Tuesday (MARCH 7) marks the 10 year anniversary of the day the music in Maine died. Bill Chinnock lost his battle with Lyme disease 10 years ago.

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Facebook/Bill Chinnock
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For those unfamiliar with his story, before he moved to Maine, he was a prominent member of the Jersey Shore music scene during the late 1960s, leading bands that included future members of the E Street Band. He subsequently moved away from the Shore and spent time in New York and Nashville, Tennessee before eventually settling in Yarmouth, Maine. In 1987 he won an Emmy Award after his song, "Somewhere in the Night" was used as the theme on Search for Tomorrow. "Hold On To Love", a duet he recorded with Roberta Flack was also featured as a theme song on Guiding Light.

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Facebook/Bill Chinnock
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In Augusta, there wasn't a seat available or a spot on the dance floor open, when Bill played Harry's and then later Rachel's on the Whitten Road. His high energy band which included Sax player Sam Hall, and keyboard player Harry King never failed to get the crowd into an absolute frenzy, wanting more.

I talked to Harry King, who played with Bill for decades and now lives in Texas. He told us "Bill would not let the crowd off the hook. If they weren't cheering, stomping and dancing during the show, he damned well made sure they were by the end."

Man, isn't that the truth.

Harry King, Bill Chinnock, Sam Hall Photo courtesy of Facebook
Harry King, Bill Chinnock, Sam Hall Photo courtesy of Facebook
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It wasn't unusual for my friends and I to find Bill and his band on a weekend night and take a road trip; be it at the Loft in Portland, the Showring in Brewer, the Red Barn in Monroe, or down on the beach in Old Orchard. It was always worth the drive to hear the Chinnock Band do their high energy-blues infused show live.

I still listen to Bill Chinnock today. My two favorite Bill Chinnock CD's are Dime Store Heroe's and Badland's, but they are all great listening. What are yours?

This video might be a little grainy, it is from 1982, but no denying the high energy Bill always brought!

And another one from Big Man's West, a club in Jersey that was owned by none other then Clarence "Big Man" Clemons of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band

Bill has been gone for 10 years now, but the music and the memories of his live shows here in Maine, will live on forever to all his fans.

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