| Duncan Campbell | |
|---|---|
Duncan Campbell with UB40, Birmingham Symphony Hall, 2010 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Duncan Campbell |
| Born | 25 December 1954 Birmingham, West Midlands, England |
| Genres | Reggae |
| Occupations | Musician, singer |
| Instruments | Lead Vocals |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Associated acts | UB40 |
Duncan Campbell (born 25 December 1954, Birmingham, England) is a British musician and current lead singer of the British reggae band, UB40. He joined the band in 2008 after the departure of his brother Ali Campbell.[1]
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Campbell was born in Birmingham on Christmas Day 1954. He is the brother of former UB40 lead singer Ali Campbell and current bandmate Robin Campbell and the son of Scottish folk singer, Ian Campbell.[1]
Campbell sang in a harmony group with his brothers as children and performed with their father on stage. He also recorded a reggae album in Jamaica for his brother Ali's record label, but it was never released. He was a professional spoon player. "I was the only professional spoon player in the country registered with the Musicians' Union - until they registered me as a vocalist," said Campbell. He also worked as a casino manager in Barbados, ran a fish and chip shop in Perth, Australia, and has worked as an actor.[1]
On 24 January 2008 UB40 lead singer Ali Campbell announced that he was leaving the band after a dispute with the management; UB40 announced that they would carry on. On 30 April 2008 UB40 unveiled Duncan as their new lead singer.
Duncan was offered the position of the lead singer in 1978 however turned it down at the time, He said that he "wouldn't get the chance in another 30 years". Ali Campbell was "disappointed but didn't object" to him joining UB40. When asked why he did not join UB40 in 1978, he has stated because they were "crap"[2] and that he "was too smart for them and he knew that they would get nowhere"[3] The real reason was because he was the manager of a casino in Barbados and was unable to do both.