Anyone Remember Billy Charles?

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 12 Dec 2005 11:41 am

In another thread we've been talking about Kansas City music and musicians.

Just wondered if anyone knows Lead Guitar Player Billy Charles and if he's still around. I worked a couple of jobs with him in the late 80's. Later he went to Branson but I heard he wound up working in the kictchen of a small restaurant there.

Billy had problems with "substances" and "Beverages" and that probably didn't help him to get a picking job in Branson. He is a great guitar picker but couldn't go from a I to IV chord, he had to add several passing chords even in "hardcore" country songs.

Another quirk, he would tell me to give him an "A" chord then he would tune the E string on his guitar against the "A" Chord...

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 12 Dec 2005 11:50 am

I saw and heard him in the mid to late sixties in Fresno, he was living in the Bay Area. He was a terrific player, and at his best when he was doing the show, rather then as a sideman. Several years later I asked a mutual aquaintance about him and was told that he was killed in L.A. I've never known for sure if it was true. If you worked with him in the eighties then it probably was not.

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum SD12U, Carter D10 8/8, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3, DD-3, Fender Steel King, Understanding wife. http://www.Charmedmusic.com

[This message was edited by Howard Tate on 12 December 2005 at 11:55 AM.]

Fred Jack · Post by **Fred Jack** » 12 Dec 2005 12:26 pm

Wow! A memory rouser! I,too,worked with Billy Charles in the 60's.I can't remember if it was in Colo Sprgs or Des Moines.He was a fine musician! Regards, Fred

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 12 Dec 2005 1:18 pm

To add, this Billy Charles (don't know if there was another with the same name) once worked with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.

Charlie Kellogg that had "Big K" recording studio in KC had a story about meeting him in Chicago. He was playing two gigs at the same time - he said he would play the one bar and when they took a break he would take his guitar and go down the street to another bar and work there until they took a break and then go back to the other bar. That was somtime in the 60's.

George Duncan Sypert · Post by **George Duncan Sypert** » 12 Dec 2005 4:59 pm

Fred it was Colorado Springs. I don't think I ever met him but I remember a lot of the local players talking about him.
[This message was edited by George Duncan Sypert on 12 December 2005 at 05:00 PM.]

Fred Jack · Post by **Fred Jack** » 12 Dec 2005 8:03 pm

George, You're right.As I recall there was 3 guys came from K.C.-Springfield area. Billy and a fiddle player and a sax player.I "think" one of them was named Vern.All three of them were super pickers.Whit and I and I think the drummer was Lars Madsen.Whew! Thats been a while. Fred

Barbara Hennerman · Post by **Barbara Hennerman** » 13 Dec 2005 6:32 am

^[This message was edited by Barbara Hennerman on 14 December 2005 at 08:44 AM.]

Jack Bowman · Post by **Jack Bowman** » 7 Mar 2014 7:51 pm

I knew Billy Charles when he worked in GrandJunction, Colo. He could play more Chet and Merle stuf than anyone that I ever met. He used a Fender Strat and tuned the B string a little flat. This was in 19 60-63. later he stopped by ( in 1968) or so and was working on the Road with Art Van Dame Trio in Vegas. He replaced me when I retired from a six night a week gig at the "Fox" in GJ. and at the Branding Iron. I heard later that he had a family and lived in Kansas City.

Ellis Miller · Post by **Ellis Miller** » 9 Mar 2014 4:31 am

Now there is a blast from the past. I crossed paths with Billy and worked with him from time to time during the late 60s and early 70s around western Colorado. He was indeed a great player. I lost track of him.