picture of 'Sweet' Charles Sherrell
'Sweet' Charles Sherrell
Charles (* 1943 in Nashville, TN) started making music when he was 8 years old at school. He began playing trombone for 2 years, trumpet for 2 years and drums for 6 years. Then he attended university T.S.U. for 1,5 years music major.
 
Charles started playing R&B with Jimmy Hendrix and one of his bass players Billy Cox who also lived in Nashville. He was playing drums and tought himself to play bass. He knew how to play guitar because Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions were in Nashville during their recordings and on the days that they came to practice, Charles would wash Curtis Jaguar and learned to play Curtis guitar for pay.
 
A few months later the word was out that Miss Franklin was coming to the city looking for a band to take out on the road with her and Jackie Wilson. She picked Johnny Jones & The King Kasuals Band. Johnny asked ‘Young blood’ (that’s what he used to call Sweet Charles) if he thought he could do the job, if he was ready to play bass. Charles said yes and made his way to a pawn shop to purchase a bass that cost $69.
 
In August 1968, Charles switched to the JB's (The James Brown Band). James Brown had heard him play in New York with Aretha Franklin and offered Charles a job with his organisation. One of his first recordings with James Brown was the concert "Say It Live And Loud".
 
In January 1970 he quitted the group because of financial problems with James Brown. Charles came back a few years later. During the years away from James Brown, Charles worked with Al Green, Take 6, Ice-cube, Bootsy (for Snoop Dogg) and many others (also producing gospel groups around Nashville). In 1976 Fred Wesley quitted James Brown and Mr. Brown made Charles his musical director and bandleader instead. Charles stayed on till October 1996, then he too quitted. A few months later, Maceo Parker asked Charles if he wanted to join his band. And so from 1996 till 2004 Sweet Charles toured with Maceo Parker.
 
Charles married his Dutch wife Martine in 2000 and therefor moved to The Netherlands. From 2004 up till now Charles has mainly written music with his wife and performed live, doing his own shows.
contact: contact@sweetcharlessherrell.com
homepage: www.sweetcharlessherrell.com
on tour Click on the logo to see 'Sweet' Charles' tour dates.

 

Discography
The Singles Volume 10 - 1975-1979
Polydor B0015279-02
compilation
James Brown, clavinet, organ, piano, vocals
David Matthews, conductor
Maceo Parker, alto sax
Joe Poff, alto sax, flute
David Sanborn, alto sax
Michael Brecker, tenor sax
Joe Farrell, tenor sax
Peyton "PJ" Johnson, tenor sax
St. Clair Pinckney, tenor sax, flute
Harvey Thompson, tenor sax
Ronnie Eades, baritone sax
Hollie Farris, trombone, trumpet
Michael Gipson, trombone
Charles Rose, trombone
Fred Wesley, trombone
Randy Brecker, trumpet
Harrison Calloway jr., trumpet
Ben Cauley, trumpet
Russell Crimes, trumpet, percussion
Lew Soloff, trumpet
Joe Beck, guitar
Sam Brown, guitar
Duncan Cleary, guitar
Robert Coleman, guitar
Keith Gregory, guitar
Jimmy Johnson, guitar
Hugh McCracken, guitar
Jimmy Nolen, guitar
John Tropea, guitar
Bobby Byrd, organ
Clayton Ivy, keyboards
Mike Lawler, clavinet, keyboards, organ
Randy McCormick, keyboards
Leon Pendarvis, piano
Pat Rebilot, piano
Sweet Charles Sherrell, organ, piano, clavinet, synthesizer, bass, vocals
Richard Tee, organ, piano
Gordon Edwards, bass
David Hood, bass
Will Lee, bass
David Weston, bass
Tony Cook, drums
Steve Gadd, drums
Roger Hawkins, drums
Jimmy Madison, drums
Melvin Parker, drums
Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, drums
Sue Evans, congas, percussion
Johnny Griggs, bongos, congas, percussion
Martha High, vocals

 
Sound Samples
MP3 n/a
Video n/a

 
 

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