Terrence William"Blondie" Chaplin (born 7 July 1951) is a South African singer and guitarist fromDurban, where he played in the bandthe Flames in the mid to late 1960s. From 1972 to 1973, he was a member ofthe Beach Boys and contributed to their albumsCarl and the Passions – "So Tough" (1972) andHolland (1973).^[1] During his stint with the Beach Boys, he sang the lead on the popular song, "Sail On Sailor". Chaplin was a long-term backing vocalist, percussionist, andacoustic rhythm guitarist forthe Rolling Stones on their recordings and tours over a 15-year period, starting in 1997. Chaplin has released two solo albums,Blondie Chaplin (1977) andBetween Us (2006).

Blondie Chaplin
Chaplin in 2019
Background information
Birth name	Terrence William Chaplin
Born	(1951-07-07)7 July 1951 (age 73) South Africa
Genres	Rock blues blues-rock ska reggae rocksteady
Occupations	Singer musician songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar bass
Years active	1968–present
Labels	Brother Records Reprise Records Capitol Records Columbia Records Asylum Records

Chaplin grew up in South Africa^[2] and is ofmixed racial descent.^[3] Both Chaplin andRicky Fataar were members of Durban-based rock bandThe Flames, which they joined at ages 13 and 9, respectively. Their 1968 albumSoulfire produced a hit in South Africa: the band's cover of "For Your Precious Love" was #1 on white radio for thirteen weeks.^[4]

Beach BoyCarl Wilson heard The Flames while the band was performing in London. Wilson signed them to the Beach Boys'Brother Records label and produced their self-titled album,The Flame (changed from Flames, to avoid confusion withThe Famous Flames who were backup singers withJames Brown), which featured soulful rock/pop songs in the vein of The Beach Boys andBadfinger. The Flames were the only band aside from The Beach Boys to record for Brother Records.

Chaplin, along with drummerRicky Fataar, joined the Beach Boys when original drummerDennis Wilson suffered a hand injury that left him unable to play the drums for almost two years.

For the Beach Boys, it was a period in which long-time memberBruce Johnston had departed the band, and one-time leaderBrian Wilson's participation in the group was very limited. As a result, Chaplin and Fataar joined the Beach Boys as full-fledged members and not merely as backing musicians. Chaplin left the group in 1973 after a dispute with the Beach Boys' management; Fataar left the band the following year.

Chaplin sang lead on various Beach Boys songs from two studio albums,Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" andHolland, and plays on the live albumThe Beach Boys in Concert. "Sail On, Sailor" from the albumHolland, on which he is the lead singer, is his "signature song".^[4]

Following his time with the Beach Boys, Chaplin recorded a self-titled album, released onAsylum Records in 1977. He also performed onRick Danko's self-titleddébut album, which also featured each of Rick's former bandmates fromThe Band in addition toRonnie Wood,Eric Clapton,Doug Sahm, and Danko's brother,Terry.

Chaplin went on to tour with theDavid Johansen group and participated in producing Johansen's third solo albumHere Comes the Night, on which Chaplin played guitar and sang backing vocals and co-authored seven tracks. During the late 1980s and early 1990s Chaplin toured withThe Band, replacing some ofRichard Manuel's vocals and playing guitar and, occasionally, drums.

During the 1980s, Chaplin also toured with a band featuringRick Danko andPaul Butterfield, and was guitarist and vocalist, as well as contributing a tune as songwriter, on Butterfield's last studio album,The Legendary Paul Butterfield Rides Again, released in 1986.

Chaplin was also a featured player in formerByrds membersGene Clark andMichael Clarke's then new band, The 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Byrds, also known as the Tribute to the Byrds. Chaplin appeared on theJennifer Warnes albumsShot Through the Heart,The Hunter, andThe Well.

Chaplin also played onHigh on the Hog, the ninth studio album by The Band, released in 1996, to which he also contributed his composition "Where I Should Always Be."

Chaplin toured with former Rolling Stones guitaristMick Taylor and performed on his live albumStranger in This Town. Starting in 1997, with the recording and release of theBridges to Babylon album and subsequent tour, and, for some 15 years following, Chaplin served as a backing vocalist, percussionist, and, at times, backing guitar player forThe Rolling Stones, in the recording studio and on the road. TheBridges to Babylon album lists Chaplin's credits as backing vocals, tambourine, piano, bass guitar, percussion, shakers, and maracas.

