1. Charles Anthony Graci, known professionally as Charlie Gracie, was an American rock and roll and rhythm and blues singer and guitarist.
18 Facts About Charlie Gracie
1. 2.
Charlie Gracie was born in South Philadelphia to Santo and Mary Graci, who were both of Sicilian heritage.
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Charlie Gracie performed at weddings, local restaurants, and parties, and on local radio and television.
4.
Charlie Gracie received a gold disc for the two million plus sales.
5.
Charlie Gracie appeared in the 1957 film Jamboree and toured with Chuck Berry, the Everly Brothers, Bo Diddley and his close friend Eddie Cochran.
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Charlie Gracie became only the second American rock and roller to bring this new art form to the British concert stage.
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Charlie Gracie enjoyed a loyal following in the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, and the Netherlands, where he regularly toured - thanks in part to his friend and manager, Paul Barrett who represented Charlie until Paul's passing in 2019.
8.
Charlie Gracie played lead guitar on Robert Gordon's 1996 self-titled CD.
9.
Charlie Gracie brought in bandmate Dave Ferrara to play drums.
10.
Charlie Gracie invited Jones and Ferrara to back him when Van Morrison commissioned Charlie Gracie to open his 2000 West Coast tour.
11.
Charlie Gracie's pioneering contribution to the genre was recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and he was inducted into the South Philadelphia High School Alumni Cultural Hall of Fame.
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In 2007, a documentary film about Charlie Gracie, Fabulous, was aired on PBS stations.
13.
In 2011, ABKCO released the CD For The Love of Charlie produced by Al Kooper and co produced by Quentin Jones, with guest artists Graham Nash, Peter Noone, Jimmy Vivino, Craig Ross, and Dennis Diken, with Gracie singing some of his own songs and some covers.
14.
From 2011 to 2016, Gracie and his son hosted the local radio program "A Fabulous Hour with Charlie Gracie", which aired on Sunday afternoons on WVLT, a classic hits station known as Crusin 92.1FM, based in Vineland, New Jersey, that serves the Southern New Jersey, Northern Delaware and Philadelphia broadcast markets.
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Charlie Gracie was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame on November 16,2012, at the Hilton City Avenue, Philadelphia.
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In 2019, Charlie Gracie toured the UK with Marty Wilde along with Mike Berry, Nancy Ann Lee and the Wildcats.
17.
Charlie Gracie continued to perform at many places in the Philadelphia area, and for many years had annual concerts during the summer at Rose Tree Park in Media, Pennsylvania, and Goshen Country Fair in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
18.
Charlie Gracie was married for over 60 years to his wife Joan.