Elvis Tribute Artists Radio
Elvis Tribute Artists Radio
Ladyluckmusic.com
When I started out back in the early 80's I was one of the youngest guys out there performing. I began working with Jimmy Velvet touring shopping centers all over the East Coast with the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation. It was an amazing experience being barely 20 years old and performing for up to 25,000 people a show in shopping centers. Yes, shopping centers. After watching me grow as an entertainer, Jimmy helped me get to all the right people to assist me with a national distribution deal as I was ready to put out my first record. We recorded an album of early 80's hits done with an Elvis vocal style, and Charlie was just releasing Me & Elvis. So we came up with the idea to promote Charlie’s book with my album to take things to a grander scale for both of us. This is when Charlie requested to meet me. He wanted to see me perform live before he would ever back some dad gum Elvis want-a-be. For those of you who really know Charlie, he had been approached by every Elvis Guy of the time to work with them and he just couldn’t bring himself to do it for a long time. He thought for the most part that a lot of these guys were in a hokey pursuit of sloppy stardom riding Elvis’ coattails.
Our first meeting was at Jimmy Velvet’s Orlando Elvis Museum. When Jimmy introduced me to Charlie, I was of course stunned to meet one of my heroes, but Charlie looked at me and said, “You’re the kid Jimmy’s been telling me about? “ I said, “Yes, sir!” He said, “That’s yes, Sir Charles, son,” and he began to laugh.
He said, “Where’s your black hair and sideburns?” I proceeded to tell him that I only wore that stuff on stage as an actor. He asked, What do you mean as an Actor? I told him that Elvis was a character I portrayed on stage as an Actor. Charlie looked at Jimmy and gave me a big hug and said “FINALLY.” Jimmy proceeded to tell Charlie, “You see why I want you two to work together,” and Charlie said, “Yes, I do..let’s go find a piano, I want to hear this voice everyone has been talking about.
We sat down at the piano and Charlie said , “What do you want to sing?” I tried to think of something quick that would impress him, so I asked him to play “Lead Me Guide Me” from the “Elvis on Tour” video. He said, “You think you can handle it?” I said, “You tell me, Sir Charles.” He started the song and I began singing and we got to “I am tired and I need thy strength and power to guide me over my darkest hour,” and I noticed a tear coming from Charlie’s eye. He stopped playing and looked at me and said, “I thought of a million reasons to miss this meeting with you, and every excuse kept pulling me closer and closer to not coming today. Until I heard this little voice in the back of my head tell me to go and maybe, just maybe I could be surprised. Not only am I surprised, but I am touched more than you will ever know, because if I didn’t know Elvis was gone and that was you singing, I would have had a heart attack because you just scared the living hell out of me. Let’s try another song just so I know this is not some Houdini stuff you and Jimmy are pulling on me.” He started to play Love Letters and asked me if I knew it? I started to sing “ Love letters straight from your heart.” He hit the piano and said “HOT DAMN. You’re a ghost.” This is Spooky.” and started to shake his arms and said, “Nurse, could you please get me a drink?” He asked me, “How do you do that?” I said, “Do what?” He said, “You know what! That damn voice, where does it come from?” I said , “It’s kind of weird.” He said, “Weird my ass! That’s Scary!” I proceeded to tell him that after hearing the songs over and over again so many times, I just kind of hear a little tape recorder in my head, and I just re-create the tone that I hear. He said , “You sound more like Elvis naturally than anyone I’ve ever heard!”
Well, if I never sang another note as long as I lived, it didn’t matter from that moment on.
That day was the start of Charlie taking me under his wing for the next 10 years on the road and was the beginning of an over 22-year friendship sharing his secrets, his fears, the loss of his mother, his problems, and most of all, his unconditional love…
He was the only vocal teacher I ever had, and by perfecting our act on stage together we shared some wonderful times with Elvis fans all over the world. Charlie’s praise of my voice opened so many doors for me and led to some of our best times on stage with J.D. Sumner & the Stamps Quartet and many of the other guys who either worked with or played with Elvis. If it hadn’t been for Charlie, I would have never experienced so much joy in bringing this wonderful character to life and I would have never shared the quality time with Elvis friends including J.D. Sumner, Ed Enoch, Ed Hill, Larry Strickland, James & Louise Burton, Jerry & Jason Scheff, Glen Hardin, Larry London, D.J. Fontana, Boots Randolph, Jim Mydlach, Sam Thompson, and many more. Because of his belief in my talent, and his teachings, I have gone far in life and this business we call Show business.
Our first meeting was at Jimmy Velvet’s Orlando Elvis Museum. When Jimmy introduced me to Charlie, I was of course stunned to meet one of my heroes, but Charlie looked at me and said, “You’re the kid Jimmy’s been telling me about? “ I said, “Yes, sir!” He said, “That’s yes, Sir Charles, son,” and he began to laugh.
He said, “Where’s your black hair and sideburns?” I proceeded to tell him that I only wore that stuff on stage as an actor. He asked, What do you mean as an Actor? I told him that Elvis was a character I portrayed on stage as an Actor. Charlie looked at Jimmy and gave me a big hug and said “FINALLY.” Jimmy proceeded to tell Charlie, “You see why I want you two to work together,” and Charlie said, “Yes, I do..let’s go find a piano, I want to hear this voice everyone has been talking about.
