Charlie Gracie RIP

No sooner have I paid tribute to the many musicians who have died this year than I hear that Charlie Gracie - possibly the last original rock and roll artist to be performing on a regular basis - has died at the age of 86. Originally from Philadelphia Charlie was a five times winner on the Paul Whiteman Teenagers TV show and recorded some singles for the Cadillac label in 1952, including one called 'Rockin' and Rollin', but his worldwide success began when he joined Cameo in 1956. Fantastic double sided 45s (or 78s) included 'Butterfly'/ 'Ninety Nine Ways', 'Fabulous'/ 'Just Lookin', 'Wandering Eyes'/ 'Love You So Much It Hurts' and 'Cool Baby'/ 'You Got A heart Like A Rock'. These singles alone would have ensured his place in rock and roll history but later sides such as 'Doodlebug', 'The Race' and 'Pretty Baby' were almost as good. Charlie first visited London in 1957 where he starred at the Hippodrome and was a regular visitor over the years. Every time I saw him he proved yet again what a great guitarist and singer he was.

These shows included the Rhythm Riot in 2014 and the Ponderosa Stomp in 2013 (pictured above) and memorably, a Tales From The Wood show at the Spice of Life in 2017 (top photo). On that occasion I wrote on the Vinyl Word: 'The star of the show was Charlie Gracie, a man who made his name at much the same time as Chuck Berry was making waves back in the fifties. Now 80, Charlie is still an excellent guitarist and has an easy stage manner. His first number, 'Caldonia', showed off his guitar playing to good effect, and he ran through many of his best known numbers included 'Just Lookin', 'Wandering Eyes', 'Butterfly', 'Ninety Nine Ways', 'Cool Baby', 'Heart Like A Rock' and, of course, his biggest hit 'Fabulous'. He's been to London many times over the years and has picked up a Dick Van Dyke type accent, which he put to use on snippets of 'Maybe It's Because I'm A Londoner' and even 'I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts'. Other numbers included 'Rock A Beating Boogie', 'Don't Worry About Me' (a tribute to his friend Eddie Cochran), 'I Love You So Much It Hurts', 'Tootsie', 'What'd I Say', 'Cottonfields' and, as an encore, 'Shake Rattle and Roll'. All of them were two minute master classes and much enjoyed by the packed crowd in this tiny venue. Charlie is welcome back any time. Well done Keith (Woods) on another enjoyable show.'

Charlie was due to headline at the Wildest Cats In Town recently but ill health prevented him from attending. Sadly Charlie was the second artist to have appeared at a TFTW show at the Spice of Life, after Roddy Jackson, to have died in recent days. Any record collector is sure to have some original Charlie Gracie 78s or 45s in their collection - indeed they were such big hits that even the BBC was known to play them on occasions. But incredibly Charlie remained a brilliant performer, and throroughly nice man, well into his eighties. Photo above shows Charlie performing at the RNA Club in Plaistow in 1992 with D J Fontana on drums. RIP Charlie. Photo below: with Charlie in 2017.