Charlie's gone

[wastedpapiers]

Another old Honky Tonk show from 1978 just uploaded to my blog-

http://bootsalesounds.blogspot.com/

This time it's a chat with Errol Dixon, the blues piano player who tells of his early days in Jamaica playing Ska and then his gradual switch to soul and blues. Nice selection of records including Smiley Lewis, Dave Bartholemew and Big Maybelle.

[kastamonu]

The Bhundu Boys singing Hatisi Tose will always, always remind me of Charlie - I am a London girl at heart and I have a clear picture of Charlie playing football with the boys on Clapham Common.

Miss you so much Charlie - dancing away to the above track on my terrace here - near Izmir (Turkey), while hanging out the washing. I love this song so much - my heart just soars when I hear it. Thank you for a wonderful 16 months of listening & now all the repeats too. I know you are still with us all - especially of course your lovely family and friends.

Pauline

[gary booth]

I posted a few of my memories of Charlie a few weeks back and said at the time it might be my one and only posting but I've returned encouraged by Norman & Howard's encouraging words - sorry guys, I tried to do that bit where you can take bits of your replies and quote the aforementioned encouraging words but I think 5 hours later I was still pasting before cutting - anyway, if you can't recall what you said it's on page 16 of this thread. I say "encouraging" words but "there's even some ex Lambeth Social Services guys amongst us." sounds more like a warning, Norman. Anyway, I'm back this time to share with you an e.mail I got yesterday from my mate Snowy....

"Charlie and I competed for the same athletic club, Belgrave Harriers, for about 25 years. In that time he was club champion many times at 400 flat and 400 hurdles and Surrey County champion 400 hurdles in 1970 with a time of 56sec.We were both part of the club 4 x100 relay team which broke the club record in the 70s and it stood for about 10 years. We also both competed for Belgrave Harriers in the first ever British League competition.
Charlie kept his music life and athletic life quite separate, if fact I never knew about the music side of his life till about 1976/7 when I was browsing though the Radio Times and came across Radio London programmes and it read “Honky Tonk” with Charlie Gillett. It wasn’t until I tuned in and recognised his voice that I realised it was Charlie and by that time we had been competing on the track together for nearly 8 years. It is only now that I am finding out what a star Charlie was in the world of music and radio but let me tell you he was also a star on the track for Belgrave Harriers."
Yours
Snowy Brooks

We both intend to be at the 'tribute night' on the 13th. Hope to see you there Norman, maybe over a beer we can come up with a collective noun for 'ex Lambeth Social Service workers - and I'll explain why the Forum wasn't for me but maybe is now.
Also, someone mentioned the wonderful Sound Of The City - 2 CD sets Charlie compiled on various U.S. cities e.g. L.A., Chicago, etc back in 2002. Now resembling 'hen's teeth' I spotted the L.A. one on eBay today with 2 days of bidding to go currently at the bargain price of £6.99 - I've already got it so it's there for one of you.

[Michael Prince]

Interestingly, I only knew of Charlie's musical life and nothing of his athletic achievements. I suspect it's the same story for a lot of other people as well.

[NormanD]

Hello again Gary

... maybe over a beer we can come up with a collective noun for 'ex Lambeth Social Service workers

Back in the 1980s, the word might have been 'Labourcouncillors'. Ex-Lambeth workers here, as far as I know, include me, you, Aly Prince and Jamie Renton. Plus some others who who experienced Lambeth Social Service, but never got paid for it.

Look forward to seeing you soon.

[dave o]

I know its somewhere in the 29 pages of postings but I couldn't find it and what's the plan for the 13th? Maybe we should start a new subject heading just for this, and can I help?

[zee]

Dave, the topic regarding celebration of Charlie's life on 13th May at Darbuka is here

[dave o]

doh, thank you

[Kiwigirl]

Am sorry to hear of Charlie's passing. Really miss his world of music broadcast.
Was always a pleasure to hear his voice and be amazed with the variety of music he introduced on the show.

[john poole]

A visit to the Boot Sale Sounds site revealed that four more Honky Tonk tapes have been added over the past ten days, with guests Art Neville, James Burton, Dr.Hook, and a 'rockabilly special' with Charlie Feathers, Jack Scott & Buddy Knox. There's also a more recent 'ping-pong' encounter with Nick Hornby from 1995.

http://bootsalesounds.blogspot.com

[NormanD]

...There's also a more recent 'ping-pong' encounter with Nick Hornby from 1995.
http://bootsalesounds.blogspot.com

Not checked the site yet, but I wonder if that is one of the first, if not the first, Ping Pong? I thought that Nick Hornby was Charlie's first ever challenger, who made several returns over the years.

[davek]

So sad to see in MOJO today that Charlie passed away. Honkey Tonk and the Sound of the City introduced me to countless artists that I've loved ever since.

My other half was one of Charlie's volunteers on the phones during Honkey Tonk and used to describe the brilliant atmosphere especially when guests were in - the Professor Longhair interview was legendary. I remember a wonderful Honkey Tonk Xmas party above a pub with Darts standing on a table singing a capella - awesome. In the mid-70s Charlie let me have a go at putting a keyboard solo on a never released single by one of his Oval artists called Jimmy Shelter (!). Neither JImmy or my solo ever saw the light of day, but Charlie was very generous about it.

Charlie was a great guy and made a huge contribution.

[Alan Balfour]

I remember a wonderful Honkey Tonk Xmas party above a pub with Darts standing on a table singing a capella - awesome.

My pocket diary for that year has an entry for Sunday December 10, 1976 which reads:

Honk Tonk Party, Freemasons Arms, Covent Garden, 7.30pm, guests The Darts.

Charlie had given them their Radio debut that October.

The following year the party was held at the Three Tuns Bar in the LSE.

[wastedpapiers]

Continuing tribute to Charlie and his wonderful radio shows at my audio blog. This week its Rico from 1977 playing some great old ska and jazz tracks. A snippet of a Fats Domino interview from 1978 and finally a rather wobbly tape of the first City beats show on Capital radio from 1984.

http://bootsalesounds.blogspot.com/

[Roger Bolt]

I am slow doing this but thats no reflection on how sad I was to learn of Charlie's death. I got to know him quite well as one of the phone helpers on Honky Tonk. Through Charlie I met musicians and music people who opened my eyes (and ears!!) to a different world. He told me off when BB King was in the studio because I got BB talking about one of his songs "The BB Jones" and in particular the difficult timing - which BB confessed eluded him too ! Charlie said that he might miss something important and so BB and I were only allowed to talk when Charlie was not otherwise engaged in lining up a record to play! Though Charlie I learned all about Delbert McClinton, Bobby Charles, Amos Garrett, Rocking Jimmy and dozens more. His enthusiasm and love for the music were totally infectious. I never grasped the World Music thing and Charlie would occasionally kid me about my "narrow" musical mind when we ran into each other at a gig. A massive loss. My heartfelt condolences to Buffy and the family. Charlie we shall miss you. Roger.