Jim Chapman (media personality)

Jim Chapman was born in London, Ontario, Canada on February 10, 1949. He married Carlyn Greenham in 1979.

Having played with several bands since 1964, Chapman dropped out of school in 1966 to pursue his teenage dreams of rock and roll stardom. In 1968, his band, "The Bluesmen Revue" signed a recording contract with Columbia Records in the U.S. that saw the release of "Spin the Bottle", a local hit. A falling out with their U.S. management company and dissatisfaction with Columbia's plans for them spelled the end of their record deal, and, dispirited by their failure to crack the big time, the band split up in early 1969.[1][2][3] In 1970, Chapman joined popular Canadian showband Leather and Lace and eventually played bass for rockabilly legend Ronnie Hawkins in 1972.[4][5]

In 1972, Chapman and partners Sandy Wilson and Brian Ferriman (later to manage country star Michelle Wright), started a musician management company and with partners Lou Saddy and Bob Leth built, owned and operated Springfield Sound Studios, where folk legend Stan Rogers recorded his iconic Fogarty's Cove and Turnaround albums.[6] Todd Rundgren, John Allan Cameron, Helix, Jethro Tull, Crowbar, Matt Minglewood, Bernard Purdie, and Budgie were among many other notable acts which were recorded there.[7][8][9] Jim was also involved in "The Jingle People", with dozens of their musical creations being heard on regional radio and TV for years.[10]

Having returned to touring with his own band in 1980, then settling down back in London in 1986, Chapman built another recording studio and also started his second jingle company, quickly attracting clients like Ontario Hydro and Kraft General Foods.[5] He also wrote and recorded the iconic "Tear 'Em Up Tigers" theme song for the London-based Detroit Tigers farm team. It gained modest international recognition as an anthem for the organization on its way to a US Eastern League baseball championship in 1989, in addition to getting significant local media coverage and raising thousands of dollars for charity.[5]

In 1988, Chapman was contracted to write novelty songs for Peter Garland's top-rated morning show on CFPL 980 Radio, reaching a large audience across Southern Ontario. As "The Morning Show Musical Maestro" from 1988 until 1991, he was the only staff songwriter at any Canadian radio station.[11] He turned out dozens of humorous and satirical songs, and produced two albums of his tunes that raised thousands of dollars for charity. Some of his songs were heard across Canada on the CBC, including "Stand Up for Canada, Eh!", recorded by the True Grit Band that included Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and future City of London Mayor Joe Fontana, and used as the theme for a nationwide campaign to promote Canadian unity during the 1995 Referendum.[12][13]

In 1992, Jim was offered a job as a talk show host at London's CJBK Radio, fulfilling a long-time dream. After a year there, and a subsequent two-year stint at CKSL, he returned to CJBK as the host of Talk of the Town, which quickly became a leading forum for public discussion in Southwestern Ontario.[16] Until he left the station in 2004, Chapman interviewed many well-known and influential newsmakers of the day, including prime ministers, provincial premiers, U.S. governors, Hollywood stars, music legends, sports celebrities, best-selling authors, and local community leaders. He was later hired as a news commentator on CFPL television and also hosted the thrice-weekly Jim Chapman Show interview show evenings on the Rogers TV Network for several years.[14][15] He was a popular columnist with The London Free Press and Business London magazine for two decades, and was the first person in London media to host his own radio and TV shows while writing regular newspaper and magazine columns as well.[16]

In 1999, Chapman suffered a fatal heart attack and was left brain-dead in a local ER.[17] He was eventually resuscitated, but not before having a transformative near-death experience.[18] Emergency surgery after a second serious heart attack just days later left him very ill and incapacitated for several months. He used the time to tell the story of what he called his "adventure" in a book, Heart and Soul,[19][20] that became a regional bestseller and generated thousands of dollars for charity. For the next few years, in addition to his media work, Jim travelled extensively and as far afield as Seattle, Washington, and Dallas, Texas, speaking about his near-death experience and its aftermath.[21][22][23][24][25][26][27]

Chapman had left CJBK in June 2004 and took several months off to rest before going back on the airwaves later that year with another news program, The Jim Chapman News Hour on CHRW-FM, a 60-minute daily broadcast featuring his analysis of stories in the news, and their significance for his listeners. Chapman continued writing for the London Free Press and Business London Magazine.

After a serious illness in 2005, Chapman was inspired to write another book, "Come Back to Life", that was released to critical and popular approval. It related the story of the years since his Near Death Experience and how his life in the interim had been affected by it.CFPL (AM) radio,[28][29][30]

Chapman retired from the media in 2007 to run in the Ontario Provincial Election[36] for the Progressive Conservatives, though he departed from the party platform when it did not reflect his beliefs, as noted in the Globe and Mail newspaper.[31] Unsuccessful at the polls, he decided to retire altogether and return to private life, though he retained an interest in local politics.

He then founded Bettger Books, a publishing company that has released titles by, among others, Canadian authors Herman Goodden, Sonia Halpern, and broadcasting legend Dick Williams, as well as Jim's own works.[32]

In late 2009, Chapman launched The Voice of London,[33] the city's first electronic political newsmagazine. Created with the specific purpose of informing voters about the upcoming civic election, it ceased operations after election day as Chapman was very busy with a new communications consulting firm.

In 2011, Chapman was back on the air with a daily news commentary program on CFPL Radio. In 2012, he released Lost and Found, a CD of his original songs that had been recorded at Springfield Sound in the mid-70s but were lost for more than 3 decades.

In 2017, he retired again "this time for good" and went on to publish several novels as well as researching and writing a 200,000-word book titled "Battle of the Bands / Uncle Jimmy's Excellent Adventure". It chronicles London's teen cultural and music scene in the 1960's, and his own decades-long musical career.[34][35]

In May 2023, Chapman was tapped for induction into the London Music Hall of Fame along with his fellow 1960's Bluesmen Revue band members Kenn Allison, Dave Partridge, Dave Baker, Paul Kersey, Charlie Mitchell and Rick Wadds.[36]

• Jim's website
• The Voice of London
• Jim's Show on AM 980
• Canoe's page on The Bluesmen Revue
• Near Death Experience Research Foundation's review of Heart and Soul
• The Jim Chapman Newshour on iTunes