William Michael “Mike” Hampton, age 60, died March 4 at Saint John’s Hospital in Oxnard, Calif., after a lengthy illness.

He was born Nov. 28, 1943, in St. Louis, Mo., and grew up in souther California.

After graduating from Canoga Park High School in Canoga Park, Calif., in 1962, he set off for Mexico, bought a guitar and learned a few chords. He would serendade whomever would listen and play whatever they wanted to hear.

That soon turned into weekend bookings and a loyal following at each club he played.

Although he explored varied career paths, from sailboat racing and chartering in California, to a marketing compnay for tourism in London, he always found he enjoyed the times he spent entertaining the most.

He moved to Bainbridge Island in 1978 after meeting Bainbridge High School graduate Signe Olausen while he was performing in Sun Valley, Ida.

The couple married in 1981 and divorced several years later, remaining close friends.

For over a decade he entertained in many Northwest clubs, and locally may be most remembered for his encore performances at the Sands restaurant and the Olympic Inn in Poulsbo.

He returned to California in the early 1990s, perfomring in the Los Angeles area and on Royal Caribbean cruise lines.

In the last few years of life, after suffering injuries in a severe fall and enduring a prolonged illness, he was unable to perform but was still writing songs and playing his guitar at his Malibu home until his death.

He is survived by his former spouses Signe Olausen and Barbara Hampton, and step-mother Jo Jane Marshall.

A celebration of his life was held March 22 at Mandalay Bay on the Channel Islands in Oxnard, Calif. A local gathering is planned for a later date; call Signe Olausen for more information, 217-7275.

Remembrances may be made to the American Cancer Society.