Willie Chambers

Willie Chambers and his brothers fell in love with gospel music while growing up singing in church. Even though they received some strong criticism, they expanded the places where church music was heard, including night clubs and bars in the late 1950s and early 1960s. With the support of Pete Seeger, the Chambers Brothers branched into folk music and later into rock and roll. They recorded several albums and scored a 1968 hit with a psychedelic soul anthem that ran 11 minutes called “Time Has Come Today.” They pioneered folk rock and played a vital role during the Civil Rights movement all the while being true to their art form. Willie and his brother Joe wrote “Time Has Come Today” which featured their older brother Lester on cowbell. The groups other hits include “Love, Peace and Happiness” from 1970, “Funky” from 1971 and “Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go” recorded in 1974.