Charlie Rich
From Wikinfo
Charlie Rich, (14 December 1932 - 25 July 1995), known as The Silver Fox, was an American musician. Rich was primarily known as a country music star who played piano but he had influence in other musical genres.
Charlie Rich was born in Forrest City, Arkansas in the Mississippi Delta region on 14 December 1932. Rich took his first music lessons from C.J. Allen who was a black sharecropper on his family's land. Allen taught him a variety of Blues techniques on piano and Memphis-style Delta Blues were an early influence on his musical style. During his high school years Rich became interested in big band jazz and was influenced by Stan Kenton. Rich even took up saxaphone for his high school band.
Rich's family was a very religious family and he was brought up in the Missionary Baptist tradition. Rich's parents were members of a gospel quartet which also influenced Rich's musical development. Rich's mother gave him piano lessons in the gospel style and this form of music deeply affected Rich on an emotional level for the rest of his life. Rich's parents were somewhat disappointed that he became more involved with secular music and the environment where his Blues and R&B influences were taking him.
Rich married Margaret Ann in 1952 and he attended Arkansas State College on a football scholarship. His career was ended due to injury. Attempting to return to his musical roots he attended the University of Arkansas for formal musical training but this was interrupted when he joined the United States Air Force. During his stint in the Air Force at Enid, Oklahoma he spent his off time playing jazz with a small band called the Velvetones.
Rich returned to Arkansas and took up farming in the Forrest City area with his wife Margaret Ann. Rich still played and recorded songs at home and Margaret Ann took his tapes to Sun Studio in Memphis where they got favorable attention.
From 1958 to 1963 Rich made bluesy white soul records with Sun and then bounced around between labels for a few years including RCA and Mercury Records. In late 1967 Rich went to Nashville, Tennessee and signed with the Epic division of CBS/Columbia Records and began cutting country music records.
As the early 1970s rolled around Rich shot his way onto the country music charts with such hits as Behind Closed Doors and Most Beautiful Girl In The World. These songs became megahits and made Rich a full-fledged country music superstar.
Rich's last album, Pictures and Paintings was a jazz album that he had wanted to make for many years. He was finally given a free hand by his record label to put together a jazz recording.
Charlie Rich died on 25 July 1995 in a motel room in Hammond, Louisiana. The cause of death was a pulmonary embolism. An effort is currently underway to have Rich inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Awards
- Academy of Country Music Album of the Year for "Behind Closed Doors" (1973)
- Academy of Country Music Male Vocalist of the Year (1973)
- Academy of Country Music Single Record of the Year for "Behind Closed Doors" (1973)
- GRAMMY� Award for Best Country Male Vocal Performance for "Behind Closed Doors" (1973)
- GRAMMY� Hall of Fame for "Behind Closed Doors" Inducted 1999 Charlie Rich (Epic, 1973)
- Country Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year (1973)
- Country Music Association Single of the Year for "Behind Closed Doors" (1973)
- Country Music Association Album of the Year for "Behind Closed Doors" (1973)
- Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year (1974)
- Country Music Association Album of the Year for "A Very Special Love Song" (1974)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture to "I Feel Love" from the movie Benji (1975)
- American Music Award for Favorite Single (1974)
- American Music Award for Favorite Single (1975)
- American Music Award for Favorite Male Artist (1975)
- Golden Boot Awards for "There Won�t Be Anymore" (1974)
- Golden Boot Award for "I Don�t See Me In Your Eyes Anymore" (1974)
- Golden Boot Award for "She Calls Me Baby" (1974)
- Golden Boot Award for "Tomorrow Night" (1974)
- ASCAP Award for "Tomorrow Night" (1973)
- ASCAP Award for "I Don�t See Me In Your Eyes Anymore" (1974)
- Radio Programmers of America Male Country Singles Artist (1975)
- Radio Programmers of America Male Country Album Artist (1975)
- American Guild of Variety Artists Entertainer of the Year (1974)
- National Association of Recording Merchandisers Best Selling Male Country Artist (1973)
- University of Memphis Amphion Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music (1994)
- Inductee into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame
