NPR: The Untold Story Of Singer Bobby Charles

 

When he was around 13, Robert Charles Guidry began singing with a band around his hometown of Abbeville, La., deep in the Cajun swamps. The group played Cajun and country music and, after he passed through town and played a show, Fats Domino's music. It was a life-changing experience for the young man, and he found himself with a new ambition: to write a song for Fats.

One night as he left a gig, Charles said to his friends, "See ya later, alligator," and one of them yelled back, "In a while, crocodile." Charles stopped in his tracks. "What did you say?" he asked. The friend repeated it. At that moment, as would happen countless times in the future, the song "See You Later, Alligator" came to him, fully formed.

Fats didn't want the song, and told the young man he didn't want to sing about alligators. Somehow, though, the kid wound up singing the song over the phone to Leonard Chess, whose Chess Records in Chicago was the hottest blues label in town. Chess didn't hesitate: He sent the kid a ticket, and when Charles showed up at his office, Chess said something I can't say on the air. The sentence ended with the word "white" and a question mark, though.

Chess recorded him, though, and put the song out, changing Guidry's name to Bobby Charles; almost immediately, Bill Haley grabbed it for himself. Haley's record was one of the best sellers of 1956, and both Chess and Charles made some decent money from it. They tried follow-ups called "Watch It, Sprocket," which wasn't something people actually said, and "Take It Easy, Greasy," which was, but the record was a little too, well, greasy to be too popular. Charles recorded for Chess until 1958, but his records only sold locally. Along the way, though, he seems to have pioneered a genre called swamp pop.
He also got to realize a dream. One evening, Fats Domino played Abbeville, and Fats invited Charles to a show in New Orleans. The young singer said he had no way to get there. "Well," the fat man said, "you'd better start walking." And sure enough, a song popped into Charles' head: "Walking To New Orleans."

Bobby Charles signed with Imperial, Fats' label, but again, nothing hit. He admitted freely that he was part of the problem. He didn't enjoy touring, and he had a jealous wife who didn't like him leaving town. He continued writing and selling songs, and recorded for some local Louisiana labels. He and his wife parted company, and then, in 1971, he got busted for pot in Nashville. Rather than risk jail, he disappeared; he wound up in upstate New York, and saw the name Woodstock on a map. He'd never even heard of the famous festival, but the name appealed to him.

Arriving in town, he asked a real-estate agent about a place to rent and wound up in a house shared with two other musicians. They introduced him around, and Albert Grossman, who'd managed Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and many others, got interested. The next thing he knew, Charles was back in the studio with members of The Band, Dr. John and lots of other Woodstock musicians. The resulting album has some truly memorable moments.

It didn't sell, though. Charles focused on songwriting, but he wasn't comfortable in Woodstock, and in the end he went back to Abbeville, where he disappeared from public view for an entire decade. He had a good income from his songs, but a run of bad luck: His house burned down, and then his next house blew away in a hurricane. He kept writing songs, and he entertained visitors who came to Abbeville to meet him — people like Bob Dylan and Neil Young and Willie Nelson. His record label, Rice 'N' Gravy, put out several homemade albums, which mixed his old and new songs.
At 70, Bobby Charles was diagnosed with cancer, and he died in January 2010, unknown to most of the world he'd enriched with his songs.

Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame to honor Fats Domino, Dave Bartholomew

Keith Spera, The Times-Picayune

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland will devote its 15th annual American Music Masters series to Fats Domino, Dave Bartholomew and New Orleans’ role in the birth of rock ‘n’ roll.

Jennifer Zdon

“Walking to New Orleans: The Music of Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew,” scheduled for Nov. 8-13, consists of evening lectures, interviews and film screenings at the museum; a day-long conference at Case Western Reserve University; and a culminating tribute concert at Cleveland’s Palace Theater in Playhouse Square. Confirmed performers include Bartholomew, Lloyd Price, Dr. John, Irma Thomas, Robert Parker and the Rebirth Brass Band.

The American Music Masters program, the Hall of Fame’s signature series, spotlights key figures in the evolution of popular music whose stories and contributions warrant wider recognition. Past honorees include Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, Lead Belly, Hank Williams, Louis Jordan, Buddy Holly, Sam Cooke, Jerry Lee Lewis, Les Paul and Janis Joplin.

