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Reprint of an interview by permission with his friend Jef Reynolds:
"Hey Jef,
I was sitting here trying to remember how it was back in the day. Man, we were jamming everyday, I mean 24-7. I was writing three or four songs a day. "Hey no joke!", I was a "Do-Whopping Ass" {Baby I love you so, Ill never let you go, the way you make me feel, I know our love is real ...} "Hey man, you know I just wrote a hit song" {smile}.
A new kid moved in on the block from New York; his name was Ralph Ferguson (Ralph Thomas Williams). He was into that west coast thing. You know, like rockin' and a rolling in my hot rod car. It worked for him. And he was cool. We would sit in my bed room, bang on my old piano and sing.
Dig this! There was this little blind kid that lived around the corner. His older brother would have him all around the hood. He would sit outside my window and listen to us. He was just Stevie to us. He later became known as Little Stevie Wonder to the world! Man, we came up with a lot of stuff. Harry and I would sit around and come up with some crazy shit! Harry was with the Tokays! Man, he could blow! His range just blew my mind! We would come up with some duo's that was a monster. I recall just singing together and he would begin to sing "We're The Entertainers". I fell right in with him and started adding other lines. We messed around with it for about half an hour, got tired of it and moved on to something else, I mean, that was just the way it was. We would come up with an idea, we'd play with it, and then it would be gone. None of us wrote music or had any idea what a copyright meant.
Sometime later Ralph (now going by the name of Tony Clark) came out with the recording "The Entertainer". It was a minor success, but it was the first successful record by anyone in our circle. Everyone was on cloud nine because one of us had succeeded. Let me clear one thing up, it didn't matter then nor does it matter now who wrote those songs. It opened up doors for us. They gave Tony his own label. He came over to my house and we were all in my room as usual. He said "Man, we got our own label!" and that was unheard of back in the day.
Man, let me tell you my parents were all right. Everyday there would be eight to ten guy's in my room. Often they would spend the night. My mother would look in the room and see all of us; she would go into the kitchen and start singing and cooking breakfast for all of us. You know my mom could really sing. Well we came up with some songs and the Tokays (Tony and I) came up with a name for this label (Brute). We said we were coming out bad making some heavy sounds.
Music has been my salvation. It has sustained me mentally and physically. When I was a kid that was all I needed. But as I became a young man my needs were increasing and music wasn't paying the bills. So I went "mainstream". I went back to school and got a job. I've been a Master barber, Type Setter apprentice, worked 13 years for the City of Detroit which included 8 years for the Detroit Board of Education before I retired.
I have two sons. My oldest is 40 and the youngest 18. Rashid my first born gave me a strong grand son (Rashid Jr.). My youngest, Charles Jr. has given me my princess (Grand daughter - Mariah). I've truly been blessed!
I've met a lot of people along my journey. Some I agreed with and some I didn’t. But I learned something from all of them, and I have never judged them. I’ve heard a lot of records; I mean some great stuff, with great vocalist’s. But you know; I never wanted to sing a song like someone else. I know a lot of songs and I won't sing them! I must feel it to sing it ... let me tell you!! I've heard music that touched my soul that is not on a record or in a concert hall, but in a dim lighted basement (where the guys would get together). It was in those rare times within the mind, body, and soul of many people. Twist and turns, bumps, bends that create Perfect Vibrations (No Bars Held!!); that’s what life is.
God has been good to me. I recently celebrated a birth day last September with my Grand daughter as she woke me up. I looked over at her and she was smiling! So I thought "Wow, what a blessing!" and with that I began to sing to her. Life is just a song. Will you let me sing my song for you??"
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