Charlie's gone

[taiyo no otosan]

Just found out this shocking news. Terribly terribly sad.

My sincere condolences to Charlie's family and all of you here who were lucky enough to have known him well. He was clearly such a wonderful human being in so many ways.

[AndyM]

I hope this isn't an inappropriate post, and please delete it if so, but (if I've searched correctly) Charlie's last post in the Forum ended: "fantastic sound fills the room. There is nothing better".

Indeed.

[SusanB]

I feel so sad to hear this. Ive been listening to Charlie since I moved to London in the the early 70's .He was linked to so much music that has been a part of my life. His programmes introduced me to all kinds of music that I've loved and followed over the years. I still have the tapes I made of his radio shows from that time, I read his books and articles and I won C.D.'s in competitions he ran on air. I was lucky enough to meet him last year in Darbuka's and he was so charming and kind in giving me advice on managing a band I'm involved with. He is irreplaceable. Thank you Charlie x

[Dayna]

How could a person I never met before make me feel so much loss? I don't understand it. Tonight I will practice my guitar in honor of Charlie, since he led me to my interest in it, indirectly, along so many other things.

I did have a dream one night I was waiting somewhere to meet Charlie, for quite a while. I woke up before it happened.

[NormanD]

Lovely quote, Andy, thanks for finding it.

Charlie was a real mensch, no finer word to describe him.

Jamie: May 6th at Darbucka has to go ahead. We are here through Charlie, we are here for each other, and for the music.

[Peter Culshaw]

What a terrible blow. . We'll all miss him more than we know right now. As everyone has said, Charlie was a beacon of decency and rare integrity in the music world who affected so many people. A positive force in the world.

I found out when Caspar Llewellyn Smith, also upset, called me and left a message, his regular reviews in OMM which Caspar edited were always a delight - occassionally of artists he liked that hadn't actually got a distribution deal over here (you are supposed to review records that are actually available, or about to be...) - the rave review usually got them one.
One of my favourite Charlie stories I thought of being when Ivan Duran approaching Charlie , who was a hero of his, on a beach in Belize where Charlie and Buffy were on holiday with the early Andy Palacio tapes which became Watina. Charlie didn't mince words and said, more or less, and in detail, that it was terrible. It jolted Ivan into re-doing the project and the result was Watina, a great record. Which Charlie, of course, was vital in promoting ....via a review, on the radio, in person etc...like so many others.

I was listening to the Charlie show they put out last week or so on the World Service of old World Music hits and heard Om Shanti Om by Lord Shorty - a naive, brilliant, uncynical song from 1974 about how music can bring people together which had somehow passed me by. I almost emailed Charlie to say thanks for yet another tune I didn't know, one of hundreds he introduced me to. But I didn't, to my regret - but I put it on tonight thinking of him:
Ihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlDsizk5YS4

p.s. Sorry - with great timing, I rang up Jody tonight trying to hassle tickets for Cimarron, before I heard the news...thoughts and love to Buffy, Jody, and the family.

[Joe Cushley]

One of the formative influences on my musical tastes as I was growing up, and amazingly helpful and friendly when I eventually met him. A hero who lived up to expectations. Love to Buffy.

[carolynbyrne]

Listening to Charlie's shows in the 70's brings back such happy memories as well as going to the Nelson near the football ground in Wimbledon for weekly gigs - always a surprise folowed by fantastic music afterwards. He gave me a fantastic musical education . Thank you Charlie and thinking of all the family.xx

[Jacob Edgar]

Thank you, Charlie, for all of your support and encouragement over the years. I hope you knew how much it meant to me and everyone else who was able to benefit from your positive energy. Thanks for demonstrating how important it is to be kind, even when you are being critical, and for your endless efforts to prop others up. I will miss you and your contagious passion for music.

[Rob Hall]

I was lucky enough to meet him last year in Darbuka's and he was so charming and kind in giving me advice on managing a band I'm involved with. He is irreplaceable. Thank you Charlie x

When I was unemployed a few years back, I called Charlie to ask for some advice, and management was one of the things I half-heartedly suggested. His response was immediate: "Don't even think about it". He was, of course, right.

[peimaan]

The last time I was so moved by someone's departure, It was my mother's. Maybe I should have left a message when Charlie was still around and told him how much I appreciated his taste of music. I listened to his program every week on BBC world service. I know this is too late but thank you, Charlie, for all the beauty that you introduced me to. Thank you.

[AfroBeat]

I am so sorry to hear sad news about Charlie. He was a truly wonderful man and my thoughts are with Buffy and his family. Rest in peace dear friend.

[Tom McPhillips]

This is such a devastating loss.

I don't know what to say, only this morning I was thinking that I should try doing some more Off Shore Accounts to cheer him up - I was unbelievably honored to get personal emails from him, expressing his encouragement and appreciation, I seem to have been so busy in the past few years that I never got around to it, and now...

Charlie has had such a huge influence on my travels through the world of music since those early days of Honky Tonk, and he's brought me and everyone else all the way from local London Pub Rock to traverse every corner of the globe. He's the one person I've always wanted to meet, and now... well wherever I go he'll still always be with me... "Charlie would have liked that, I'll think, when I hear something special...."

My deepest respects to his wife and family.

I feel incredibly privileged to have lived my own life in the same span as his, and to have had Mr Gillett as my primary musical mentor guiding me across the universe over all these years - "These have been "Charlie-Enhanced" years indeed!".

[worldserviceproducer]

Hello. I'm a producer on a BBC World Service news programme. We're obviously covering the fact that Charlie has passed away. I was wondering, given all the thousands and thousands of songs Charlie must have played on his shows, whether anyone who knew him can suggest a piece of music or a song that was one of his personal favourites, that we could play a bit of on our programme, The World Today.

Also, if anyone has any thoughts on the "must have" interview, the person we should really be interviewing about Charlie, please do say.

Best wishes

Ann

[Peter Culshaw]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8573745.stm

some amazing affection from the Gambia, Sweden, Australia, Israel, and from round the world....