The Chambers Brothers - Later Years

Later Years

Later incarnations of the group included session guitarist Steve Hunter (Alice Cooper) and session whiz Stephen Patt (Northwind), freeing the brothers up to become front men, not just instrumentalists.

However, due to a succession of dishonest promoters and managers, the group found it difficult to build on this success and eventually split up in 1972. The 1972 album they recorded for Columbia, Oh! My God, remains unreleased. They reformed in 1974 to record Unbonded and Right Move (1975) for the Avco label. In 1976 they released the final Recorded Live In Concert on Mars for the Roxbury label. They have toured irregularly since.

They were signed to support Maria Muldaur on her Gospel Nights album. They also made commercials for Levi's jeans.

Lester moved to New York and formed a band with former Electric Flag bassist Harvey Brooks.

Guitarists Willie and Joe would find work as session men; George went back to singing gospel music and would later become a deacon of his church.

Keenan retired to Connecticut where he set up his own recording studio, plied his trade as a carpenter, and died of heart failure in 1985.

Art Ramsey, was hired as a replacement drummer. He performed live, on-the-road and in many different cities and venues with the Chambers Brothers band after Keenan's departure. Later, LA Session drummer Fabian Jolivet joined the band for a 1997 tour that ended with the full line up playing a Gospel set at the legendary 1960's LA venue The Ash Grove, Santa Monica, CA.

In 2006 Guitarist Willie Chambers brought the house down, sitting in with a group called Vince and the Invinceables at a benefit concert for Arthur Lee of the group Love.