Sam Ocampo was born in Peru, South America. At age 14 the family (his parents and 3 younger siblings, Nino Ocampo, Lucy Ocampo Crane, and Flora Ocampo Abela) moved to Mountain View, CA where the "second filio generation" of Ocampo's attended a private high-school, Mountain View Academy. Sam worked at Pacific Press Publishing Association during the summers. In 1978, while a freshman at Pacific Union College, Angwin, CA, and a music student of Maestro Adolph Baller at Stanford University, Sam released his first Album GENTLY, which became an instant best-seller.
In 1978, Max Mace asked Sam to become pianist for the Heritage Singers. In 1979 Sam moved to Berrien Springs, Michigan to attend Andrews University and recorded the second album SPECIAL DELIVERY (now entitled THANK YOU, LORD), followed by the album WE ARE THE REASON in 1981.
In 1984 Sam graduated from Andrews University with a degree in Music and Chemistry. In 1986 he recorded a landmark live album, FRIENDS IN CONCERT, at Johnson Auditorium, Campus Andrews University with legendary musicians Hal Blaine (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee), Tommy Tedesco, Nino Ocampo, Shane Kiester, Brent Rowan and others.
In 1987, Sam married and enrolled at The University of Michigan School of Dentistry for one year, transferring to business, and graduating with an MBA in 1990.
Sam's work experience includes a 20-year career in healthcare, specializing in strategic marketing and business development, physician and cardiovascular development at Lakeland Regional Health System (Michigan), Adventist Health (California), and Sutter Health (California).
Sam’s children from his first marriage are Edy (21) and Natali (17). In 2002 Sam married Gwen Matthews. Gwen has been a pivotal force in steering Sam back to his first love, Music. They live in Glendale, California.
Sam’s musical influences include: 1. Composers Mozart, Chopin, Scriabin, Berlin, Rodgers, Cole Porter, Victor Young, A. Lara, Jobim. 2. Stylists Sinatra, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat Cole, Elton John, Iglesias, Roberto Carlos, Gardel, Libertad Lamarque, Karen Carpenter. 3. Inspirational heavyweights Beverly Shea, Dottie Rambo, Ethel Waters and Mahalia Jackson. 4. Classical icons Horowitz, Pavarotti, and Arthur Rubinstein. 5. Dear friends and exceptional communicators Max Mace, Del Delker and brother Nino Ocampo.
Sam has had the honor to work (play) with some of the world’s greatest musicians, including producer/orchestrators Michael Omartian, Ronn Huff, Lee Holdridge, Jeff Wood; drummers Hal Blaine, Jeff Hamilton, Paul Leim, Peter Erskine, Kenny Malone, Steve Schaeffer, Sergio Gonzalez; bassists Abraham Laboriel, Joe Osborn, Chuck Berghofer, David Hungate, Nino Ocampo; guitarrists Tommy Tedesco, Ramón Stagnaro, Brent Rowan, Brent Mason, David Cleveland; saxophonists Tom Scott, Mark Douthit, Gary Foster, Joe Soldo; keyboardists Pete Jolly, Shane Keister; vocalists Allen Sovory, Ron Hicklin, Sally Stevenson, Tom Bahler, Max Mace, Heritage Singers, Wintley Phipps, Tim Davis, Scott Reed; engineers Al Schmitt, Bill Schnee, Don Murray, Dick Bogert, Terry Christian, Steve Genewick, Ed Seay, Billy Whittington, Jim Scheffler; and others.
Other interests for Sam include mathematics, natural and physical sciences, computers, and running.
