The Champs › Similar Artists

Duane Eddy - 86% match to The Champs

26 April 1938, Corning, New York, USA. The legendary simple ‘twangy’ guitar sound of Duane Eddy has made him one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most famous instrumental artists. The sound was created after hearing Bill Justis’ famous ‘Raunchy’ (the song that George Harrison first learned to play). Together with producer Lee Hazlewood, Eddy co-wro Read more

Sandy Nelson - 80% match to The Champs

Sander L. Nelson, 1 December 1938, Santa Monica, California, USA. Drummer Nelson began his career as a member of the Kip Tyler Band. Appearances in live rock ‘n’ roll shows led to his becoming an in-demand session musician, where he joined an ad hoc group of young aspirants including Bruce Johnston and Phil Spector. Nelson played on ‘To Know Him Is To Love Him Read more

Johnny & The Hurricanes - 78% match to The Champs

The Monotones - 74% match to The Champs

Formed in 1955 in Newark, New Jersey, USA, the Monotones recorded one of the most memorable doo-wop novelty songs of the 50s, ‘Book Of Love’. The group was a sextet, Warren Davis, George Malone (5 January 1940, Newark, New Jersey, USA, d. 5 October 2007, Avondale, Arizona, USA), Charles Patrick, Frank Smith, John Ryanes, and Warren Ryanes. They had sung in the same Read more

The Gaylords - 66% match to The Champs

Formed in 1960 in Glasgow, Scotland, Dean Ford And The Gaylords were a musically accomplished act before the dawning of the Beat age. Junior Campbell (William Campbell, 31 May 1947, Glasgow, Scotland; lead guitar), Pat Fairley (b. 14 April 1946, Glasgow, Scotland; rhythm guitar), Bill Irving (bass) and Raymond Duffy (drums) had been fronted by various vocalists prior to the Read more

Roy Hamilton - 59% match to The Champs

16 April 1929, Leesburg, Georgia, USA, d. 20 July 1969, New Rochelle, New York, USA. Hamilton’s booming baritone voice made him a 50s hitmaker singing gospel-flavoured pop songs. In the late 40s Hamilton honed his singing skills in a church choir and as a member of its offshoot quartet, the Searchlight Singers. He won a talent contest at the Apollo Theatre in 1947, but Read more

The Kingsmen - 59% match to The Champs

Bobby Day - 58% match to The Champs

Robert Byrd, 1 July 1932, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, d. 27 July 1990. Day moved to Los Angeles in 1947 and shortly afterwards formed the Flames, who recorded under a variety of names on numerous labels throughout the 50s. Oddly, it took until 1957 before they achieved their first and biggest hit as the Hollywood Flames with Day’s song ‘Buzz, Buzz, Buzz’. Simultan Read more

Jack Wilson - 43% match to The Champs

The Surfaris - 43% match to The Champs

Formed in Glendora, California, in 1962, the Surfaris - Jim Fuller (lead guitar), Jim Pash (1949, USA, d. 29 April 2005, Yucca Valley, USA; guitar), Bob Berryhill (guitar), Pat Connolly (bass) and Ron Wilson (d. 1989; drums) - achieved international success the following year with ‘Wipe Out’. This frantic yet simplistic instrumental, originally envisaged as a throw Read more

The Five Keys - 41% match to The Champs

This US R&B vocal group helped shape the rhythm and blues revolution of the early 50s. The ensemble was formed as the Sentimental Four in Newport News, Virginia, USA, in 1945, and originally comprised two sets of brothers - Rudy West (25 July 1932, Newport News, Virginia, USA, d. 14 May 1998, USA; first tenor) and Bernie West (b. 4 February 1930, Newport News, Virginia, Read more

The Fleetwoods - 40% match to The Champs

One of America’s most popular doo-wop groups in the late 50s comprised Gary Troxell (28 November 1939, Centralia, Washington, DC, USA), Gretchen Christopher (b. 29 February 1940, Olympia, Washington, DC, USA) and Barbara Ellis (b. 20 February 1940, Olympia, Washington, USA). They met while seniors at high school in the girls’ home town. Originally a female duo, the Read more

Johnny Tillotson - 39% match to The Champs

20 April 1939, Jacksonville, Florida, USA. Tillotson’s father was a country music disc jockey and Johnny himself was appearing on local radio from the age of nine. His parents encouraged his talent by giving him first a ukulele and then a guitar, and he was influenced by the singing cowboys (Gene Autry, Roy Rogers) and country singer Hank Williams. He appeared regularly Read more

The Marcels - 37% match to The Champs

The Marcels was one of several doo-wop-influenced American vocal groups to achieve success in the early 60s, despite the passing of the genre’s golden age. Cornelius ‘Nini’ Harp (lead singer), Ronald ‘Bingo’ Mundy (tenor), Fred Johnson (bass), Gene Bricker (tenor) and Richard Knauss (baritone), all native to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, USA, achieved fame f Read more

Billy Lee Riley - 34% match to The Champs

5 October 1933, Pocahontas, Arkansas, USA. One of the unsung members of the early Sun Records roster, Billy Lee Riley’s recordings for the label remain among the most uninhibited rock ‘n’ roll sides to be released during the mid- to late 50s.Of Irish-Indian parentage, Riley was raised in rural Arkansas and by the age of 10 was working i Read more