William Chinnock (November 12, 1947 – March 7, 2007), also referred to as Bill Chinnock or Billy Chinnock, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Chinnock grew up in the nearby Essex County communities of East Orange and Millburn. He was a prominent member of the

Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore (known by locals simply as the Shore) is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Po ...

music scene during the late 1960s, leading bands that included future members of the E Street Band. He subsequently moved away from the Shore and spent time in New York City and Nashville, Tennessee, before eventually settling in Yarmouth, Maine. In 1987 he won an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

after his song "Somewhere in the Night" was used as the theme on '' Search for Tomorrow''. "Hold On To Love", a duet he recorded with Roberta Flack, was also featured as a theme song on ''

Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...

''.

Jersey Shore bandleader

In 1967 Chinnock was living in Millburn, NJ and leading a band called The Storytellers which also featured Jim Meltzer (lead vocals), Bill Wolf (bass) and Chip Gallagher (drums). They later recruited Danny Federici (keyboards) and Vini Lopez also auditioned to join this band. The Storytellers released a single, "Cry With Me" / Little Boy Sad", on Kama Sutra Records which was a hit on the

. It led to regular gigs at the ''

Hullabaloo Hubbabaloo or hullaballoo may refer to: * Hullabaloo (band), a punk band * Hullabaloo (song), a 1990 single by Absent Friends * Hullabaloo (festival), a music festival at the University of California San Diego * ''Hullabaloo'' (film), a 1940 film ...

'' clubs in Freehold, Middletown and Asbury Park and local TV appearances. Next Chinnock led the Downtown Tangiers Band which also featured Federici, Lopez and Wendell John (bass). In 1968 they recorded an album with Koppelman & Rubin Records but the producer allegedly disappeared with the recordings and it remains unreleased. Among the songs believed to be recorded were Chinnock originals "Snake Bite", "Burn Baby Burn" and "Crown Liquor". They also played the Electric Circus and toured with the

Joshua Light Show The Joshua Light Show, created by Joshua White, was a liquid light show. It was known for its psychedelic art and served as a lighting backdrop behind many live band performances during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Joshua White studied elect ...

. Towards the end of the band's lifetime Johns was replaced by Garry Tallent but the band broke up when Chinnock briefly moved to Maine. Federici and Lopez subsequently formed

Steel Mill A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel. It may be an integrated steel works carrying out all steps of steelmaking from smelting iron ore to rolled product, but may also be a plant where steel semi-finish ...

with

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

and

Vinnie Roslin Vinnie Roslin (1946-2012) was an American bassist who was an original member of Steel Mill, an early Bruce Springsteen band. Other members of band included three future members of the E Street Band - Vini Lopez, Danny Federici and Steve Van Zandt ...

. Among the songs Steel Mill played in concert was Chinnock's "Crown Liquor". By 1969 Chinnock had returned from Maine and formed a new band, Glory Road, with Tallent, Bobby Williams (drums) and Danny Mansolino (keyboards). On June 21, 1970 they played at the Clearwater Swim Club in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, opening for Steel Mill. Mansolino was later replaced in the band by a young David Sancious but they eventually broke up after Chinnock got hepatitis and mono. He was confined to bed for eight months and nearly died. Meanwhile, Tallent and Sancious, together with Lopez and Federici, went on to play together in several short lived bands based out of The Upstage in

Asbury Park, New Jersey Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 15,188

. They included Bruce Springsteen & The Friendly Enemies, The Sundance Blues Band, Dr. Zoom & The Sonic Boom and The Bruce Springsteen Band. These bands would eventually evolve into the E Street Band. ''Backstreets'' #28 Spring 1989: ''Billy Chinnock's Badlands'' Although Chinnock later moved away from the Shore, he would return to play there regularly throughout his recording career, appearing at The Stone Pony and The Fast Lane. On June 26, 1982 while playing at Big Man's West he was joined onstage by Springsteen for a rendition of " Lucille".

Recording career

After recovering from illness, Chinnock left the

and briefly moved to New York City before settling in Maine. He was eventually signed to

Paramount Records Paramount Records was an American record label known for its recordings of jazz and blues in the 1920s and early 1930s, including such artists as Ma Rainey, Tommy Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson. Early years Paramount Records was formed in 19 ...

on the recommendation of

John H. Hammond John Henry Hammond II (December 15, 1910 – July 10, 1987) was an American record producer, civil rights activist, and music critic active from the 1930s to the early 1980s. In his service as a talent scout, Hammond became one of the most infl ...