We sat down at the piano and Charlie said , “What do you want to sing?” I tried to think of something quick that would impress him, so I asked him to play “Lead Me Guide Me” from the “Elvis on Tour” video. He said, “You think you can handle it?” I said, “You tell me, Sir Charles.” He started the song and I began singing and we got to “I am tired and I need thy strength and power to guide me over my darkest hour,” and I noticed a tear coming from Charlie’s eye. He stopped playing and looked at me and said, “I thought of a million reasons to miss this meeting with you, and every excuse kept pulling me closer and closer to not coming today. Until I heard this little voice in the back of my head tell me to go and maybe, just maybe I could be surprised. Not only am I surprised, but I am touched more than you will ever know, because if I didn’t know Elvis was gone and that was you singing, I would have had a heart attack because you just scared the living hell out of me. Let’s try another song just so I know this is not some Houdini stuff you and Jimmy are pulling on me.” He started to play Love Letters and asked me if I knew it? I started to sing “ Love letters straight from your heart.” He hit the piano and said “HOT DAMN. You’re a ghost.” This is Spooky.” and started to shake his arms and said, “Nurse, could you please get me a drink?” He asked me, “How do you do that?” I said, “Do what?” He said, “You know what! That damn voice, where does it come from?” I said , “It’s kind of weird.” He said, “Weird my ass! That’s Scary!” I proceeded to tell him that after hearing the songs over and over again so many times, I just kind of hear a little tape recorder in my head, and I just re-
Well, if I never sang another note as long as I lived, it didn’t matter from that moment on.
That day was the start of Charlie taking me under his wing for the next 10 years on the road and was the beginning of an over 22-
He was the only vocal teacher I ever had, and by perfecting our act on stage together we shared some wonderful times with Elvis fans all over the world. Charlie’s praise of my voice opened so many doors for me and led to some of our best times on stage with J.D. Sumner & the Stamps Quartet and many of the other guys who either worked with or played with Elvis. If it hadn’t been for Charlie, I would have never experienced so much joy in bringing this wonderful character to life and I would have never shared the quality time with Elvis friends including J.D. Sumner, Ed Enoch, Ed Hill, Larry Strickland, James & Louise Burton, Jerry & Jason Scheff, Glen Hardin, Larry London, D.J. Fontana, Boots Randolph, Jim Mydlach, Sam Thompson, and many more. Because of his belief in my talent, and his teachings, I have gone far in life and this business we call Show business.
by
GARY WAYNE BRIDGES
GARY WAYNE BRIDGES
Now a producer based in Las Vegas, singer Gary Wayne Bridges (The Voice of a King) worked with Charlie for 10 years on the road in “Elvis” shows both the USA and Canada. Charlie also lived with Gary, on and off, during all these years. After this run ended, it was Gary and a partner who facilitated Charlie’s move to Memories Theatre in Pigeon Forge. Their close friendship lasted over 22 years - right to the end. Gary last spoke to Charlie a few weeks before he passed and Charlie told him he was “gonna beat this thing.” Gary says, “He sounded great, happy, just like the regular old Chuck. He was looking forward to getting back to work at Memories Theatre and getting past all the hoop-la, and we made plans to get together in June when I was coming to Tennessee to do some film work.”
If there is one thing in particular that Charlie will be remembered for by all Elvis Fans it is the fact that nowhere in the world in print or in one of his thousands of interviews will you ever hear Charlie Hodge say a bad word or a harsh statement about Elvis. Never! For this feat alone he has earned the title of being Elvis closest friend and confidant.
God rest your soul my little buddy. I’ll miss you more than you will ever know Chuck!
Thank you for all of the years we shared together and everything you taught me. I promised you the last time we worked together in Memphis that I would come out of retirement and keep singing for you. I am currently working on the project that you, J.D., and I came up with and will see it through until its Las Vegas opening TBA, and I promise you that every person who sees that show will leave knowing what a wonderful gift from God you were to Elvis’ life and mine
Take your rest now. You’ve earned it, and those wings! I know in my heart how happy you were to see your Mother and Elvis, and no amount of tugging could ever drag you back to this side. That would be an injustice to your happiness and your memory. Jennifer will be fine; we all know her pain is the deepest right now, and your legacy will live as long as all of the people whose lives you touched continue to share their experiences of meeting you with Elvis Fans everywhere. You will live forever my friend!
God Bless You, and thank you for touching my life, and calling me the Son you never had! I Love You!
God rest your soul my little buddy. I’ll miss you more than you will ever know Chuck!
Thank you for all of the years we shared together and everything you taught me. I promised you the last time we worked together in Memphis that I would come out of retirement and keep singing for you. I am currently working on the project that you, J.D., and I came up with and will see it through until its Las Vegas opening TBA, and I promise you that every person who sees that show will leave knowing what a wonderful gift from God you were to Elvis’ life and mine
Take your rest now. You’ve earned it, and those wings! I know in my heart how happy you were to see your Mother and Elvis, and no amount of tugging could ever drag you back to this side. That would be an injustice to your happiness and your memory. Jennifer will be fine; we all know her pain is the deepest right now, and your legacy will live as long as all of the people whose lives you touched continue to share their experiences of meeting you with Elvis Fans everywhere. You will live forever my friend!
God Bless You, and thank you for touching my life, and calling me the Son you never had! I Love You!
Charlie and Gary Wayne Bridges during their touring days together. Photo courtesy of Gary Bridges.
Charlie pictured here at Elvis Expo 2004 in Las Vegas. Photo courtesy of EAS Band.
