Ali Campbell
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Alistair Ian Campbell (born 15 February 1959) is an English singer and songwriter who was lead singer of the British
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
band
UB40 UB40 are an English reggae and pop band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the ...
. As part of UB40, Campbell sold over 70 million records worldwide and toured the globe for 30 years. In 2008, Campbell left UB40 due to a dispute with band management and embarked on a solo career. In 2012, Campbell was announced as one of the three judges on the panel of the TV show ''
New Zealand's Got Talent ''New Zealand's Got Talent'' was a New Zealand reality television show which premiered in 2008. The show was based on the ''Got Talent'' series. The show featured singers, dancers, magicians, comedians and other variety performers of all ages co ...
''. In August 2014, Campbell announced he had reunited with former UB40 bandmates Astro and Mickey to record a new album, ''Silhouette'', released on 6 October 2014.


Early life

Alistair Ian Campbell was born in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
, England. He is the brother of former bandmate Robin Campbell and former
UB40 UB40 are an English reggae and pop band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the ...
frontman Duncan Campbell, and is a son of the late Scottish folk singer Ian Campbell.


Departure from UB40

In October 2007, Campbell released a solo album titled ''Running Free''. It 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 UB40s ''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 founding member of UB40, songwriter and lead vocalist, finally quit the band in 2008. Their last gigs together were in February 2008 in Australia, New Zealand and
Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
. Campbell then issued a statement on his website and through his solicitors 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 joined Campbell's legal investigation. Virtue subsequently joined Campbell's new band, the Dep band.


Solo career

In the UK, his solo albums ''
Big Love ''Big Love'' is an American drama television series that aired on HBO from March 12, 2006 to March 20, 2011. It stars Bill Paxton as the patriarch of a fundamentalist Mormon family in contemporary Utah that practices polygamy, with Jeanne Tripp ...
'' and ''Running Free'' both reached the UK Top 10, while ''Flying High'' and ''Great British Songs'' reached the Top 20. Campbell scored a number 1 hit in 1994 as featured artist, along with brother Robin, on
Pato Banton Pato Banton (born Patrick Murray; 5 October 1961) is a reggae singer and toaster from Birmingham, England. He received the nickname "Pato Banton" from his stepfather; his first name derives from the sound of a Jamaican owl calling "patoo, patoo ...
's cover of
The Equals ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
' " Baby Come Back". On 18 October 2010 Ali released his fourth solo album ''Great British Songs''—a collection of British pop and rock hits from the 1960s and 1970s. The album reached 15 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
where it remained for three weeks. It also gave Campbell his third top 15 charting album in as many years. Critic David Jefferies of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
said of the album, "Longtime fans will appreciate that Campbell's voice is as strong as ever, but it deserves a better showcase than this mixed bag". Campbell's
label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed dir ...
Jacaranda Music was number one on the
UK independent chart The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the rele ...
in October 2010 and ''Great British Songs'' also entered the
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
reggae album chart at number one. In 2012, Campbell was announced as one of the three judges on the judging panel of the TV show, ''
New Zealand's Got Talent ''New Zealand's Got Talent'' was a New Zealand reality television show which premiered in 2008. The show was based on the ''Got Talent'' series. The show featured singers, dancers, magicians, comedians and other variety performers of all ages co ...
'', along with Jason Kerrison and
Rachel Hunter Rachel Hunter (born 8 September 1969) is a New Zealand model, actress and the host of Imagination Television's ''Rachel Hunter's Tour of Beauty''. She has appeared on several magazine covers, including ''Vogue'', ''Elle'', ''Rolling Stone'', ' ...
. In 2013, Campbell was replaced for the third series by American choreographer
Cris Judd Cristan Lee Judd (born 1968-1970) is an American actor, dancer, and choreographer known for his brief marriage to Jennifer Lopez. Dance career At age 21, Judd became interested in dance. Within a year, he switched jobs and began dancing prof ...
.


