Jim Chappell

Hailing from Michigan, where he grew up, Jim Chappell first drew inspiration from the melodic pop of the Beatles and Jimmy Webb. Much of his early adulthood was spent crisscrossing the United States before he established himself in Nashville as a songwriter; the lack of satisfaction in that role prompted a move to California, where he served as an accompanist in UCLA’s modern dance department. His first album, Tender Ritual, came out independently in 1986 and surpassed 12,000 copies sold through direct visits to retail outlets; a contract with Music West soon followed, yielding the albums Dusk, Living the Northern Summer, and Nightsongs and Lullabies. A transition to Real Music produced his strongest commercial result at that point with In Search of the Magic, quickly succeeded by Over the Top, Manila Nights, and Laughter at Dawn. In 1996 he delivered Acadia, his initial project for Gallery Records. An extended recording hiatus ended after 2000 when he resurfaced with Serenity Rush on his own Unspeakable Freedom Music label in 2003. Additional titles on the imprint comprised Coming Through in 2005, Sad Music Moods and Comfort Songs in 2008, Panorama in 2010, and A Morning Full of Mood in 2011.