Hall of Honor Inductee

Charles hailed from Austin, Texas, but lived in a variety of small towns around the western U.S. and Canada, before settling in Boulder, Colorado in the late ’70s. He found his passion for music playing steel guitar and eventually found his way to the acoustic guitar and bluegrass music. His musical heroes ranged from Bill Monroe to Leadbelly, from Blind Willie Johnson to the Stanley Brothers. He loved The Carter Family, Woody Guthrie, Norman Blake and Clarence White. Though there were some styles he didn’t care for, (referring to them with names such as “blow dry” or “doodley doo”) he was sincerely respectful and helpful to all musicians.

Charles was best known as a member of “Hot Rize.”