eith Hampshire (born November 23, 1945 in Dulwich, London) is a English-born Canadian popular singer of the 1970s, famous in Canada for three top ten hits (including his #1 version of "The First Cut Is The Deepest", which topped the RPM 100 national singles chart on May 12, 1973),[1] and the successful television show Music Machine. Though his voice resembles David Clayton-Thomas', Hampshire was not as successful in the United States, where his highest single only reached number 51[2].
Between July 1966 and mid-August 1967, he was a DJ for Radio Caroline South on 259 - 1.186 kHz AM. His show was called "Keefers Commotions", and later "Keefers Uprising".
In 1983, Hampshire released a song entitled "OK Blue Jays", which became an anthem for the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball team. Blue Jays fans sing it during the seventh-inning stretch of home games. The song was written by Alan Smith, Pat Arbour, Jack Lenz and Tony Kosinec. The song was remixed by Rob Wells and Chris Anderson of Big Honkin' Spaceship Inc. in 2003, and still plays during the seventh-inning stretch.
On June 18, 2005 Hampshire was hired by Darren Stevens to host a 60's-70's based oldies radio show on CHAY-FM in Barrie, Ontario.
Singles 1967 - "Millions of Hearts" (b/w Lonely Boy) 1971 - "Ebenezer" (b/w Sing Angel Sing) 1972 - "Daytime Night-time" (b/w Turned the Other Way) 1973 - "The First Cut is the Deepest" (b/w You Can't Hear the Song I Sing) 1973 - "Big Time Operator" (b/w You Can't Hear the Song I Sing) 1974 - "For Ever and Ever" (b/w Jeraboah) 1974 - "Hallelujah Freedom" (b/w Waking Up Alone) 1976 - "I'm Into Something Good" (b/w Just Another Fool) 1981 - "I Can't Wait Too Long" (b/w Nobody's Child) 1983 - "OK Blue Jays" (b/w same)
Albums 1972 - Oops! (original cast recording) 1973 - The First Cut 1981 - Variations 2005 - The Best of Keith Hampshire: The Millennium Collection
