If you don’t know who Charles Bradley is, you may have actually seen or heard him before. When he was alive, Bradley was an obscure soul and funk singer who often performed as a James Brown impersonator. He didn’t really gain much prominence until he was in his 50s. And even though he had his moment, I can’t help but think that Bradley deserved better.
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Charles Bradley was a revivalist of sorts, despite being around during the golden age of soul and funk. But, considering his career didn’t really take off until the 1990s and 2000s, Bradley’s contributions to the genre were considered “revivalist,” as were the efforts of his label, Daptone Records.
He was compared to many, but no one was quite like Bradley. He worked as a James Brown impersonator in the 90s, inspired by the crooner after seeing him perform live as a teenager. Bradley even managed to get Brown’s mannerisms and singing style down to a T. Bradley’s vocal delivery was also often compared to Otis Redding.
Charles Bradley’s life, especially his childhood, was not easy. He was raised by his grandmother for a time before his mother whisked him to Brooklyn, where he ran away from home to escape poor living conditions. Bradley said that as a child, he had to sleep in the basement of his home on a sand floor.
The Hard and Inspiring Life of Charles Bradley
He lived on the streets and attempted to train as a chef. But when a coworker told him that he looked like James Brown, Bradley overcame some pretty intense stage fright to give the impersonation route a try. When his bandmates got drafted into the Vietnam War, Brown returned to being a cook.
During his time as an impersonator and singer, when he often went by “Black Velvet” or “James Brown Jr.”, Bradley experienced some hardships then, too. He nearly died after an allergic reaction to penicillin. His brother was violently murdered while Bradley was staying at his mother’s home. There was a lot of pain for a while for Bradley, but things would eventually look up.
Gabriel Roth of Daptone Records discovered Bradley. He recorded his debut album No Time For Dreaming in 2011. Shortly after, a documentary about Bradley, titled Soul Of America, contributed to Bradley’s career boom in the 2010s. The doc followed Bradley’s story, covering his childhood, his stints of homelessness, and his work as a James Brown impersonator.
From there, Bradley released Victim Of Love and Changes to much acclaim. However, he never reached the level of superstardom that he really deserved. His voice was incredible, and his original work outside of his James Brown impersonation stint was something to behold.
Tragically, Charles Bradley died in 2017 from stomach cancer at 68. He was able to pass with his loved ones in attendance, something that most of us can only hope for. But years after seeing that documentary about his life, I can’t help but feel that if Bradley had a better chance from the start, he would have been up there with the greats of funk and soul, rather than impersonating them.
Photo by Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images
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