He is credited with forming Britain's first ever black band, the West African Rhythm Brothers, in the 1940s, and was also acknowledged by Fela Kuti as "the father of modern Nigerian music".

Campbell sang in the church choir, and also, nicknamed "Ambrose", started performing palm-wine music against the wishes of his family, who kicked him out of the house when they discovered what he was doing.

Soon after the start of World War II, Campbell joined the crew of an Elder Dempster cargo ship sailing to Britain.

Campbell formed a band, but soon afterwards he was attacked by racist thugs at a London underground station; Hughes was later imprisoned for shooting one of the assailants.

The group appeared on British television, and around 1952 established a residency at the Abalabi club in Soho, playing a mixture of palm-wine and jùjú music and associating with jazz musicians including Ronnie Scott, Tubby Hayes and Phil Seamen.

With Campbell on vocals and Hughes on guitar, other members of the group included trumpeter Harry Beckett, saxophonist Willy Roachford, pianist Adam Fiberesima, and bongo player Ade Bashorun.

However, in fact he travelled to Los Angeles, California, in 1972 with record producer Denny Cordell, intending to start his own business in the United States.