. Hammond had earlier signed

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

. He released his debut album ''Bill Chinnock Blues'' in 1975. He also recorded a second album, ''Road Master'', with Paramount that was produced by Tom Dowd, which to date remains unreleased. In 1976 he released an EP, ''Alive At The Loft'', on the North Country label. In 1977 Chinnock released ''Badlands'', his third full-length LP, on his own label, North Country Records. The album featured performances from Vini Lopez, Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker, and a young Irene Cara providing some backing vocals. Shortly after its release, Chinnock ignited a battle between several major record labels looking to sign him. After signing with

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

, the label insisted on remixing the album, adding strings, additional studio musicians, and backing vocalists. Many fans were disappointed with Atlantic's "sweetening" of the “raw and gutsy” sound that made the original so special. Unfortunately for Chinnock, the album's major-label re-release coincided with the release of

's hit album '' Darkness on the Edge of Town'', which also featured a song called " Badlands", which negatively impacted the reception of Chinnock's album. The original 1977 mix of the album was reissued on remastered CD form for the first time since its initial release in 2019. His 1980 album ''Dime Store Heroes'' was released on the Atlantic, North Country and

Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Al ...

labels and saw him work with, among others, David Sanborn, Howie Wyeth, Will Lee, Tony Levin and

Andy Newmark Andrew Newmark (born July 14, 1950)

. During the early 1980s Chinnock moved to Nashville, Tennessee to work with producer Harold Bradley who subsequently produced his next two albums. Originally released by a Nashville-based label, Alliance Records, his 1985 ''Rock & Roll Cowboys'' was subsequently re-mixed and re-released by

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

. Among the guest musicians was

Max Weinberg Max Weinberg (born April 13, 1951) is an American drummer and television personality, most widely known as the longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and as the bandleader for Conan O'Brien on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' a ...

. The 1987 Epic release ''Learning To Survive In The Modern Age'' produced a minor hit single with "Somewhere In The Night". The song was also used as the theme song for the soap '' Search for Tomorrow'', resulting in Chinnock winning an

in 1987. Despite this Chinnock subsequently found himself dropped by Epic and his next album, ''Thunder In The Valley'' saw him return to Atlantic. The 1990 album was credited to Billy & The American Suns, a group that included Craig Krampf (drums), Steve Hill (bass), Rex Stemn (guitar) and Clayton Ivy (piano). Like his two previous albums, it was recorded in Nashville. The song "Just Another Falling Star" was originally performed by Chinnock with the Downtown Tangiers Band. In 1991 Chinnock returned to Maine and the following year released ''Out On The Borderline'' on his own label, East Coast Records. Among the guest musicians was Michael Hossack of The Doobie Brothers who also co-wrote the song "Take This Heart of Mine". In 1988 ''Backstreets'', a Springsteen fanzine, reported that Chinnock had actually joined the Doobie Brothers as a replacement for Michael McDonald ! In 1992 Chinnock, Danny Federici and Garry Tallent also attempted to revive the Downtown Tangiers Band and recorded some sessions but nothing has been released to date.''Backstreets'' #24 Spring 1988 Chinnock's final album ''Livin' In The Promised Land'' was released in 2003 again on East Coast Records. One of Chinnock last recording's was "No Christmas in New Orleans", a re-working of

Phil Ochs Philip David Ochs (; December 19, 1940 – April 9, 1976) was an American songwriter and protest singer (or, as he preferred, a topical singer). Ochs was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, political activism, often alliterative lyrics, and ...

' "No Christmas in Kentucky", recorded in 2005 in aid of

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

victims.

Later years

Towards the end of his life Chinnock believed that he suffered from chronic Lyme disease, a diagnosis not supported by mainstream doctors. On March 7, 2007 it was reported that Chinnock had died. His manager, Paul Pappas, later told WCSH-TV that Chinnock had committed

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

. Chinnock was survived by his wife, Terry, and sons William and John. His mother, who lived with Chinnock, had died ten days before. In April 2010, a remastered version of ''Dime Store Heroes'' CD was released. The CD contained four never before released live tracks from Chinnock's 2003 concert at The Stone Pony. It also contained a limited edition DVD career retrospective. Two CD release concerts were held, one in March 2010 at the Stone Pony and the other in April 2010 in Portland, Maine to celebrate the life and music of Bill Chinnock.

Discography

*Bill Chinnock ** ''Bill Chinnock Blues'' (1974) ** ''Road Master'' (1975 - Unreleased) ** ''Alive at the Loft'' (EP) (1976) ** ''Badlands'' (1977 - Reissued 1978) ** ''Dime Store Heroes'' (1980) ** ''Rock & Roll Cowboys'' (1985) ** ''Learning to Survive in the Modern Age'' (1987) ** ''Out on the Borderline'' (1992) ** ''Livin in the Promised Land'' (2003) *Billy & the American Suns ** ''Thunder in the Valley'' (1990) *The Storytellers **"Cry to Me" / "Little Boy Sad" (1968)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chinnock, Bill 1947 births 2007 suicides American blues singers American folk singers American male singer-songwriters American rock guitarists American male guitarists American rock singers American rock songwriters Emmy Award winners Jersey Shore musicians Musicians from Portland, Maine Singer-songwriters from New Jersey Musicians from East Orange, New Jersey People from Millburn, New Jersey Musicians from Newark, New Jersey Writers from Portland, Maine Suicides in Maine 20th-century American singers 20th-century American guitarists Songwriters from Maine Guitarists from Maine Guitarists from New Jersey 20th-century American male singers Singer-songwriters from New York (state)