We had the good fortune of connecting with Chad Chambers and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Chad, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I like to think that it pursued me as much as I pursued it. I grew up in a very musical family so singing wasn’t an option it was a mandate. My grandmother has 14 grandchildren and she made sure we all sang in the church that my grandfather started. So music has been a part of me since I was in my mother’s womb. As for acting….my dad is a tv and movie buff. That’s how we connected. That’s what built our bond, our love for tv.
For me tv and music went hand in hand. My dad used to give me a warning before I sat down to watch tv with him. “If you’re gonna sing every commercial and theme song that comes on this television tonight I’m going to make you go to bed”. It would take everything in me not to sing along. When it became too much for me to bare I’d run to the bathroom on the other end of the house that me and my brother shared and belt out whatever tune was just playing on the tv. Most times my brother would yell for me to SHUT UP! But every now and then he’d join in. It was a glorious childhood.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I grew up in a small town in South Carolina named Darlington “The Pearl of The Pee Dee” and the home of Nascar’s Darlington Raceway (The Track Too Tough To Tame). My grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher and the founder of St. Matthews United Church of Jesus Christ, Apostolic. So church was a way of life for me. There were 3 things my grandmother made sure all her grandchildren did. 1. Get our school work. 2. Go to church. 3. Sing IN CHURCH. It was nonnegotiable. But it wasn’t a burden to me. I got to go to school, church and sing with my best friends, my cousins. My grandmother required excellence out of her children and grandchildren. We sang as much at her house as we did in church. It taught me so much about music. It’s where I started writing songs and I got to try my music out on the world’s biggest My family!
In 2008 I landing my first publishing deal but it didn’t come without it’s issues. The publishing company that I was signed to placed some of my music in films in Canada and the UK but never told me and didn’t give me any compensation for the placements. Thankfully I made sure I handled all the business of songwriting and had an entertainment lawyer look over the contract before I signed it. Needless to say it took some time to get compensation for me work but I did get it.
Now acting is another story altogether…..
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Luckily me and my best friend finally live in the same city now. We never lived in the same city prior to 2021. She’s a singer/songwriter and actor as well. We’re both Aquarius’s and we have the same temperament. But when she used to visit before she moved her we’d do things outdoors. We both love nature so we’d going hike Stone Mountain or set by a lake and talk and plan our futures for hours. We may do something like go to Ponce City Market and attend a candle making workshop at Candlefish. We may catch a show at City Winery depending on who’s playing there and maybe grab dinner at TWO urban licks.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve gotten the most love, support and encouragement from my family. Now let me clarify that. THEY ARE NOT THE EASIEST PEOPLE TO IMPRESS!!! AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM. And why would they be impressed? We literally grew up with some of the most gifted people in the world. They may not be famous but they can sing circles around most singers, out act most actors and out wit most comedians. They are the funniest, most entertaining and honest people I know. So if they think you suck they will tell you and if they think you’re great they will tell you. They’ve indulged me whenever I had an idea and wanted to try it out on them. They’ve done studio sessions for/with me, they shown up to all my stage plays and musical performances and they’ve had no problem telling me what they liked about it and what they didn’t like about it.
Instagram: @ChadLChambers
Twitter: @ChadLChambers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chad.chambers.374
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiwcHZQ994mfSLvkvHPEWHQ