About Me
I was born when I was still quite young at a very early age. I was born in the month of August, which means I was the result of a very successful company Christmas party at my father's company. I am from Houston, Texas.
My first professional gig was 10.27 years to the trimester that I escaped from the birth canal.
My first band was The Tea Makers Union.
Then there was:
Woodhead Green,
Stejonas Wart......let's move on.
In high school I played in a band called Stetzin.
In fact, one of the guitar players from that band Lee Martin, is listed as one of my friends, and has a great jazz band--Luxury Quartet.
See www.myspace.com/luxuryquartet.
Pat Brady and the late Steve Seymour of Stetzin quit, and subsequently got me hired in another band playing bass.
The keyboard player was Theodore "Teddy" Reynolds, who had played for years with Grady Gaines, B.B. King, Johnny Clyde Copeland, and Bobby Blue Bland....I was 17 years old...wow.I started getting noticed musically speaking, when my good friends Susan and Sandford Criner started booking me to play at thieir Houston venue known as Rockefellers.
I had the opportunity to open up for some cool acts such as Rupert Holmes, Riders in the Sky, and Kenny Rankin.
I moved to Dallas in 1982 to play in a band with Jimmy Miller, younger brother of Steve Miller.
Jim passed away last year.
I learned a lot about how to be more tasteful on the guitar from Jim.
Jim used to say that a 'guitarist didn't have to play every note they know everytime they do a solo.'
Along with his wife Colleen, we wrote some great songs and had a lot of fun.
Jim was a wonderful person, a very dear friend, and an incredible talent.
In 1985, I hooked up with a group of players in Dallas to form an eclectic and obscure cover band known as True Colors.
Darby Orr--keyboards
Chip Abernathy--drums
Tolbert Pitman--bass, later replaced by:
Frederico "Freddie" Pol Jr.--bass
Steve Dupuis--guitar
www.stevesgarageband.com
As of several months ago:
Chip was in Nashville.
Freddie was playing at Universal Studios and with Jose Feliciano.
Tolbert is still playing.
You can check out his new project, "Coaliton," listed under my friends.
Steve and I are working together on several projects.
In 1989, Darby Orr, Tolbert Pitman, and I formed Twist of Fate.
We got signed to a shopping deal with Dragon Street Records (Tripping Daisy), owned by David Dennard (Gary Myrick bass player) and Patrick Keel.
Theresa La Barbera-Whites of Sony Music helped us a great deal.
The band had pretty much broken up except for Darby and myself.
In 1991, the day after my mother died, Janet Thompson and Theresa, signed us to Sony Publishing.
We played at South by Southwest that year at the Continental Club with some other people signed to Sony.
Robin Le Messurier (Rod Stewart)
Lowen and Navarro....to name a couple.
It was awesome meeting those guys and needless to say, I was honored.
In 1992, my father passed away and our deal with Sony fell through, and I moved back to Houston to re-group.
While all of this was going on, Darby and I were writing a lot of songs for Chuck E. Cheese Pizza worldwide, so they wouldn't have to pay ASCAP and BMI royalties.
Lee Martin (listed above) also was the producer/arranger on this project.
I also started doing jingles....it paid a few bills.
Presently........
I am working with long-time friend, Steve Dupuis on an R& B collection, and should be through with the first CD around December 2007.
Mississippi is the first fruits of the original songs on the CD.
I also wrote songs for a children's book by Maren Thorson Devine, "Paolo the Pink Dolphin."
My youngest daughter is seven years-old, and was trying to impress her...what can I say.
BTW, my oldest daughter Lauren, is very talented too.
I am also writing and recording with another incredible talent, Sig Emerson.
As soon as we work out the logistics, I am going to start writing and recording with Darby Orr....
As these projects are completed, I will post the songs....soon...very soon.
I am surrounding myself with a bunch of talented people, and I am excited about what will come from it!
Bottom line is that my different projects reflect my eclectic taste.
I love the Blues, as well as Alternative, and I get a big kick out of Children's music.
Sig and I are recording our songs now with our band Emerson Stewart Project(ESP) and should be through with the first five tunes by mid-December, at which time I will post them.
We are also starting to work on live arrangements to start doing gigs as early as December '06 or first of next year.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and thanks for the support!
Charles
