Chuck's Music Bio...
I loved music and listening to the radio as a young boy even before I began to play. At around 10, my mom signed me up for piano lessons. I didn’t care much for it. Playing scales, learning to read music and playing hymns was no fun at all. I spent most of my time on the piano playing chords and wishing that I could play like Jerry Lee Lewis.
The fun began at age 13 when my dad bought me a Ventures “learn to play guitar” album. I soon learned to play four songs on my dad’s Silvertone electric guitar. Soon after that, a friend of mine, Kenny Suire, and I formed a group called the Vikings later changing our name to The Mad Hatters. We played at local teen dances around Meridian, Mississippi until we disbanded in 1968 when my family moved to Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
After starting my career and my family, there was little time left for my music except to pick up my guitar or sit at my piano and play when I could find time. When I was around 50, Madelin and I bought a baby grand piano for our home. I became inspired and began to play and write songs. That led to a digital recorder, a new guitar, a bass, a Roland keyboard and a bedroom converted to a recording studio. With a few exceptions, all of my songs were recorded in my home studio with me playing all of the instruments.
I began to play in bands again starting in the church praise band. I played in a Tallahassee band, Off Meridian, for a couple of years and then started my current band, the RockitZ. The RockitZ has become one of the area’s most popular rock bands. We feature a 5-piece horn section and play mostly classic rock and soul music. Playing in the RockitZ is one of the crowning personal achievements of my life.
Madelin and I live in Tallahassee, Florida and have two wonderful children, Brian and Jamie. We also are blessed to have two of the world’s most wonderful and beautiful grandchildren, Karis and Tommy.
Karis and I wrote and recorded Oscar and the Cat together when she was only 4 years old. The concept of the song was hers!
I hope you enjoy my songs and that you will catch The RockitZ at a gig near you! Rock on everybody!
All the best, Chuck
