[2] Born as an only child in Shelby, Mississippi, United States,[1] his family moved to Saginaw, Michigan, when he was only five years old.
[3] His band backed many well-known Motown artists, such as The Supremes, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, the Four Tops, Stevie Wonder and others.
Campbell toured the US with stops at the Apollo Theater in New York City and many other venues, before his role as bandleader was taken by Earl Van Dyke.
[2] He also appeared in the film Shake, Rattle & Rock!,[1] with Big Joe Turner and Mike Connors.
He wrote "Mother Nature" during this time, which was sampled by producer Kanye West for Common's track "Be (Intro).