Gregory Dean Camp (born April 2, 1967) is an American songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist. He is best known as the founding guitarist and songwriter for the rock band

Smash Mouth Smash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell (lead vocals), Kevin Coleman (drums), Greg Camp (guitar), and Paul De Lisle (bass). With Harwell's depa ...

(1994–2008, 2009–2011, 2014, 2018–2019). Camp is credited as the primary songwriter, whose songs catapulted the band to acclaim with hits, awards, and multi-platinum albums. Camp left Smash Mouth after 16 years and has remained an active songwriter and music producer.

Biography

Camp was born in

West Covina, California West Covina is a suburban city in Los Angeles County, California, located east of Downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley and is part of Greater Los Angeles. The population for the city was 106,098 at the 2010 census. West Covi ...

, but attended Lynbrook High School in

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popu ...

. Before Smash Mouth, he had been a musician in the California rock scene since the 1980s. He was part of several bands including the Gents, when Steve Harwell and Kevin Coleman approached him to form a new band. Camp declined, but Harwell and Coleman persisted, including harassing Camp with a morning pounding on his apartment window, until Camp agreed to look at the songs they had written. They formed Smash Mouth soon after. Camp has written Smash Mouth's most memorable songs of the later 1990s and early 2000s, including "

Walkin' on the Sun "Walkin' on the Sun" is a song by American rock band Smash Mouth from their first album, ''Fush Yu Mang'' (1997). Released as their debut single in June 1997, the song was Smash Mouth's first major single, reaching 1 on the US ''Billboard'' M ...

," " All Star," and " Then the Morning Comes". Camp's song Heave-Ho was about his experience living in San Jose's St Leo neighborhood. He was the guitarist and backing vocalist from when he co-founded the band in 1994 until he left in summer of 2008. After leaving Smash Mouth, Camp released a solo album, ''

Defektor ''Defektor'' is a solo album released by Greg Camp Gregory Dean Camp (born April 2, 1967) is an American songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist. He is best known as the founding guitarist and songwriter for the rock band Smash Mouth (1994–2008, ...

'', on

Bar/None Records Bar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Early history Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Having previously worked in pirate radio and booked and promoted bands in his na ...

. ''

Guitar Player ''Guitar Player'' is an American popular magazine for guitarists, founded in 1967 in San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and politica ...

'' wrote that the album "weaves together everything you love about vintage guitar tones, tortured Farfisa, '60s frat-rock vocal hooks, and epic Morricone-esque soundscapes." In June 2009 Camp played a couple of concerts with Smash Mouth, but never rejoined the band. He also plays guitar and sings with Santa Cruz rock band The Maids of Honor and Los Angeles The Selectrics. Camp currently works as a songwriter and producer in Los Angeles.

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Camp, Greg 1967 births Living people Musicians from San Jose, California Writers from San Jose, California People from the San Gabriel Valley American rock guitarists American male guitarists Songwriters from California Interscope Records artists People from West Covina, California Smash Mouth members Guitarists from California 20th-century American guitarists Lynbrook High School alumni Bar/None Records artists