Chantel Dawn McGregor is a British blues rock guitarist and singer-songwriter.

Chantel McGregor
Background information
Birth nameChantel McGregor
BornBradford, England
GenresRock, blues, blues rock
Occupation(s)vocalist, guitarist, songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar, bass
WebsiteChantel Mcgregor

History

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McGregor was given her guitar and was given some tuition by her father. She was having formal lessons at the age of seven. She listened to her parents' music including Black Sabbath and Fleetwood Mac. One of her favourite albums is Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album and she has recorded some of their music.[1]

McGregor attended Leeds College of Music where she achieved a number of awards, including the Leeds College of Music Prize for Outstanding Musicianship. She gained a First Class Honours degree in Popular Music in 2008,[2] and has gone on to develop a career in the UK and international blues and rock music scene, performing solo and with her band.

In 2011, McGregor won "Young Artist of the Year" at the British Blues Awards,[3] and in 2012, she won "Best Female Vocalist" at the British Blues Awards.[4] In 2013 she won two categories, "Guitarist Of The Year" and "Best Female Vocalist", at the British Blues Awards.[5] and again won the "Guitarist Of The Year" category in 2014.[6]

Her debut album Like No Other, released in 2011, was produced by Livingstone Brown,[7] who has worked with such artists as Ed Sheeran, Shakira, Kylie Minogue and Corinne Bailey Rae. Her second album Lose Control, also produced by Livingstone Brown, was released on 9 October 2015.

 
McGregor at the Corn Exchange, Hertford in 2023

A live album, Bury'd Alive, recorded at The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, on 29 March 2019, was released on 6 September 2019. This is made up of songs from the first two albums, Like No Other and Lose Control, together with a song from her next studio album, a long instrumental entitled "April". In December 2019, the American magazine, Guitar World, proclaimed Bury'd Alive as the 11th best guitar album of the decade.

In May 2020, she released a reworked cover of "Stupid Love" by Lady Gaga through the Los Angeles based Cleopatra Records. Also in May 2020, she became a regular weekly presenter on Hard Rock Hell Radio with her show Chantel's Monday Brunch Club.

Released in November 2020, the Dr. John album, Gumbo Blues, featured her on guitar.[8]

During the Covid-19 Pandemic, she performed a live weekly show from her shed and later with Jamie Brooks on keyboards. She released two albums of songs in 2021. Shed Sessions Volume One, was performed solo with an acoustic guitar and Shed Sessions Volume Two was on electric guitar with Jamie Brooks on keyboards.[1]

Discography

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Title Details
Like No Other
Lose Control
  • Released: 9 October 2015
  • Label: Tis Rock Music Ltd – TRM002
  • Format: Digital download, CD
Bury'd Alive
  • Released: 6 September 2019
  • Label: Tis Rock Music Ltd – TRM003
  • Format: Digital download, CD
Stupid Love
Shed Sessions Volume One
Shed Sessions Volume Two

References

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  1. ^ a b "Chantel McGregor Discusses Shed Sessions Volumes 1 & 2". Retrieved 28 January 2023 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ "Chantel McGregor is the business". Leeds College of Music. Archived from the original on 28 October 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  3. ^ "2011 Winners". British Blues Awards. Nottingham Blues Society. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  4. ^ "2012 Winners". British Blues Awards. Nottingham Blues Society. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  5. ^ "2013 Winners". British Blues Awards. Nottingham Blues Society. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  6. ^ "2014 Winners". British Blues Awards. Nottingham Blues Society. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  7. ^ Sleeves notes to Like No Other
  8. ^ "Gumbo Blues - Dr. John | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
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