“We’ve told a lot of great stories in this program, but we haven’t yet told the New Orleans story,” said Dr. Lauren Onkey, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s vice president of education and public programs. “Because it’s the 15th anniversary of the museum, it seemed like a great time. We want to do it justice.”

Only twice before has the series focused on a living musician, and two individuals have never been honored in the same year. With Domino and Bartholomew, the series will examine one of the most successful partnerships in rock history.

“When you think about choosing people for this event, the list narrows pretty quickly, because you’re looking for artists who made a huge impact,” Onkey said. Domino and Bartholomew “have been on our radar for a long time. Some people would say they created rock ‘n’ roll. We can all agree that they are some of the key people in the creation of the music.

“Their collaboration brought together different traditions and sounds in an exciting way. In terms of the work they did together, it’s a wonderful story that not enough people know.”

In 1949, Bartholomew was a respected trumpeter and bandleader working as a talent scout for Imperial Records. He “discovered” Domino performing in a neighborhood bar and became his producer and co-writer.

Their first collaboration, “The Fat Man,” is widely considered the first true rock ‘n’ roll record. Working at Cosimo Matassa’s studios in and around the French Quarter, Domino and Bartholomew crafted a remarkable string of hits in the 1950s and early ‘60s. Reportedly, only Elvis Presley outsold Domino in the 1950s.

In 1986, Domino stood alongside Elvis Presley, James Brown, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sam Cooke, the Everly Brothers and Little Richard in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame’s inaugural inductee class. Bartholomew was inducted in 1991 in the non-performer category.

“It’s a great feeling and honor to be recognized at this point in my life,” Bartholomew said. “At almost 90, I look back at my career and I think about the people before us and the people that followed in our footsteps. I think we had a helluva ride and I thank the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for recognizing our catalog and our place in music history.”

Bartholomew has confirmed his attendance, and organizers hope Domino will attend as well. “We’ve had great response and cooperation from Dave and his family and Fats and his family,” Onkey said.

In addition to the announced New Orleans performers, the tribute concert is likely to include marquee special guests. Past performers at American Music Masters concerts have included Bruce Springsteen, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and Aretha Franklin with Solomon Burke and Elvis Costello. Domino is not lacking in famous fans, as evidenced by the who’s who of stars on “Goin’ Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino,” a 2007 benefit CD produced by the Tipitina’s Foundation.

The Hall of Fame museum’s exhibits on the 1950s and rhythm & blues contain artifacts related to New Orleans. In conjunction with the American Music Masters program, some objects – a Bartholomew trumpet, handwritten musical scores to “Blueberry Hill” and “Walking to New Orleans,” a Domino shirt – will be grouped together in a small, dedicated exhibit.

All American Music Masters panels and interviews are archived at the museum. As part of its educational outreach program, the museum plans to create a course for high school students about Domino, Bartholomew and the early history of rock ‘n’ roll in New Orleans.

The tribute concert “is always a killer show,” Onkey said, “but we really see it as key to our education mission.”

On This Day: "I'm Walkin'" Recorded

c/o WFUV blog

I’m Walkin’

Let’s start the new year off on the right foot by celebrating the recording of
Fats Domino’s “I’m Walkin’” on this date in 1957.

Upcoming (in NoLa): The Domino Effect, a Star-Studded Tribute to Fats Domino

see also: Revel With a Cause

An extravagant tribute concert to honor Fats Domino doubles as a fundraising boon for the Brees Dream Foundation — and the final push to fulfill a two-year-old promise.

The Domino Effect: May 30 at New Orleans Arena
New Orleans Benefit Concert to feature B.B. King, Chuck Berry
Little Richard, Wyclef Jean, Keb' Mo', Taj Mahal & Junior Brown

