Bill Greensmith

Music Profile

Bobby Charles

New Orleans rock & roll hero By Jim Allen

A mighty figure in early rock & roll

If Bobby Charles' career had ended in 1960, he would still be revered as a mighty figure in early rock & roll. By that time, Fats Domino and Bill Haley had enjoyed huge hits with the Charles-penned "Walking To New Orleans" and "See You Later, Alligator," respectively, and Charles had become a key player in the "swamp pop" world of late-'50s/early-'60s New Orleans rock. He was also one of the only white artists on Chess Records: Before laying eyes on him, the Chess brothers had thought the Abbeville, Louisiana-born Cajun was black! After bouncing around and keeping himself mostly underground for years, the itinerant, reclusive singer/songwriter relocated to Woodstock, New York, where he became friendly with The Band. In 1972, Rick Danko oversaw Charles' first-ever full-length album, which became a cult classic and remains one of the finest roots-rock recordings of the '70s. Still, Charles only popped his head up occasionally in subsequent years, though he influenced generations of younger musicians, with everyone from Joe Strummer to Vetiver covering his songs. Ironically, he was getting set to release a new album when he died in January 2010.

TAGS: Cajun, Chess Records, Early Rock, New Orleans, R&B, Roots Rock, Swamp Pop, Woodstock,

FACTS: Born/Formed: February 21, 1938; Died/Disbanded: January 14, 2010; Location: Abbeville, Lousiana, ; Bobby Charles, Bobby Charles fan site

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