Tom Chaplin

Infobox musical artist |
Name = Tom Chaplin


Img_capt = Tom Chaplin
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Thomas Oliver Chaplin
Aliases = Tommy Chaplin
Born =birth date and age|1979|3|8
flagicon|England Battle, East Sussex, England
Instrument = Vocals
Acoustic Guitar
Organ
Piano
Genre = Piano rock
Rock
Alternative rock
New Age
Occupation = Musician
Years_active = 1996-1997
1998-present
Labels =
Associated_acts = Keane

Thomas Oliver Chaplin (born March 8, 1979) is the lead singer of the English piano-rock band, Keane.

Life and career

Chaplin was born to David Chaplin and Sally Taylor on March 8, 1979, about one month apart from future band mate Tim Rice-Oxley's brother, also called Tom. Their mothers became friends and he started a friendship with the two brothers that remains today.

His father was headmaster of Vinehall School in Robertsbridge, so both friends were schooled there. With Rice-Oxley, Chaplin then attended Tonbridge School. Studying there, they met Richard Hughes, who would later be their band mate and Dominic Scott (who was an original member of the line-up but left in 2001). During his time at Vinehall, Chaplin acted in several school plays and was part of the school's choral group. At Tonbridge School, he spent five years in the Chapel Choir and was consistently chosen to sing demanding solos.

In 1995, Tim, Dominic and Richard started their first band, "The Lotus Eaters". It was a cover band that played U2, Oasis and The Beatles at Sussex pubs.

Keane

Chaplin was invited to join the band by Rice-Oxley, after he finally convinced the other two, in 1997, when the name "The Lotus Eaters" was changed to "Cherry Keane", after a friend of Chaplin's mother. Later "Cherry" was removed from the name. The name was used to represent eternal friendship since the band members all knew who Cherry Keane was.

In July 1997, Chaplin went to South Africa for his gap year, during which the rest of the band members were preparing themselves for a gig. When Richard went to collect Tom a year later, on July 3, 1998, his first words were, "We've got a gig in ten days." This would be the band's first performance at the Hope & Anchor pub on July 13, 1998. Chaplin then began studying for a degree in art history at the University of Edinburgh, before leaving to pursue his music career in London.

During their stint in London, Tom shared a flat with Tim in Stoke Newington and they tried to get money for rehearsal time. Tom worked at a publishing company where his chief responsibility was to carry boxes.

With Scott in the line-up as the lead guitarist, Chaplin had to play the acoustic guitar. Since Scott left in 2001, he primarily takes lead vocal, but also plays the organ on "Hamburg Song" during some live gigs, as well as a distorted piano for newer songs on their second album. He also took part in Band Aid 20's re-recording of Do They Know It's Christmas? in November 2004 doing a solo on the line "feed the world", something that hadn't been done on previous versions where all artists sang.

He has been parodied on Irish music animation site "Eyebrowy.com" as being "The Bloke out of Keane". [ [http://www.eyebrowy.com/animations/blokeoutofkeane1.htm That Bloke Out of Keane, Part One] , Eyebrowy.com]

Drug rehabilitation

On August 22, 2006, Chaplin revealed that he was receiving treatment for alcohol and drug abuse problems. He and his bandmates cancelled their North American tour for his rehabilitation after he left their hotel in Japan with no warning, choosing to fly back to Britain alone.

He left the Priory Clinic in London on October 6 but continued to receive treatment after leaving.cite web | publisher=eltonfan.net | title=Elton Guides Chaplin Through Rehab | url=http://www.eltonfan.net/news/archive/news-archive-10-2006.html | accessdate=16 October | accessyear=2006]

Equipment

Chaplin uses a Hammond MK2 organ for "Hamburg Song" and "Nothing in My Way". Since May 2006 a Yamaha CP60M for the distortion piano riffs on "A Bad Dream", "The Frog Prince" and "Crystal Ball", is used.

He also has been playing the acoustic guitar in songs like "Your Eyes Open" since the 2006 UK tour, and during 2007 acoustic solos of "Broken Toy" and "The Frog Prince". He also plays guitar in Keane's third album, "Perfect Symmetry".

In an interview with Keane Backline, band member Tim Rice-Oxley stated that Chaplin had been interested in learning to play the theremin, but "couldn't be bothered to learn how to use it", also stating that the theremin "might be the only way of reproducing the musical saw sound" used in some tracks of "Perfect Symmetry". [cite web |title=Expect The Unexpected |work=Keane Backline |url=http://www.keanebackline.info/site/features/interview/tim_jul08 |accessmonthday=August 26 |accessyear=2008]

Known compositions

*"Call Me What You Like"
*"Closer Now"
*"The Silence Of An Alien"

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.keanemusic.com Keane Official page]
* [http://www.myspace.com/keane "The Official Keane Myspace"]
* [http://www.closernow.tk/ "ComeCloserNow - Devoted 2 Tom Chaplin"]