Des Champ Explained

Des Champ
Birth Name:Desmond Herbert Champ
Birth Date:1928 7, df=yes
Birth Place:London, England
Death Place:London, England
Instrument:Piano
Genre:Rock, pop, electronic
Occupation:Musician, bandleader, producer, arranger
Years Active:1965–95
Label:Santa Ponsa

Des Champ (9 July 1928 – 7 June 2006 in London, England) was a musician, bandleader, producer, and arranger.

In a musical career lasting over 35 years, Des gained notoriety in the British music business for his ground-breaking production and arrangement work in collaboration with partner Roger Easterby. Des first achieved chart success with Vanity Fare, whose "Hitchin' a Ride" sold a million copies in the US alone, but his most notable pop achievement was with glam-rock band Chicory Tip, whose "Son of My Father" featured a Moog synthesizer (a relatively obscure instrument at the time). "Son of My Father" went on to top the UK pop music charts for three weeks in early 1972 and was a seminal influence on 1980s synthesizer bands like ABC. Later in his career, Des worked as musical director for Shirley Bassey, 5000 Volts, and Tony Monopoly, before finally taking a regular day job with the Orchestration Department at BBC Radio Two.

He died of cancer on 7 June 2006 in London.

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