Chaplin is the vocalist, songwriter, and lead guitar player with Skollie, a band formed with fellow South Africans Keith Lentin on bass andAnton Fig (of theCBS Orchestra) on drums. Chaplin has recorded three solo albums, most recentlyBetween Us in 2006.

In late 2013, Chaplin was featured at select shows of former Beach Boys bandmate Brian Wilson and guitaristJeff Beck. Chaplin also appears on Wilson's 2015 albumNo Pier Pressure, on which he is the featured vocalist on the song, "Sail Away", and he then went on tour as a featured performer, along withAl Jardine, for Brian Wilson's 2015 tour, withRodriguez as the opening act.^[5]

He joined Wilson'sPet Sounds 50th Anniversary World Tour in 2016, performing alongside the touring band and has continued to tour with Wilson through 2022.

On 29 September 2017, Big Noise'sAl Gomes and Connie Watrous presented a plaque fromRoger Williams University to Chaplin at The Zeiterion Theatre inNew Bedford, Massachusetts. Chaplin's response to the sold-out audience at the "Brian Wilson Presents Pet Sounds" show: "I played a lot in these parts in 1971, and it's nice to be remembered this way." The plaque commemoratesThe Beach Boys' 22 September 1971 concert atThe Ramada Inn inPortsmouth, Rhode Island (now RWU's Baypoint Inn & Conference Center). The concert was the first-ever appearance of Chaplin as well as Fataar as official members of The Beach Boys, essentially changing the band's live and recording line-up into a multi-cultural group.^[6]

Other albums and videos from the Blondie Chaplin catalog:

• The Flames –That's Enough, 1967
• The Flames –Burning Soul!, 1967
• The Flames –Soulfire!!, 1968
• The Flames –The Flame,Brother Records, 1970
• The Beach Boys –Carl and the Passions – "So Tough", 1972
• The Beach Boys –Holland, 1973
• The Beach Boys –The Beach Boys in Concert, 1973
• David Johansen –Here Comes The Night, Blue Sky Records, 1981
• Paul Butterfield –The Legendary Paul Butterfield Rides Again, Amherst Records, 1986
• Anton Fig – "In The Groove", DVD, 1994
• The Rolling Stones -Bridges to Babylon : bass, backing vocals, maracas (track 3), piano (tracks 4, 13), tambourine (track 11), 1997
• Blondie Chaplin –Fragile Thread, unreleased (but in circulation), 2001
• Anton Fig –Figments, 2002 (with Brian Wilson singing backup vocals on "Hand on My Shoulder", one of several songs on the album composed by Chaplin with Fig)
• The Rolling Stones -A Bigger Bang : vocals (7, 16), 2005
• Rick Danko –Cryin' Heart Blues, 2005
• Ronnie Wood -I Feel Like Playing : Backing vocals (tracks: 3, 5, 8), 2010
• Lou Pallo of Les Paul's Trio –Thank You Les / Tribute to Les Paul, CD & DVD 2012
• Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa –Seesaw, 2013
• Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa –Live in Amsterdam, CD & DVD, 2014
• Brian Wilson –No Pier Pressure, 2015
• Keith Richards -Crosseyed Heart, 2015 : backing vocals (11–13, 15)
• The Rolling Stones - No Security San Jose '99, 2018
• The Rolling Stones - Bridges To Bremen, 2019
• The Rolling Stones - Live On Copacabanna Beach, 2021
• The Rolling Stones - Licked Live In NYC, 2022

Additional performances are on the following recordings:

• Bonnie Raitt –Nine Lives
• Ray Ohara –Picaresque, (released 1988 in Japan and on which Blondie was principal songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist on all songs)
• a Keith Richards-produced project,Wingless Angels (featuring singers from Jamaica)
• Charlie Watts/Jim Keltner Project
• Two Faced by Freida Parton (Dolly Parton's sister)
• Renée Geyer –So Lucky and herself-titled album
• Elliott Murphy –Change Will Come andParis/New York
• Paul Shaffer –The World’s Most Dangerous Party
• The Parlor Dogs –Social Harem
• Sir Mack Rice –This What I Do
• Chris Whitley –Rocket House
• Marsha Hansen'sMy Soul Is a Witness (a CD accompanying a book with that title)
• Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute album
• Hubert Sumlin –About Them Shoes

• Blondie Chaplin.com