Nicky Chinn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nicky Chinn
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Nicholas Barry Chinn |
| Born | 16 May 1945 London, England |
| Genres | Pop, glam rock |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, record producer |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
Nicholas Barry Chinn (born May 16, 1945) is a famous English-American songwriter and music producer. He is best known for working with Mike Chapman. Together, they wrote many hit songs in the 1970s and early 1980s. Their songs became number one hits in both the US and the UK.
Chinn and Chapman wrote songs for popular bands and artists. These include the Sweet, Suzi Quatro, Mud, Smokie, and Tina Turner. They also wrote for Huey Lewis and the News and Toni Basil.
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A Career in Music
Nicky Chinn was born in London, England. His family was well-off and owned many gas stations and car dealerships. From a young age, Nicky showed a clear talent for writing pop songs.
Soon after he started writing, Chinn worked with Mike d'Abo. They wrote two main songs for a movie called There's a Girl in My Soup in 1970.
Meeting Mike Chapman
Around this time, Chinn met Mike Chapman. Chapman was from Australia and worked as a waiter. He was also a musician and songwriter. They decided to work together.
Chinn and Chapman soon joined Mickie Most's RAK music label. They started writing songs for a new band called The Sweet. This band played glam rock, a fun and flashy style of rock music.
Big Hits with The Sweet
Chinn and Chapman wrote all of The Sweet's early hit songs. Their songwriting was very popular around the world. The Sweet had many million-selling hits.
Some of their famous songs for The Sweet include "Co-Co," "Little Willy," and "Wig-Wam Bam." Other big hits were "Blockbuster!" and "The Ballroom Blitz." "Ballroom Blitz" was very popular and quickly reached number two on the UK music charts. "Little Willy" and "Ballroom Blitz" also became top five hits in America.
Working with Other Stars
Chinn and Chapman stopped working with The Sweet in 1975. But they found even more success with Suzi Quatro. They wrote many hits for her, like "48 Crash" and the number one songs "Can the Can" and "Devil Gate Drive."
Their next big success was with the band Mud. Mud had several hits from 1973 to 1975. Two of these, "Tiger Feet" and "Lonely This Christmas," reached number one.
From 1975 to 1978, Chinn and Chapman worked with Smokie. They wrote many hit singles for them, including the worldwide hit "Living Next Door to Alice."
American Success
In 1978, Chinn and Chapman had their first number one hit in the United States. This was "Kiss You All Over" by the band Exile. Also that year, Suzi Quatro's song with Smokie's singer Chris Norman, "Stumblin' In," reached number four.
In 1982, "Mickey" by Toni Basil became their second American number one hit. In the mid-1980s, they had top ten hits with "Better Be Good to Me" by Tina Turner and "Heart and Soul" by Huey Lewis and the News.
Later Years
Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman slowly stopped working together in the early 1980s. They officially split up in 1983. Over 12 years, Chinn had co-written more than fifty Top 40 hit songs with Chapman. In 1983, he also co-wrote "Dancing in the Dark" for Kim Wilde, which was a hit in the UK.
Chinn and Chapman won three Ivor Novello Awards for their songwriting. These awards celebrate excellence in British music. In 1997, they received the Jimmy Kennedy award for their amazing career achievements.
Return to Music
In the late 1980s and 1990s, Nicky Chinn took a break from music due to health reasons. He returned in 2004 and started working with new writers.
He worked with Jorgen Elofsson to write "You Must Have Had a Broken Heart." This song was for Westlife's 2006 album, Back Home. The album became number one in the UK and sold over a million copies.
Today, Chinn spends time in Nashville, Tennessee, working with many songwriters there. He co-wrote "Live Like There's No Tomorrow" for Selena Gomez's 2010 album, A Year Without Rain. This song was also in her Disney movie Ramona and Beezus.
While in Nashville, he also co-wrote "A Beautiful Life." This song was recorded by Donny and Marie Osmond for their 2010 album, Donny & Marie.
In 2024, his song "Stumblin' In" was covered by Cyril. Also, "Apt." was recorded by Rosé and Bruno Mars.
Images for kids
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Nicky Chinn
See also
In Spanish: Nicky Chinn para niños
