Born on June 19, 1957, blues-rock bassist Willie J. Campbell attributed his love for music to his hometown of Detroit, MI. His move to Huntington Beach, CA at a young age further exposed him to music and the idea of becoming a musician. Instantly surrounded by people with the same passion, the transition to SoCal was a musical turning point. In the mid-1970s, Willie J. joined The James Harman Band where he would spend the next decade. A six-year run followed with The Fabulous Thunderbirds, playing with an all-star lineup including Kim Wilson, Gene Taylor, Kid Ramos, and Jimi Bott. Most recently, Willie J. played with The Mannish Boys, The Blues Giants, and his final band, The Proven Ones, an impressive collection of musicians with centuries of combined experience. He has an expansive discography with these groups and numerous other artists in the Blues music scene. He was fortunate to share the stage with a veritable Who’s Who in Blues, Soul, Rock, Country, and Punk music. Willie J. has been honored multiple times by the Blues Foundation with nominations for Instrumentalist, Band, Album, and a Blues Music Award for record of the year. Willie J. was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) in March of 2022. Just eight weeks before he passed, at the time already having significantly declined, he recorded his final album with all his musical friends. On December 18, 2022, Willie J. passed away peacefully in the comfort of his home with his wife and daughters beside him.