Born in Katanning, Western Australia, Charlie was blessed with a musical father who prompted him to begin singing at a very young age. Charlie grew up in the wheat-belt towns of York and Northam in the Avon Valley district of Western Australia. He was an Elvis Presley fan in his teens and later became a fan of Hank Williams (Snr) and in the 70's was introduced to Waylon Jennings' music.
Charlie was a member of the West Australian Country Music Club Inc. and a committee member of the inaugural Northam Country Music Festival. At about that time, Charlie used to visit W.A. ABC Country Music Radio personality Earl Reeve during Earl's long running radio shows and it was Earl who encouraged Charlie to enter the 1983 Esperance Country Music Festival where he won the Over-all Pro-Am section. Included in the prize was a trip to the Wandong Country Music Festival in Victoria. Charlie says that was the only talent quest he ever entered.
In the mid 80's Charlie performed with his own band Kentucky and then for short times with other bands including Western Union.
Charlie moved to South Australia in the late 80's to sing with the band Both Barrels which was being formulated in his absence by S.A. picker Ricky Poole. Both Barrels was a successful band for many years albeit with several talented line-ups. Both Barrels recorded a covers cassette album entitled "The South's Gonna Rise" which sold well.
From the mid 90's to this day Charlie performs as a guest artist all around South Australia including most of the Pubs, Clubs, Festivals and Country Music venues. Charlie has also visited the Tamworth festival several times.
Charlie is a regular performer in the Cancer Research shows in Mt Gambier in memory of Herbie Collins from the Wild Card Band which holds special significance for him as Charlie lost his 16 year old son C.J. to cancer in 2000. Charlie is also a regular performer at the Barmera Country Music Festival & Awards.
Charlie has been a member of the South Australian Council for Country Music Inc. for a number of years and more recently a member of the Board of Management and Coordinator of the Annual Hank Williams Birthday Party which raises funds for the Rocky Page Memorial Scholarship Fund which in turn allows a young artist to attend The College of Country Music in Tamworth.
Charlie is also a regular adjudicator of talent at the SACCM Champion of Champions and more recently at Mt. Gambier and Murraylands festivals.
In 2004 Charlie proudly accepted an invitation to be inducted into the South Australian Country Music Hall of Fame in Barmera.
Charlie is currently building a recording studio in O'Sullivan Beach where he lives with his partner, Jill.
BOOKING ... PH: 0413 753 881 Email :- charliem@adelaide.on.net
This is how I started out back then shirt, hat, boots, vest, cigarettes, WACMC badge, just a bit of an outlaw from the word go really! Say, those coins on the hatband, isn't that defacing Commonwealth property? I wasn't going to die penniless anyway.
Here I am just seventeen short years later, the hairs longer, still got the hat, boots, vest, just added some weight and some wrinkles.
picture by I Fisk
Twenty years later and going grey, still trying to sing that Waylon Jennings stuff? picture by I Fisk
Charlie at Port Pirie May 2005 picture by I Fisk