Bill Church

Bill Church (born December 9, 1946) is an American bassist who played with Van Morrison, Ronnie Montrose, and Sammy Hagar, among others.

Bill Church was born William Church on December 9, 1946.

Nicknamed "Electric", Church started out playing bass in a band called Sawbuck in 1969, with Mojo Collins (vocals, guitar), Starr Donaldson (vocals, guitar), Ronnie Montrose (guitar), and Chuck Ruff (drums). In 1972, he was heard on Sawbuck's eponymous album on Fillmore Records. As the band was beginning to record their first album, Church and Montrose left Sawbuck to join Van Morrison on his Tupelo Honey album, playing bass alongside Janet Planet, Ellen Schroer, Boots Stuart Houston (backing vocals); Rick Shlosser, and Connie Kay (drums); Bruce Royston (Flute); Ted Templeman (organ); Mark Jordon (piano); Jack Schroer (saxophone); John McFee (steel guitar); Luis Gasca (trumpet); and Gary Mallaber (vibraphone, percussion).

When Ronnie Montrose rejoined Chuck Ruff to record Edgar Winter Group's debut studio album They Only Come Out at Night, Church remained with Morrison and appeared on the Saint Dominic's Preview LP.

In 1973, Ronnie Montrose formed his own hard rock outfit, "Montrose" and recruited Church along with singer Sammy Hagar and drummer Denny Carmassi. After recording Montrose's debut studio album Montrose, Church left and was replaced by Alan Fitzgerald on Montrose's next album Paper Money (1974).

In the mid-1970s, Church rejoined Hagar when Hagar left Montrose to start his solo career. He played bass on eight studio albums from Nine on a Ten Scale (1976) to VOA (1984) until Hagar left to front Van Halen. Over the years, Church played bass alongside several of Hagar's band members including Scott Quick, John Blakely (guitars); Alan Fitzgerald, and Joe Crane (keyboards); Aynsley Dunbar, Jim Hodder, Jerry Shirley, and Dallas Taylor (drums); Venetta Fields, Maxayn Lewis, Sherlie Matthews, and Bob Welch (backing vocals); Greg Adams, Emilio Castillo, Mic Gillette, Stephen Kupka, and Lenny Pickett (horns).

Church has occasionally regrouped with Hagar over the years to record on several of Hagar's solo albums. Church, along with Ronnie Montrose and Denny Carmassi had a "Montrose reunion" on Hagar's Marching To Mars CD (1997) on the song "Leaving The Warmth of the Womb."

In 2011, Church formed The DHC Band with Tom Davis (of Dangerous Ground and The Roland Brothers) and Perry Hodge (of Lone Wolf Gang). They recorded their eponymous album in May 2011.

Church's son, Trevor Church is also a rock/metal musician. He is the lead guitarist and vocalist of the metal band BeastMaker. Signed to Rise Above Records, they toured Europe and the UK in April and part of May 2016. He also performs with bands Devil Cross and Haunt and has played with FightClub, Inside the Sun, Wolf Ghost, and Worship of Keres bands in the past.

With Van Morrison

• Tupelo Honey (1971)
• Saint Dominic's Preview (1972)
• The Philosopher's Stone (1998) — 2 previously unreleased songs recorded in 1971: "Ordinary People" and "Wonderful Remark"

With Sawbuck

• Sawbuck (1971)

With Montrose

• Montrose (1973)

With Sammy Hagar

Studio albums

• Nine on a Ten Scale (1976)
• Sammy Hagar (the "Red" album) (1977)
• Musical Chairs (1977)
• Street Machine (1979)
• Danger Zone (1979)
• Standing Hampton (1981)
• Three Lock Box (1982)
• VOA (1984)
• Marching to Mars (1997)

Live

• All Night Long (1978)
• Live 1980 (1983)

With The DHC band

• The DHC band (2011)