Trumpet virtuoso Roy Campbell has been involved in a number of successful musical endeavors, including fronting an ensemble of his own known as Spectrum. He also branched out into arranging, producing, songwriting, and a bit of acting in both independent films and television. He is a multi-instrumentalist who became equally adept on the flügelhorn, recorder, flute, and violin by the time he was in his late teens. In addition, he undertook the piano when he was six years old. At the age of 20, he established Spectrum while also working in the studio behind other musicians. He can be heard on recordings by Sun Ra, Henry Threadgill, Woody Shaw, Carlos Garnett, David Murray, Rashied Ali, Billy Bang, Eddie Harris, Cecil Taylor, and Ken McIntyre, among others. In 1978, he became a member of Ensemble Muntu at the request of William Parker, a bass player who was a founding member of the ensemble along with saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc. For a four-year period during the late '80s and early '90s, he lived in Holland, where he conducted workshops and performed. His activities during this period also included leading a number of big band outfits such as the Ruud Bergamin Quintet, Black Tulips in Transit, and the Thelonius New World Orchestra.