B.B. KING For more than half a century, Riley "B.B." King has defined the blues for audiences the world over. In that time, King has developed one of the world's most identifiable guitar sounds with the aid of his beloved guitar, Lucille and entranced millions with his deep and expressive voice. CHUCK BERRY Chuck Berry's music, lyrics, and devil-may-care spirit have made an indelible impression on millions of people, including such legends as the Beatles and Rolling Stones. He celebrated the birth of rock and roll in 1955 and remains, to this day, one of its most electrifying performers. LITTLE RICHARD Little Richard is the originator, the emancipator, and the architect of rock and roll. Exploding into the American consciousness in the mid-'50s...awop-bop-a-loo-mop-alop-bam-boom.... he helped lay the foundation and establish the rules for a new musical form that would come to be known as rock and roll. OZOMATLI The music of culture-mashers, Ozomatli is a notorious urban-Latino-and-beyond collision of hip hop and salsa, samba and funk, merengue and comparsa, East LA R&B and New Orleans second line, Jamaican reggae and Indian raga. Ozomatli has the unique ability to take you around the world without leaving your seat. WYCLEF JEAN Haitian-born Wyclef Jean is a Grammy Award-winning musician/producer, social activist, Goodwill Ambassador, and diplomat for positive cultural evolution. Wyclef is a founding member of hip-hop sensation the Fugees as well as a prolific solo artist. JUNIOR BROWN Junior Brown is an American country guitarist and singer whose work is a mix of traditional and alternative country with accents of blues and Hawaiian steel with surf-style instrumentation. He is well known for his stringed creations, such as his "guit-steel," a double-necked guitar that marries a traditional six-string on top with a full lap steel on the bottom. TAJ MAHAL Taj Mahal is an internationally recognized blues musician who folds the worldly sounds of the Caribbean, Africa, and the South Pacific into his personal style. He is a self-taught singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose mediums include the guitar, banjo, harmonica and more. KEB' MO' Keb' Mo' is an American musician known for his songwriting and vocal stylings as well as his proficiency with the guitar, banjo, and keyboard. Though primarily a blues artist, his wide-ranging talents have lead him to venture into genres as varied as gospel and calypso in his long and rich career.

About The Domino Effect The Domino Effect is a star-studded tribute concert celebrating the life and influence of rock and roll legend Fats Domino. Musical legends from far and wide are gathering in New Orleans for one historic night to pay tribute to Fats and his feats throughout his lifetime. A portion of the proceeds from this music extravaganza will benefit the Brees Dream Foundation bettering local playgrounds and outdoor recreation sites for the children of New Orleans. About The Brees Dream Foundation Since 2007, The Brees Dream Foundation has contributed more than $1.65 million to the New Orleans community as part of its partnership with Operation Kids. Drew and Brittany Brees are committed philanthropists to the city of New Orleans and are a vital part of the rebirth and revitalization of the city's youth. About The Producers Illuminated Entertainment LLC (IEG) and its partner Rozone Productions LLC (RPI) managed by David E. Rosen promotes elite music events at a wide range of venues across the country. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, "The Live Music Capital of the World", the company is firmly positioned within the epicenter of cutting edge, traditional and talented live musicians and artists. Often partnering with 501(c)(3) philanthropic organizations, IEG and RPI work to create awareness of a community's needs, whether in a city, a region, or an entire country, IEG and RPI support these 501(c)(3) by donating portions of the proceeds from their scheduled events. One of the primary missions of IEG / RPI is to provide the patrons, business colleagues, and artists it collaborates with an experience that is substantially more rewarding than that of our competitors. This uncompromising approach is the bedrock and soul of our success.

NolaFunk Lagniappe

Home of the Groove's "In Pursuit of Bo-Consciousness"

Edwin J. Bocage, a/k/a Spider Bocage, Little Bo, and best known as Eddie Bo, a fascinating, often enigmatic figure on the New Orleans music scene for over half a century, passed away just over a week ago. During his career, he wore many musical hats (including turbans): pianist/organist, vocalist, bandleader, composer (over 200 songs), arranger and producer. His work appeared on a huge assortment of labels, including a few of his own.

By the time of his passing, while certainly not rich and famous, he was still a popular local performer and had a small but loyal following around the country and abroad. I guess you could say that he achieved an underground legendary status, revered by other musicians, record collectors, and serious New Orleans music fans alike - the Bo-cognoscenti, so to speak.

Wednesday at the Square - Soul Rebels, Bucktown Allstars

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the event which showcases the finest in local music and art. We, along with a few thousand other spectators, in spite of the ominous clouds looming overhead, sought out the sounds of the Soul Rebels Brass Band and the Bucktown Allstars. The Soul Rebels, whose weekly all-night marathons at Le Bon Temps are a staple of the New Orleans music scene, opend the show with a set of tight grooves, fiery brass, and smoldering soul. The Bucktown Allstars, one of the Big Easy’s foremost party bands, closed out the event with a set of classic New Orleans anthems and goodtime jams. If yesterday was any indication of what’s to come, this weekly gathering is a must for anyone in and around the Crescent City. Go ahead, lie to your boss, duck of work early. You won't regret it.

