Tamara Champlin
Tamara Champlin began working as a singer in Houston, evolving into a sessions musician, before moving to LA. Shortly after that, she would meet and later marry musician, singer/songwriter Bill Champlin http://www.billchamplin.com/ Credits include working with Mickey Gilley's band in the 80's film Urban Cowboy, touring with Rita Coolidge, the Jim Carey Movie "Copper Mountain" in 1983 (with Rita Coolidge & Bill Champlin) and the video of "Heartbeat" with Don Johnson in 1986.
She also sang with a horn band called Pockets, was nominated for a Grammy in 1983 as a background singer, and eventually developed her own solo band doing original material. It was during this time she was a regular singer on the Alan Thicke show and performed during the unprecedented 13 hour concert with Paul Schaffer, Tom Scott and the entire Saturday Night Live Band, in 1988 celebrating the 40 years of Atlantic Records.
Tamara then released a solo album with BMG/RCA in 1991 in London with many of the tracks being used on her solo album released in 1995 entitled "You Won't Get to Heaven Alive." The title track of the album would chart in the Top 20 in Spain and "Tragic Black" written by Tamara and long time collaborator, Michael Caruso http://www.michaelcarusomusic.com/ would be Number 1 in Germany. "Tragic Black" and "Rock and Roll Tragedy" also featured the keyboard talents of unsung sessions hero Nicky Hopkins, known for his work with the Beatles, The Who and Rolling Stones. Paul Rodger (Queen) would later cover "Stone Cold", another album cut, with his band The Law on his CD "Laying Down The Law".
Tamara has written with or for such artists as Andreas Carlson, Tom Scott, Chicago, The Doobie Brothers, Brenda Russell, Paul Rogers and Douglas Carr. She has contributed background vocals for many others such as Richard Marx, Elton John, Phil Collins, James Brown and Mister,Mister and garnished gold records from Europe and Scandinavia. She also co-wrote, again with Caruso, the 1996 hit for the late Chris LeDoux, "Runaway Love." In between these solo accomplishments, Tamara sang with the Bill Champlin band that toured in Europe in the mid 90's, recently took the stage with the Sons of Champlin, first as a featured performer, then in 2010 as a full band member. Tamara also guested with Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns in Las Vegas.
She worked writing with son Will Champlin, a singer/songwriter in his own right (most recently a 2013 contestant/finalist on "The Voice"), on his early CD's including "Goldmine Sessions", a self titled CD "Will Champlin" and his "Killing Me With Twilight" EP with collaborators such as Bill Champlin, Michael Caruso and Robin Scoffield. She and Will also composed the title track on Lori Michael's CD "Living My Life Out Loud". In November of 2009, she completed a tour with Bill Champlin's Band to promote his CD "No Place Left to Fall".
Tamara shared a co-writing spotlight again for Bekka Bramlett's "What's on My Mind" with Michael Caruso and Dennis Matkosky, which was a top 40 hit on the Country Music Chart. She performed with Bill Champlin in Norway & Sweden in the spring & summer of 2010 with the Norwegian Kringkastings Orchestra, Peter Friestedt and TOBB, then returned to the states for shows with the Sons of Champlin.
On October 21, 2010 she performed Live at Cafe 316 in Monterey, Ca to a capacity crowd the music of Tamara Champlin. She was accompanied by Bill and Will Champlin.
Tamara was part of the sold out tour in Scandanavia in 2011 that featured Leon Russell, Joe Williams and Bill Champlin. Tamara has now again formed her own band; this time with husband Bill Champlin, Carmen Grillo, Johnny Griparic & Dave Raven and continues to write and perform music, acoustically with Bill Champlin and a "new age" Sons of Champlin Band.
Tamara Champlin’s tracks
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