We recently connected with Gorden Campbell and have shared our conversation below.

Gorden, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

In my 30 plus years of playing, recording, producing and writing, I learned how important it is to know your craft. Learning the history and knowing where we came from musically helps me know where I’m going and how to navigate through the music industry. It also allows me to work in a wide variety of genres. Knowing my craft keeps me working!

Gorden, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up in Newburgh, NY playing drums (and sometimes organ) at my grandfather’s church (Best Temple Church Of God In Christ). I was involved in anything musical in school (concert band, marching band, jazz band, gospel choir, chorus, etc…) and church (musicals, regional choirs, conventions). One of my first taste into real professional playing was with a gospel group called Shining Light. I was in 10th or 11th grade when I got in the group and we would open up for all of the major gospel artist that would come to the area. From there I went to Howard University and was a jazz studies major. DC was a great city to be in because there was a LOT of live music going on at the time. I started playing in local bands around the DC area and that’s where I really got schooled and was able to start taking my musicality to the next level! My first major tour came in 1993 when a group called SHAI (who also went to Howard) hired me to tour with them thanks to my bro Chris Dave. From there, I moved to Los Angeles and started recording, touring and producing many different artist. Now, 30 years later, I’m still in Los Angeles, finishing my 2nd album (Conversations Live) and still working on many different projects with lots of different artist. I feel like I’m still in demand because I’m serious about being prepared for whatever project that I take on. If it’s playing drums, I study the music and really try to get into the heart of what the music is saying. I believe that artist and producers appreciate that! Same thing with production. I always strive to give the artist what they want and take it to the next level.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

In my view, society can best support artist by paying for things that you like. I find that in most cases, artist can’t get to the “next level” career wise because they can’t afford to pay for the essentials they need to be seen or heard. Some of the essentials are management, marketing, a publicist and branding. All of these can be done by the artist themselves, but I believe that artist are better served when they have professionals handling that aspect of their career. Supporting the artists by paying for music, merchandise and live shows can go a long way into helping these artists reach their goals.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is seeing how my music affects people. People tell me all of the time that my playing or my songs made them feel better. Even if just for a moment, if I can make someone’s day better or bring them out of a funk that they were in, then my job is done!

Contact Info:

• Website: gordencampbell.com
• Instagram: gorden512
• Facebook: Gorden Campbell
• Linkedin: Gorden Campbell
• Twitter: Gcampent
• Youtube: Gorden Campbell

Image Credits
Photos by Cheriss May