Live Review- Will Bernard Band @ Highline Ballroom

I went to see Will Bernard and his insanely funky bandmates at the Highline Ballroom on Thursday. Simply put, it was hot shit! I wrote about Bernard's excellent new record, "Blue Plate Special," back in September. Here's what I said:

Kermit Ruffins: Jazz Fest/Album

Kermit Ruffins - Livin' a Treme' Life
Basin Street Records, April 28

Kermit Ruffins

Make no mistake, everything about Kermit Ruffins exemplifies New Orleans. Residing in the town of Treme´, former home of his predecessors Louis Prima and Louis Armstrong, he continues the big brass tradition the town is known for - Kermit plays a "sweet, sweet horn", as Michael J. Agovino of Newsweek notes. His musical stylings resemble the culture of New Orleans, a melting pot, with Jazz, funk, standards and hip-hop. His charisma, both onstage and on his recordings, reflects the spirit of his city.

New NO Mixtape

Jealous Monk’s Jermaine Quiz has a new mixtape online for download here. There’s a lot going on here and the source materials are pretty high profile, but it’s nice to hear the Meters/Nevilles and Lil’ Wayne meeting on equal footing in modern NO funk recordings.



On his new CD, pianist Tom McDermott is most effective when his fingers do the talking

Ted Jackson / The Times-Picayune

As one of the Crescent City's most fluent practitioners of the piano arts, Tom McDermott (hear selected tracks ) is on solid ground whenever he traverses the black and white keys.

"New Orleans Duets," McDermott's first release for Rabadash Records, pairs his piano with 21 singers and instrumentalists on tracks recorded across five years. The result is a decidedly mixed bag of tricks.

CD Review: Wynton Marsalis, He and She

As the most familiar brand name in jazz, Wynton Marsalis has carte blanche to put together any project he chooses.

So it’s no surprise to hear Marsalis apply his pen and his horn — still a thing of beauty, whether holding long tones, ripping through 32nd-note passages, or altered with a mute — to a set of mostly post-bop jazz intermingled with his playful spoken-word passages on the nature of young love.

Fats Domino tribute concert to feature Chuck Berry, Little Richard and more

Matthew Hinton / The Times-Picayune

Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Ozomatli, Keb' Mo', Junior Brown and Taj Mahal are scheduled to perform at "The Domino Effect," a May 30 concert in honor of Fats Domino at the New Orleans Arena.

Promoters hope that Domino at least makes an "appearance" at the show, but don't necessarily expect him to perform. Even an appearance would be something of a coup, as the increasingly reclusive Domino declined to even attend a recent birthday party in his honor at Tipitina's.

Next Generation looks for its next gig

Ted Jackson / Times-Picayune

Carrying on in the tradition of legendary educator, arranger, producer and jazz saxophonist Harold Battiste, pianist Jesse McBride coordinates his Next Generation ensemble as a real world classroom for young jazz musicians. McBride stocks the Next Generation with a revolving cast of promising young players in their teens; when they go off to college, he recruits fresh faces.

Since early 2007, Jesse McBride and the Next Generation have performed most Tuesday nights at Snug Harbor. But that residency ends in April. McBride understands why Snug Harbor decided to make a change. "I can't say that we packed the house," he said. "If we did, they wouldn't have let us go

NolaFunk Lagniappe

Antoinette K-Doe's funeral was an appropriately colorful farewell

Antoinette K-Doe's funeral procession on Saturday included the mannequin of her late husband, Ernie K-Doe, which rode in a mule-drawn carriage.

In her final appearance, Antoinette K-Doe sold out St. James Methodist Church.

By the start of Mrs. K-Doe's funeral service Saturday morning, the neighborhood church on Ursulines Avenue had exceeded its standing-room-only capacity. A police officer turned away late arrivals, who pooled on the sidewalk to await the subsequent second-line.

Mrs. K-Doe, the widow of New Orleans rhythm & blues singer Ernie K-Doe and his equal in the annals of eccentricity, died of a heart attack early Mardi Gras morning.

Antoinette K-Doe, RIP. Remembering a great New Orleanian.

