billchamplin.com/welcome-from-bill) |
## Early life and the Opposite Six
Champlin grew up in a musical family; his grandparents, mother, and sisters were all singers, and his mother was a musician and writer who supported his musical pursuits[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill) • [5](https://www.autodiscover.node1305.myfcloud.com/interviews/bill-champlin-chicago-sons-of-champlin-solo-artist-session-musician). His musical career began in 1961, while he was in high school, when he formed a band called the Opposite Six; he began writing music a year later[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill).
## Sons of Champlin
The Opposite Six evolved into the Sons of Champlin, which debuted at the College of Marin in [Marin County, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/marin-county-california), in spring 1965[6](https://codamusic.me/artists/the-sons-of-champlin/). Champlin's own account dates his forming of the Sons to 1967[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill). The band, a seven-piece funk-jazz-R&B-rock horn ensemble, grew out of the San Francisco psychedelic scene and won strong peer regard; [Grateful Dead](https://www.edgepedia.org/grateful-dead) drummer [Mickey Hart](https://www.edgepedia.org/mickey-hart) called them "the most talented of all the San Francisco bands"[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill). Their first album, *Loosen Up Naturally*, was released in 1969, followed by six more albums before the Sons disbanded in 1977[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill). Their strongest chart showing came with the 1976 album *A Circle Filled with Love*, which reached number 117; the 1977 album *Loving Is Why* peaked at number 188, and Champlin, already engaged in Los Angeles session work, left at the end of the supporting tour[6](https://codamusic.me/artists/the-sons-of-champlin/).
The Sons re-formed in 1997, with Champlin resuming performances alongside his work in Chicago, and recorded *Live At The Luther Burbank Center* (1998), *Secret*, and *Hip Lil' Dreams* (2002)[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill).
## Session work and songwriting
After the Sons broke up, Champlin moved to Los Angeles and worked from 1977 to 1985 as a session vocalist on numerous recordings, for artists including [Patti LaBelle](https://www.edgepedia.org/patti-labelle), Lou Rawls, Elton John, Boz Scaggs, Donna Summer, Nancy Wilson, George Benson, Jimmy Smith, Amy Grant, Neil Diamond, and [Kenny Rogers](https://www.edgepedia.org/kenny-rogers)[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill). In 1980 the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences gave him its Most Valuable Player peer award for male background vocalists[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill).
His songwriting produced two Grammy wins in the Best Rhythm & Blues Song category: "After the Love Has Gone," co-written with [David Foster](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-foster) and Jay Graydon, won at the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards, and "Turn Your Love Around," co-written with Jay Graydon and [Steve Lukather](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-lukather), won at the 25th[3](https://www.grammy.com/artists/bill-champlin/8760/). The Grammy page credits Champlin with 3 wins and 13 nominations overall, including nominations shared with Chicago for *Chicago X*, "If You Leave Me Now," "Hard to Say I'm Sorry," "Hard Habit to Break," and *We Are the World*[3](https://www.grammy.com/artists/bill-champlin/8760/). Champlin released his first solo album, *Single*, in 1978 and his second, *Runaway*, in 1981[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill).
## Years with Chicago
Champlin joined Chicago in 1981, according to AllMusic, helping to reignite the band's career on the *Chicago 16* album; his own biography dates his joining to 1982, when he recorded that album with the band[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bill-champlin-mn0000058380) • [1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill). He had been approached shortly after founding guitarist [Terry Kath](https://www.edgepedia.org/terry-kath)'s death in 1978 but turned the gig down, believing it was a guitar position he lacked the chops for; drummer [Danny Seraphine](https://www.edgepedia.org/danny-seraphine) later drew him into the *Chicago 16* project, and a demo in which he and [Peter Cetera](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-cetera) sang background together persuaded the band of the blend[5](https://www.autodiscover.node1305.myfcloud.com/interviews/bill-champlin-chicago-sons-of-champlin-solo-artist-session-musician).
Producer Ron Nevison chose Champlin for lead vocals on "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" and "Look Away"; the latter, released in 1989, became Chicago's biggest-selling single and its last No. 1 hit[5](https://www.autodiscover.node1305.myfcloud.com/interviews/bill-champlin-chicago-sons-of-champlin-solo-artist-session-musician) • [1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill). His voice is also heard on "Hard Habit to Break" from *Chicago 17*[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill).
After 28 years with the band, Champlin left Chicago following the August 2009 U.S. release of his album *No Place Left to Fall*, to focus on his solo career[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill). A 2014 interview account gives the parting as 2008[5](https://www.autodiscover.node1305.myfcloud.com/interviews/bill-champlin-chicago-sons-of-champlin-solo-artist-session-musician).
## Solo career and later projects
Champlin's solo albums include *No Wasted Moments* (1990), for which he received the Tokyo Music Festival's Songwriter of the Year award; *Burn Down the Night* (1992); *Through It All* (1994); *He Started To Sing* (1995); *Mayday* (1996); and *No Place Left to Fall* (released in Japan in September 2008, in Europe in December, and in the U.S. in August 2009)[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill). Two of his early solo albums were produced by David Foster[5](https://www.autodiscover.node1305.myfcloud.com/interviews/bill-champlin-chicago-sons-of-champlin-solo-artist-session-musician).
His later collaborations span several projects. In 1997 he recorded the a cappella *West Coast All Stars* with Jason Scheff of Chicago and Toto's Bobby Kimball and Joseph Williams[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill). With Williams and guitarist Peter Friestedt he formed CWF (Champlin Williams Friestedt), releasing two albums in 2015 and 2020 and touring Europe and Japan[1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill) • [2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bill-champlin-mn0000058380). In 2017 he founded the band Bill Champlin & WunderGround with his wife, singer-songwriter Tamara Champlin, and guitarist-vocalist Gary Falcone; their album was released in April 2018[7](https://www.billchamplin.com/bill-champlin-wunderground) • [1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill).
In January 2021, Champlin released the solo album *Livin' For Love* on Imagen Records, which he described as possibly his best solo album; it features musicians including [Steve Porcaro](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-porcaro), Vinnie Colaiuta, Abraham Laboriel, and [Jason Scheff](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-scheff), and includes a Champlin-Scheff duet[4](https://www.billchamplin.com/welcome-from-bill) • [1](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill).
## References
1. [About Bill, BillChamplin.com](https://www.billchamplin.com/about-bill)
2. [Bill Champlin Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bill-champlin-mn0000058380)
3. [Bill Champlin Grammy Awards and Nominations, Grammy.com](https://www.grammy.com/artists/bill-champlin/8760/)
4. [Welcome from Bill, BillChamplin.com](https://www.billchamplin.com/welcome-from-bill)
5. [Interview: Bill Champlin (Chicago, Sons of Champlin, Solo Artist, Session Musician), No Echo](https://www.autodiscover.node1305.myfcloud.com/interviews/bill-champlin-chicago-sons-of-champlin-solo-artist-session-musician)
6. [The Sons of Champlin Biography, Coda Music](https://codamusic.me/artists/the-sons-of-champlin/)
7. [Bill Champlin & Wunderground, BillChamplin.com](https://www.billchamplin.com/bill-champlin-wunderground)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Rock, metal, and popular-band musicians › Funk, soul, and R&B bands*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license