page_title: Tamara Champlin
section_title: Early career
hierarchical_section_title: Tamara Champlin / Early career
caption_attribution_description: English: Tamara &amp; Becky at Gilleys
context_page_description: Tamara Champlin is an American singer-songwriter who started her career as a session singer in Houston, Texas, later moving to Los Angeles. She has performed with and written for singers such as Elton John, Leon Russell, Nicky Hopkins, Steve Lukather, Andreas Carlsson, husband Bill Champlin, and son Will Champlin.
  Tour dates from 2010 to 2016 with Bill Champlin included California, Europe, Hawaii, Japan, South America, Kuwait and Iraq. She is a full member of the Sons of Champlin, a founding member of Bill Champlin & Wunderground, is active in the Rhythmic Arts Project to benefit children with intellectual disabilities, and in the Saving K-9 Lives charity, which encourages the adoption of shelter pets.
context_section_description: Tamara Champlin's career began as a Gilley's Club dancer and singer with Becky Bauch Williams (then Conway) in the movie Urban Cowboy, followed by singing credits on Elton John's album The Fox in 1981, and future husband Bill Champlin's album Runaway.  She went on her first road trip to South Africa also in 1981, as part of Rita Coolidge's band. In films, she was the vocalist for "Heart of Glass" (composed with Bill Champlin and Bruce Gaitsch) in the Caddyshack II, and sang three songs in the Rob Lowe Movie Illegally Yours in which she shared songwriting credits with Bruce Gaitsch on "Who Wins". With husband Bill Champlin and Rita Coolidge, she performed two songs on screen in the Jim Carrey Movie "Copper Mountain". In 1983–84, she was a regular background vocalist on Alan Thicke's Show the "Thicke of the Night" and in 1988, was part of the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary Celebration.
  Writing collaborations followed, including "Price of Love" (with Jack Ponti and Vic Pepe) on the Baton Rouge album Lights Out on the Playground, "If You're Not The One For Me" (with Bruce Gaitsch), sung by Bill Champlin and Brenda Russell, on Tom Scott's album Keep This Love Alive, and "Stone Cold", released by Paul Rodgers (Queen/Bad Company) with his band The Law on their album Laying Down The Law (1991). She was a background vocalist on Peter Cetera's album World Falling Down.
caption: Tamara Champlin and Becky Conway @ "Gilley's"
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