To continue our series of long-standing careers in this crazy business known as music, we would like to highlight the career of Charles Wright. We all know that staying power will always be a difficult task but there is proof that it can be done with hard work and catchy music.
The funk and soul musician was born in Clarksville, Mississippi. Music was a big part of his childhood and the doo-wop scene of the time was a big draw to Charles Wright. He played guitar and sang in several doo-wop groups including, “The Twilighters, “The Shield” and “The Gallahads”.
He also became a big player in the business side of the scene as he briefly worked as A&R Director for Del-Fi Records and was responsible for the hit recording of “Those Oldies But Goodies” (“Remind me of you”) by Little Caesar and the Romans in 1961. By 1964, Wright formed his own band called Charles Wright & the Wright Sounds which included, John Raynford, along with Daryl Dragon, “Captain” of Captain & Tennille. The group kept growing and went on to be known as the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.
The Hit That Made Charles Wright
The big hit came for Charles Wright and his new band in the 1970’s with “Express Yourself” released by Warner Brothers Records which went on to hit #3 on the R&B chart and #12 on the Pop Charts. That song gained much bigger recognition in the 1980’s when many Rap artists sampled the track for some of the big hits of the time. The list of groups that borrowed from the song include N.W.A., Brand Nubian Funk; Naughty By Nature, Gang Starr, and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Making music has never stopped for Charles Wright and recently released the song “She Don’t Believe In Love”. The track has a fun funk vibe that brings back the memories of an earlier and funner time. The vocals of Charles Wright pour out emotion and a true soul sound that draws in any listener. Whether you are bopping your head or tapping your toes there is no resisting the groove of “You Don’t Believe In Love”.
You can keep up with all the music of Charles Wright at: http://expressyourself.net/
