Charles Wright (musician)
Charles Wright
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| Labels | ABC, Capitol, Dunhill, Philips, Warner Bros. |
Charles Wright is a singer, instrumentalist and song writer. He has been a member of various doo wop groups in the late 1950s and early 1960s as well as a solo artist in his own right. He is also the former leader and writer of hits for the group, Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.
Background
Wright was born in Clarksdale Mississippi on April 6, 1940.[1][2] One of twelve children, he was the seventh. He was raised on a cotton plantation. The sharecropper that owned that plantation was a cruel man by the name of Edward Miles. When he was 12, the family re-located to Los Angeles. In spite of Wright's father not allowing his children to listen to secular music, he began listening to popular music. A singer called Jesse Belvin was to have a mentoring influence on the young Wright. After hearing Belvin on the radio, he looked up his number in the phone book and contacted him. After being told by Belvin to stop copying his sound and find his own, he took Wright under his wing and helped him get started. This lasted until 1960 when Belvin died at the age of 27 in a car crash. The following year, Wright had his first hit record.[3]
Wright is beat known for his role as band leader of the group, Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band who had the classic 1971 hit "Express Yourself". His is also the author of the book, Up From Where We’ve Come.[4]
He also been associated with Johnny Guitar Watson, touring with him as well as playing on early recordings by him.[5][6] He also added his vocals to an album by The Watsonian Institute.[7]
Career
He was a member of The Shields, an LA based doo wop group that recorded in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Johnny Guitar Watson and Jesse Belvin were members of. Wright became lead singer when he replaced Frankie Erivin.[8]
With the assistance of Tony Hilder, Wright penned "You're Unforgettable",[9] which was recorded by Billy Watkins. Released in 1959 on the Challenge label, it was backed with "Rendezvous" . It was a Billboard prediction to do well in an October 1959 issue, and it was already charting locally that year.[10][11]
By Early 1966, and recording as Charlie Wright, he had a single out on the Capitol label. Along with singles by The Mar-Keys and Percy Mayfield, it was predicted to reach the R&B Singles chart.[12]
By late August 1970, Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band had entered the Billboard Soul Chart with "Express Yourself".[13] It would eventually peak at No. 3 on the rhythm and blues chart and No. 12 on pop chart.[14]
Discography
| Act | Titel | Release info | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Wright | "Help Yourself" / "Number One" | Capitol 5576 | 1966 | |
| Charles Wright | "(I'm Living On) Borrowed Time" / "Keep Saying (You Don't Love Nobody)" | Philips 40411 | 1966 | |
| Charles Wright | "Soul Train" / "Run Jody Run" | Warner Bros. WB 7600 | 1972 | |
| Charles Wright | "You Gotta Know Whatcha Doin'" / "Here Comes the Sun" | Warner Bros. WB 7630 | 1972 | |
| Charles Wright | "(Well I'm) Doin' What Cums Naturally" Part 1 / "(Well I'm) Doin' What Cums Naturally" Part 2 | ABC/Dunhill D-4364 | 1973 | |
| Charles Wright | "you Threw It All Away" / "The Weight Of Hate" | ABC/Dunhill D-4381 | 1973 | |
| Charles Wright | "Is It Real?" / "Don't Rush Tomorrow" | ABC/Dunhill D-15027 | 1975 | |
| Charles Wright | "You Gotta Know Whatcha Doin" / "Here Comes The Sun" | Rhino R7 74167T | [15] |
| Act | Titel | Release info | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Wright | Rhythm And Poetry | Warner Bros. BS 2620 | 1972 | LP |
| Charles Wright | Doing What Comes Naturally | ABC/Dunhill DSD-50162 | 1973 | LP |
| Charles Wright | Ninety Day Cycle People | ABC/Dunhill DSD-50187 | 1974 | LP |
| Charles Wright | A Lil' Encouragement | ABC 8022-867 | 1975 | 8-Track |
| Charles Wright of The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band | Going To The Party | Memories Records 2001-2LP | 1997 | CD |
| Charles Wright | Music For The Times We Live In | M$WM Records 2002-2LP | 2002 | CD |
| Charles Wright of The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band | High Maintenance Woman' | A Million Dollars Worth of Memories Records 2003-LP | 2004 | CD |
| Charles Wright | Finally Got It...Wright | A Million Dollars Worth of Memories Records M$WM 2003-2-7-LP | 2006 | CD |
| Charles Wright of The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band with The Gallahads | My Love Affair With Doo-Wop | A Million Dollars Worth of Memories Records 758794-2004 | 2004 | CD [16] |
References
- ^ Famous Birthdays - Charles Wright, Soul Singer]
- ^ The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul, Colin Larkin - Page 354
- ^ The Philadelphia Tribune, May 5, 2017 - Charles Wright is still expressing himself - Bobbi Booker
- ^ CounterPunch, March 18, 2016 - Charles W. Wright, Musician: Where He’s Been and What He Saw by Seth Sandronsky
- ^ The Gangster of Love: Johnny "Guitar" Watson: Performer, Preacher, Pimp, By Vincent Bakker - Page 360
- ^ The Gangster of Love: Johnny "Guitar" Watson: Performer, Preacher, Pimp, By Vincent Bakker - Page 449 Literature & References
- ^ Discogs - Watsonian Institute – Master Funk, Credits
- ^ Encyclopedia of Rhythm & Blues and Doo-Wop Vocal Groups, By Mitch Rosalsky - Page 515 Shields (Los Angeles)
- ^ Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series, Volume 14, Part 5, Number 1, Music January - June, 1960 - Page 139, 1960, Current Registrations
- ^ Billboard, October 5, 1959 - Page 37 SPECIAL MERIT SPOTLIGHTS
- ^ First Pressings: 1959, Galen Gart - Page 148
- ^ Billboard, February 5, 1966 - Page 16 SPOTLIGHT SINGLES, RF&B SPOTLIGHTS, CHART
- ^ Billboard, August 29, 1970 - Pahe 29 Soul, Billboard BEST SELLING Soul Singles
- ^ Broadway World, Mar. 26, 2017 - Broadway in Leimert Park Opens with 'Express Yourself' Singer Charles Wright
- ^ 45Cat - Charles Wright - Discography, USA
- ^ Discogs - Charles Wright, Discography, Albums