Rockie Charles

Although a longtime veteran of the music industry, singer/guitarist Rockie Charles and his soulful blues sound only began attracting attention during the mid-1990s. Born Charles Merick in Boothville, Lousiana on November 14, 1942, he first emerged during the early 1960s in a series of New Orleans R&B bands, taking inspiration from Earl King and Chuck Berry; auditions for the Minit and Imperial labels went nowhere, but during the middle of the decade Charles cut a handful of sides for Black Patch, including "Sinking Like a Ship." He soon relocated to Nashville, where he backed performers including O.V. Wright, Little Johnny Taylor and Roscoe Shelton. Upon returning to New Orleans in 1970, Charles established his own label, Soulgate, scoring a local hit with the single "The President of Soul"; however, with the rise of disco, his fortunes dwindled, and he spent the better part of the next two decades working as a tugboat captain and oyster fisherman. In 1994, however, Orleans Records producer Carlo Ditta responded to an advertisement Charles had placed in a local entertainment magazine, and two years later the singer finally released his debut solo LP, Born for You. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide