The Campbell Brothers 

 

Born and raised in Rush, New York, The Campbell Brothers have spent decades bridging the sacred and the secular through their extraordinary mastery of the sacred steel tradition — an African American gospel music style centered around the pedal and lap steel guitar.

 

Rooted in the worship services of the House of God Church (Keith Dominion), where the steel guitar became a voice of praise and testimony, the Campbell family transformed this unique musical form into a vibrant art heard around the world. Led by brothers Chuck and Phil Campbell, and featuring their late brother Darick Campbell (lap steel, 1962–2020) and Phil’s son Carlton Campbell on drums, the group carries a spiritual lineage that fuses faith, blues, funk, and rock into one transcendent sound.

 

Over the past three decades, The Campbell Brothers have performed at major festivals and venues including Lincoln Center, the Rochester International Jazz Festival, The Kennedy Center, and global stages across Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. Their critically acclaimed album Can You Feel It? (Ropeadope Records, 2005) reached the Billboard Top Gospel Albums Chart, and their recording Sacred Steel on Tour was released by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, further cementing their role as ambassadors of the sacred steel tradition.

 

In recognition of their cultural impact, The Campbell Brothers are featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., where their instruments and legacy represent the enduring power of African American creativity and spiritual expression. In 2004, Chuck Campbell received the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the highest honor in the United States for traditional and folk artists.

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Through every note, The Campbell Brothers celebrate a tradition born in praise and carried by passion — proving that sacred music can heal, move, and electrify. Their performances are both ministry and celebration, bringing the joy of the church to audiences everywhere.

 

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