Antoinette K-Doe, the widow of New Orleans music legend Ernie K-Doe, died Tuesday of a heart attack. In 2006, Josh Levin wrote about Ernie's run for New Orleans mayor from beyond the grave, Antoinette's return to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and her hopes of reopening the Mother-In-Law Lounge—the bar and music venue bearing the name of her late husband's famous song. (The Mother-In-Law Lounge did reopen later in 2006 to much jubilation.) The original article is reprinted below.




Rally of the Dolls: Separated by a generation — and now, by 2,000 miles — friends Antoinette K-Doe and Miriam Batiste Reed have teamed Up to bring the Baby Doll tradition back to Mardi Gras.

BY NOAH BONAPARTE PAIS

Even by New Orleans standards, the jazz funeral for Lloyd Washington was a singular event. First, there was the date: Oct. 24, 2004, or four months after Washington, a singer and member of the final Ink Spots lineup, succumbed to cancer at 83. (Unable to provide a proper burial for her husband, Hazel Washington had kept his ashes safe in a small urn enshrined at the Ernie K-Doe Mother-in-Law Lounge on Claiborne Avenue.)

  Second, there was the setting: the Musicians' Tomb at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, a space in the Barbarin family mausoleum specially designated for local artists and their spouses. In a colorful procession that included two comrades' vehicles, Antoinette K-Doe's pink limousine and Geannie Thomas' red pickup truck, one of the last survivors of the legendary R&B group became the first musician laid to rest in the historic tomb.

NPR's Chronicling Black New Orleans' Untold Story

Listen Now

The streets of Faubourg Treme were once home to an untold history of New Orleans — a story that has now been rekindled in a new documentary.

Tony Cox talks with resident and journalist Lolis Eric Elie about Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans

Video: Bonerama - Big Fine Woman

Here's the video debut of New Orleans funksters Bonerama. This video for Big Fine Woman comes from PartyGras2009.com - a site anchored by PBS and Bonerama that will feature new music in the form of live shows, a single of a brand new song, or an archival release from back in the day every Tuesday in 2009…

Free Hot 8 Brass Band Download

Exclusive track – available from Tues 24th Feb for one week only!

Tuesday 24th February 2009 is Mardi Gras, and to celebrate, we’ve got an exclusive cut from Hot 8 Brass Band to give away absolutely FREE. Appropriately entitled “Steamin’ Blues”, this track is only available for one week, so click here to download this amazing joint from New Orleans’ finest, and get into the Mardi Gras spirit.

As Mardi Gras Rages, New Orleans' Music Scene Struggles to Recover

The history of musicians dealing with the storm's aftermath has been a mixed one. In the year after Katrina, benefits around the country helped musicians get home, get instruments, and get back to work. Then again, at Voodoo 2006, Duran Duran's Simon LeBon fretted from the stage over the devastation he saw on the drive from the airport — a corridor that looked more or less as it had pre-storm — and Wayne Coyne stopped the Flaming Lips' set to instruct New Orleanians on the importance of helping each other, perhaps mowing each others' lawns. Then and now, unmown lawns have been the least of the city's worries.

The VOODOO EXPERIENCE will return to Halloween weekend this October 30, 31 and November 1 in New Orleans’ City Park. This marks the third VOODOO EXPERIENCE that will coincide exactly with the Halloween weekend in a city that is as known for its magic as much as it is for its music.

"Every Mardi Gras is the Best Mardi Gras Ever"

(A quote from Pete Fountain years ago in an interview with New Orleans journalist Rosemary James.)

And so it has always been, with every Mardi Gras being the one that is the favorite in your mind, tops in your memory. And so it is this year. Some impressions;

Mardi Gras in The Treme

North Side Skull and Bones Krewe

Many years ago I lived in Brazil. And no matter how much acai or cafezinhos or palm oil I consumed, I could never ever keep up with my Brazilian friends and their partying - and I didn't even have a job during that time. I came to the realization at that point that to live in Brazil, one must develop Brazilian party muscles. This means learning how to survive on little to no sleep in pursuit of the party, knowing all hangover cures and at what point to activate which one, and attending each and every important celebratory function because, God forbid, folks raise the subject of 'that parade' or 'that party' and you can't add to the conversation because you weren't there.

Groovesape's photos from Blue Nile features the Andrews Family Band, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, James "12" Andrews, Revert "Peanut" Andrews, Glen Andrews, Glen David Andrews, Theresa Andersson, and My Name is John Michael.






Groovescape's photos from the Maple Leaf features the 101 Runners, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, and Billy Iuso.

Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis
by Hanvak