Bobby Charles
b. Robert Charles Guidry, 1938, Abbeville, Louisiana, USA. Charles became well-known in the '50s when three of his songs—See You Later Alligator, Walkin To New Orleans’ and But I Do—were successfully covered by Bill Haley, Fats Domino and Clarence Frogman Henry. The composer also recorded in his own right for Chicago's Chess label, but returned to the south the following decade for a series of low-key, largely unsuccessful, releases. The singer's career was relaunched in 1972 upon signing with Albert Grossman's Bearsville label. BOBBY CHARLES featured support from several members of the Band, and this excellent album combined the artist's R&B and cajun roots to create a warm, mature collection. The set offered several excellent compositions, the highlight of which was the much-covered Small Town Talk. Charles then guested on both of the albums by Paul Butterfield's Better Days, but he has since maintained a relatively low profile. However a new recording, CLEAN WATER, was released in Europe in 1987.