UB40 featuring Ali Campbell

In August 2014, Campbell announced that he had reunited with former UB40 bandmates
Astro Astro may refer to: Entertainment and media * Astro (South Korean band), a South Korean boy band * Astro (UB40) (1957–2021), member of the British reggae band UB40 * Astro (Chilean band), a Chilean indie rock band * Astro (Japanese band), ...
and Mickey Virtue to record a new album, ''Silhouette''. He said of his brother Duncan's singing, "I sat back for five years and watched my brother Duncan murdering my songs. We're saving the legacy". They initially toured under the name 'UB40 featuring Ali, Astro and Mickey', leading to legal action brought by the other UB40. Their first release was ''The Hits of UB40 Live'' in 2015. In 2016, their ''Unplugged'' album reached number 17 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
.UB40 FT ALI/ASTRO/MICKEY
,
Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...
. Retrieved 18 March 2018
''A Real Labour of Love'' was released in March 2018, an album much in the vein of UB40's ''Labour of Love'' series. It reached number two on the UK Albums Chart, and entered the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' Reggae Albums chart at number one. Virtue departed the band in late 2018, following which the band has operated under the name 'UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro'. In July 2021, vocalist Matt Hoy quit the band, while on 6 November 2021, the group's social media announced that Astro had died after a short illness. In 2022, the first single from the band's final album with Astro, "Sufferer" was released, which was joined in the countdown as shown on ''The Heritage Chart Show'' by Matt Hoy's solo single "We Are One", a fact which was picked up by presenter Mike Read on the programme broadcast on Talking Pictures TV on 10 April 2022. On 17 June 2022, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro will release the album ''Unprecedented'' via UMC, with Campbell fulfilling his UB40 tour dates in the run-up to the album's release, with the tour now billed as being 'in memory of Astro'.


Awards and nominations

Whilst with UB40, Campbell received an
Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...
for International Achievement. At the 2007
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
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


Personal life

Campbell is the father of eight children, including two with his current wife, Julie.


Discography


Solo albums

*''
Big Love ''Big Love'' is an American drama television series that aired on HBO from March 12, 2006 to March 20, 2011. It stars Bill Paxton as the patriarch of a fundamentalist Mormon family in contemporary Utah that practices polygamy, with Jeanne Tripp ...
'' (1995) UK No. 6 *''Running Free'' (2007) UK No. 9 *''Flying High'' (2009) UK No. 13 *''Great British Songs'' (2010) UK No. 15


Solo singles

*"That Look in Your Eye" (1995) (with Pamela Starks) UK No. 5, AUS No. 80 *"You Can Cry on My Shoulder" (1995) (Japan only release) *"
Let Your Yeah Be Yeah "Let Your Yeah Be Yeah" is a reggae song written by Jamaican singer Jimmy Cliff. It was first recorded by the vocal trio the Pioneers, whose version, co-produced by Cliff, reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart in 1971. Background The lyrics a ...
" (1995) UK No. 25 *"
Somethin' Stupid "Somethin' Stupid", or "Something Stupid", is a song written by C. Carson Parks. It was originally recorded in 1966 by Parks and his wife Gaile Foote, as Carson and Gaile. A 1967 version by Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy Sinatra became ...
" (1995) (with Kibibi Campbell) UK No. 30 *"
Hold Me Tight "Hold Me Tight" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1963 album ''With the Beatles''. It was first recorded during the '' Please Please Me'' album session, but not selected for inclusion and re-recorded for their second albu ...
" (2007) *"Would I Lie To You" (2007) (with
Bitty McLean Delroy Easton "Bitty" McLean (born 8 August 1972) is a British reggae, lovers rock and ragga singer. He is best known for his three UK Top 10 hits in 1993 and 1994, including his debut offering " It Keeps Rainin' (Tears from My Eyes)". Career ...
) *"Running Free" (2008) (with
Beverley Knight Beverley Knight (born Beverley Anne Smith, 22 March 1973) is an English recording artist and musical theatre actress. She released her first album, '' The B-Funk'', in 1995. Heavily influenced by American soul music icons such as Sam Cooke an ...
) *"Out From Under" (2009) *"Carrie Anne" (2010) *"Waitin'" (2010) (with
Los Pericos Los Pericos is an Argentine band formed in 1987. The band has enjoyed international success, especially throughout South America. In 2006, the band received some notable exposure for North American audiences when featured on an episode of Antho ...
)


UB40 featuring Ali Campbell

*''Silhouette'' (as Ali Campbell - The Legendary Voice Of UB40 - Reunited With Astro & Mickey) Cooking Vinyl, 2014 (UK No. 18) *''The Hits of UB40 Live'' (as UB40 featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey) Estupendo, 2015 *''Unplugged + Greatest Hits'' (as UB40 featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey, with disc 2 featuring original UB40 recordings), UMC, 2016 (UK No. 17) *''A Real Labour of Love'' (as UB40 featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey) UMC, 2018 (UK No. 2) *''Unprecedented'' (as UB40 featuring Ali and Astro) UMC, 2022 (UK No. 8)


References


Further reading


Ali Campbell interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' July 2010


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Ali 1959 births Living people English male singer-songwriters English reggae musicians Ivor Novello Award winners Musicians from Birmingham, West Midlands UB40 members English people of Scottish descent Cooking Vinyl artists