Claire Hamill

Claire Hamill

Claire Hamill is an English singer-songwriter from Port Clarence, near Hartlepool in County Durham. Born Josephine Claire Hamill in 1954, she begins her professional singing career in 1971 after being offered a recording contract with Island Records. Her work is associated with contemporary folk and singer-songwriter material, and she is also known for acoustic-based songs.

Solo work and releases

Hamill releases a series of albums and songs across her career. Among the later releases mentioned are The Lost and the Lovers, an album of songs, and When Are Wars Won?, an EP. Her song You Take My Breath Away appears on Eva Cassidy’s album American Tune, where it reaches number one in the album chart cited in the biography. Her album Voices also reaches number one in the new age charts.

Collaborations and other work

Alongside her solo career, Hamill works with a number of other musicians. She provides vocals on Steve Howe’s 1979 song Look Over Your Shoulder. She guest appears on Wishbone Ash’s albums Just Testing in 1980 and Number the Brave in 1981, and she joins the group for their 1981/82 tour. She also appears on albums by Jon and Vangelis and writes lyrics for John Themis and for jazz artists Morrisey Mullen, Jamie Talbot and John Critchinson.

Broadcasting, live performance and recognition

Hamill writes music for television and radio and appears many times on both. She performs in major venues in Europe, North America and Japan. She also represents her country in the Soviet Bloc version of the Eurovision Song Contest, where she wins the journalists prize.