Charlie Rich

Charlie Rich ( born December 14, 1932 in Forrest City, Arkansas; † July 24, 1995 in Hammond, Louisiana) was an American country music singer.

Life

Getting Started

Charlie Rich was influenced in his early youth of jazz and blues. His first band, The Velvetone, he founded during his U.S. Air Force - time in Oklahoma. Lead singer was his fiancée and later wife, Margaret Ann. After his military service he worked for Judd Phillips, the brother of Sun Records owner Sam Phillips.

Sam Phillips asked the young musician to produce a few demo tapes. The demos were not appreciated. They were too jazz -oriented for commercial exploitation. Charlie Rich got a couple of old rock & roll and country singles on the way home and was asked to write something similar. And he really did. Some of his songs have been interpreted by established stars such as Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash.

Career

From 1958 began Rich even take singles at Phillips International, a sub label from Sun appeared. After two unsuccessful singles in 1958 and 1959 managed Lonely Weekends at number 22 in the U.S. singles charts come. The next panels flopped again, and Charlie Rich moved to Groove 1963, a subsidiary of RCA. This cooperation has to be known song Big Boss Man resulted. 1965 signed a recording contract with Rich Smash, a subsidiary label of Mercury, and had as an introduction to hit Mohair Sam, who came in at number 21 of the singles chart. But this modest success could not be repeated. He changed the label again, took from 1966 to 1967 a total of three singles for Hi and eventually landed in 1967 on Epic Records, where he was supervised by the influential producer Billy Sherrill.

With some quite remarkable Epic plates were produced. The breakthrough came in 1973 with Behind Closed Doors, which topped the country charts and penetrated even into the pop top 20. The album of the same name was certified gold, and Rich was awarded a Grammy in 1974 for Best Male Country Vocal Performer. Was surpassed this success with the next single, which reached top positions around the world and was a classic: The Most Beautiful Girl.

His success continued until the mid-70s, was to present as Rich at the presentation of the CMA Awards the "Entertainer of the Year". Drunk fall he lit in front of cameras on the envelope with the name of the winner ( John Denver). Charlie Rich was done. But he made a comeback two years later and still placed in the charts several times. His last number - one hit, On My Knees, he produced in 1978 in conjunction with Janie Fricke. The early 80s, he ended his career.

Charlie Rich died in 1995 of a pulmonary embolism. He spent a decade successfully with its implication, in a hoarse voice country ballads.

Albums

• Lonely Weekends With Charlie Rich (1960 )
• Charlie Rich (1964 )
• That's Rich ( 1965)
• The Many Sides Of New Charlie Rich (1965 )
• Big Boss Man (1966 )
• The Best Years (1966 )
• Charlie Rich Sings Country & Western ( 1967)
• Set Me Free ( 1968)
• Fabulous Charlie Rich (1969 )
• Boss Man (1970 )
• A Time For Tears (1972 )
• The Best Of Charlie Rich (1972 )
• Behind Closed Doors ( 1973)
• Very Special Love Songs (1974 )
• There Will not Be Anymore (1974 )
• The Silver Fox ( 1974)
• Everytime You Touch Me (I Get High ) ( 1975)
• Silver Linings (1976 )
• Take Me (1977 )
• Rollin 'With The Flow ( 1977)
• I Still Believe In Love (1978 )
• The Fool Strikes Again (1978 )
• Nobody But You (1979 )
• Once a Drifter (1980 )
• Pictures And Paintings ( 1992)