Ali Campbell
Encyclopedia
Ali Campbell, is a British
singer, solo artist and songwriter
and was the lead singer and founding member of UB40
. As part of UB40, Campbell sold over 70 million records world wide and toured the globe for 30 years. In 2008 Campbell left UB40 and embarked on a successful solo career.
. He is the brother
of former bandmate Robin Campbell and current UB40
frontman Duncan Campbell, and is a son of Scottish folk singer, Ian Campbell
. He supports Birmingham City football club
.
On 24 January 2008, it was reported that Campbell was to quit the group after almost 30 years. Campbell, who was a founder member of UB40 - songwriter and lead vocalist for the band - sang on most of the best known hits such as "Red, Red Wine", finally quit the band in 2008. The band's last gigs together were in February 2008 in Australia
, New Zealand
and Uganda
.
Campbell then issued a statement on his website and through his lawyers stating that for many years he had been unhappy with the business practices and business managers of UB40 and launched an investigation into the financial handling of the business. This was the reason for his departure.
A few months later - Michael Virtue the keyboard player also left UB40 citing the same reasons as Campbell - and he too joined Campbell's legal investigation. Virtue subsequently joined Campbell's new band - the Dep band.
at London
's Royal Albert Hall
on 3 April 2008, . For the remainder of 2008, Campbell toured internationally with the Dep Band promoting the album. Campbell released his third solo album, Flying High, in 2009 which entered the UK charts at number 13 - another top 15 hit for Campbell which brought some of the best critical reviews of his career to date.
He and his band continued to tour in countries from Russia to Africa, with tours of Australia and New Zealand and the UK in 2009 .
In 2010, Campbell continued to tour the world with his new band. He performed in Hawaii, Florida, Mauritius, South America and the Caribbean. He also performed at several festivals across Europe, such as Afro Latino in Belgium, Kieler Woche in Germany and Guilfest
in the UK and also at Reeds Festival in Switzerland. Campbell stated in 2010 that he was happier than at any time in his career and feels his latest solo album Flying High was one of the best he has ever produced.
On October 18, 2010 Ali released his fourth solo album 'Great British Songs' - a collection of iconic British pop and rock hits from the Sixties and Seventies newly reinterpreted in Campbell's inimitable reggae style.Once again the album entered the UK charts at number 15 and gave Campbell his third top 15 charting album in as many years - a remarkable achievement. In addition Campbell's label Jacaranda Music was number 1 on the UK independent label charts in October 2010 and 'Great British Songs' also entered the iTunes reggae album chart at number 1. .......
At the start of 2011 - Campbell headlined the BBC concert 'Reggae Britannia' at the Barbican in London - the sold out concert was a huge success and featured the crème de la crème of reggae giants such as Ken Boothe ,Big Youth etc. The concert together with a BBC documentary is due to be broadcast on BBC4 on February 11, 2011 - Campbell features in the documentary which charts the influence of reggae on British culture.
Campbell also announced UK tour dates for May 2011 and the release of a new DVD - Ali Campbell and Friends Live at the Royal Albert Hall - due for release in March 2011.
Campbell is currently in the studio writing new material for his next solo album due for release at the end of 2011 and will be touring internationally with his new band once again throughout 2011.
His solo albums Big Love and Running Free were both top ten in the UK charts and Flying High and "Great British Songs" reached the top fifteen in the UK charts.
At the 2007 Grammy Award
s, UB40 were nominated for best reggae album of 2006.
Mauritius Government award to Ali Campbell for his services to Music and Charity - December 2010
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
singer, solo artist and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and was the lead singer and founding member of UB40
UB40
UB40 are a British reggae/pop band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records.Their hit singles...
. As part of UB40, Campbell sold over 70 million records world wide and toured the globe for 30 years. In 2008 Campbell left UB40 and embarked on a successful solo career.
Personal life
Campbell was born in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. He is the brother
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
of former bandmate Robin Campbell and current UB40
UB40
UB40 are a British reggae/pop band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records.Their hit singles...
frontman Duncan Campbell, and is a son of Scottish folk singer, Ian Campbell
Ian Campbell Folk Group
The Ian Campbell Folk Group were one of the most popular and respected folk groups of the British folk revival of the 1960s. The group made many appearances on radio, television, and at national and international venues and festivals. They performed a mixture of British traditional folk music and...
. He supports Birmingham City football club
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
.
Departure from UB40
In October 2007 - Campbell released a solo album entitled Running Free - the album entered the UK charts at number 9 and went gold. This was the first top ten entry for Campbell for a new studio album since UB40's Labour of Love 3 album - which was released 10 years prior to Running Free.On 24 January 2008, it was reported that Campbell was to quit the group after almost 30 years. Campbell, who was a founder member of UB40 - songwriter and lead vocalist for the band - sang on most of the best known hits such as "Red, Red Wine", finally quit the band in 2008. The band's last gigs together were in February 2008 in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
.
