Willie Chambers
PMP Network Presents
Willie Chambers reflects on the formation of the Chambers Brothers and their unique sound. He shares insights into the diverse musical genres that shaped their early career, from country and western to blues and gospel. Chambers also recounts their initial struggles to find acceptance for their music in Los Angeles.
Willie Chambers
About Willie Chambers
Willie Chambers, born March 3, 1938, in Flora, Mississippi, is a founding member and guitarist of The Chambers Brothers. He co-wrote the psychedelic soul anthem "Time Has Come Today" with brother Joe, which reached #11 in 1968, and sang lead on their cover of "In the Midnight Hour." The band blended gospel, blues, and country influences into a distinctive sound. Chambers was inducted into the California Music Hall of Fame.
In this interview
- Recalls moving into a two-story house in Los Angeles for $165 a month.
- Describes struggling to find acceptance for their music in South Central Los Angeles.
- Explains their unique sound came from Grand Ole Opry, blues, and gospel.
- Recounts meeting Lightnin' Hopkins when his brother processed the bluesman's hair.
“The kind of music we grew up on was the Grand Ole Opera, Country and Western. That was the first music I ever heard on radio.”— Willie Chambers, in this interview
Since this interview
Chambers continued performing into his eighties, appearing on stage in Berkeley with Barbara Dane in October 2022. He was interviewed as an inductee for the California Music Hall of Fame in April 2024, and released "Get Out And Vote!!!" with Louis Metoyer in 2018.
