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Bill Chambers Biography

bill-chambers
  • Born: in Australia
  • Years Active: 1980s-2000s
  • Member of: Dead Ringer Band
  • Genre: Country

Multi-instrumentalist Bill Chambers grew up in a small town in South Australia fascinated by American music. As a teenager he played any stringed instrument he could get his hands on. While still in high school, Chambers formed his first band, the Deerstalkers, keeping them together until his obligations as a husband and father overtook his involvement in music. While his children were still toddlers, Chambers made the bold move of moving his family into the wilderness for a few years to get away from the rat race and the music business in general. During this time of living off the land, the Chambers family spent many nights singing country classics around the campfire. When Chambers and family re-emerged from the wilderness in 1987, he returned to music invigorated and formed the Dead Ringer Band featuring daughter Kasey Chambers. For the next several years the band toured all over the world. Their first disc, Red Desert Sky, was released in 1993, followed by Home Fires (1995), Living in the Circle (1997), and Hopeville (1998). By the mid-'90s Chambers and the Dead Ringer Band had received numerous awards, leading to Chambers' role as an in-demand studio musician and producer. In 1999 he began recording with neo-traditionalist country singer Audrey Auld, and together they released Looking Back to See in 1999. It was with Auld that Chambers co-founded the independent label Reckless Records. By 2000 daughter Kasey had established herself as a successful solo artist with Bill playing a prominent role both in the studio and on the road. In 2002 Chambers set up his own studio, the Boneyard, and finally began working on his first solo release, Sleeping with the Blues. The album is a showcase for Chambers' dedication to American country, folk, and blues forms and met with critical acclaim. The EMI release Frozen Ground followed in 2006. ~ Al Campbell, Rovi

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