Campbell then issued a statement on his website and through his lawyers stating that for many years he had been unhappy with the business practices and business managers of UB40 and launched an investigation into the financial handling of the business. This was the reason for his departure.
A few months later - Michael Virtue the keyboard player also left UB40 citing the same reasons as Campbell - and he too joined Campbell's legal investigation. Virtue subsequently joined Campbell's new band - the Dep band.
Solo career
Having formed a new band, Campbell went on to perform a sell out concertConcert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
on 3 April 2008, . For the remainder of 2008, Campbell toured internationally with the Dep Band promoting the album. Campbell released his third solo album, Flying High, in 2009 which entered the UK charts at number 13 - another top 15 hit for Campbell which brought some of the best critical reviews of his career to date.
He and his band continued to tour in countries from Russia to Africa, with tours of Australia and New Zealand and the UK in 2009 .
In 2010, Campbell continued to tour the world with his new band. He performed in Hawaii, Florida, Mauritius, South America and the Caribbean. He also performed at several festivals across Europe, such as Afro Latino in Belgium, Kieler Woche in Germany and Guilfest
GuilFest
GuilFest, formerly the Guildford Festival of Folk and Blues is a music festival held in Stoke Park, Guildford, England each July. The festival, like the larger Glastonbury Festival, features a range of genres including rock, folk, blues, and in recent years pop...
in the UK and also at Reeds Festival in Switzerland. Campbell stated in 2010 that he was happier than at any time in his career and feels his latest solo album Flying High was one of the best he has ever produced.
On October 18, 2010 Ali released his fourth solo album 'Great British Songs' - a collection of iconic British pop and rock hits from the Sixties and Seventies newly reinterpreted in Campbell's inimitable reggae style.Once again the album entered the UK charts at number 15 and gave Campbell his third top 15 charting album in as many years - a remarkable achievement. In addition Campbell's label Jacaranda Music was number 1 on the UK independent label charts in October 2010 and 'Great British Songs' also entered the iTunes reggae album chart at number 1. .......
At the start of 2011 - Campbell headlined the BBC concert 'Reggae Britannia' at the Barbican in London - the sold out concert was a huge success and featured the crème de la crème of reggae giants such as Ken Boothe ,Big Youth etc. The concert together with a BBC documentary is due to be broadcast on BBC4 on February 11, 2011 - Campbell features in the documentary which charts the influence of reggae on British culture.
Campbell also announced UK tour dates for May 2011 and the release of a new DVD - Ali Campbell and Friends Live at the Royal Albert Hall - due for release in March 2011.
Campbell is currently in the studio writing new material for his next solo album due for release at the end of 2011 and will be touring internationally with his new band once again throughout 2011.
Chart Success
Campbell as part of UB40 has sold over 70 million records, notched up four number No. 1 singles around the world and over 40 Top 40 UK singles. See UB40 Discography.His solo albums Big Love and Running Free were both top ten in the UK charts and Flying High and "Great British Songs" reached the top fifteen in the UK charts.
Accolades
Whilst with UB40 Campbell received an Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement.At the 2007 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s, UB40 were nominated for best reggae album of 2006.
Mauritius Government award to Ali Campbell for his services to Music and Charity - December 2010
Solo albums
- Big Love (1995) UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#6 - Running Free (2007) UK #9
- Flying High (2009) UK #13
- Great British Songs (2010) UK #15
Solo Singles
- "That Look in Your Eyes" (1995) (with Pamela Starks) UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#5 - "You Can Cry On My Shoulder" (1995) (JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
only release) - "Let Your Yeah Be YeahLet Your Yeah Be Yeah"Let Your Yeah Be Yeah" is a single from the 1973 Brownsville Station album Yeah!. It was Brownsville Station's second single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 reaching # 57....
" (1995) UK #25 - "Somethin' StupidSomethin' Stupid"Somethin' Stupid" is a song written by C. Carson Parks and originally recorded in 1966 by Parks and his wife Gaile Foote, as "Carson and Gaile". It is best known in the hit version by Frank Sinatra and his daughter, Nancy Sinatra....
" (1995) (with Kibibi Campbell) UK #30 - "Hold Me Tight" (2007)
- "Would I Lie To You" (2007) (with Bitty McLeanBitty McLeanBitty McLean is a British/Jamaican reggae, lovers rock and ragga musician. He is best known for his three UK Top 10 hits in 1993 and 1994, including his debut offering "It Keeps Rainin' ".-Career:...
) - "Running Free" (2008) (with Beverley KnightBeverley KnightBeverley Knight MBE is a British soul and R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer who released her debut album in 1995. Heavily influenced by soul greats such as Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin, Knight has released six studio albums to date...
) - "Out From Under" (2009)
- "Carrie Anne" (2010)