Charles Bradley Is Dead

ORIGIN
Charles Bradley was an American funk, soul, and R&B singer. Dubbed the “Screaming Eagle of Soul”, he was known for songs like “Changes” and “Heart of Gold”. He released 3 albums on Daptone Records, No Time for Dreaming (2011), Victim of Love (2013), and Changes (2016). His journey was documented in the film, Soul of America (2012). Charles Edward Bradley was born on November 5, 1948, in Gainesville, Florida. He spent his early years under the care of his maternal grandmother. At age 8, he moved to Brooklyn, New York, with his mother Inez Welch. Bradley ran away from home when he was about 14-year old. He spent a few years in the streets before enlisting in the federal Job Corps program. He was referred to Bar Harbor, Maine where he trained to become a chef.

CAREER
Bradley was inspired to do music after watching the “Godfather of Soul” James Brown perform live. He was 14 at the time. However, he didn’t make his music debut until several years later. Bradley spent 10 years working as a chef in Maine. He moved around quite a bit before settling down in California in 1977. While there, he worked odd jobs and performed locally in small shows. Bradley moved back to Brooklyn, New York, in the mid-1990s. He adopted the moniker “Black Velvet” and began performing as a James Brown impersonator. He was discovered by Daptone Records co-founder Gabriel Roth (Bosco Mann). While at Daptone he was introduced to music producer Tom Brenneck.

Bradley’s debut studio album, No Time for Dreaming, was released in January 2011 by Daptone. It received positive reviews and peaked at #37 on the Top Heatseekers Albums chart. The album featured the Menahan Street Band. Bradley was the subject of the documentary, Soul of America (2012). The film premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas. It was directed by Poull Brien. Bradley’s second album, Victim of Love, was released in April 2013. His third and final album, Changes, was released in April 2016. It featured vocals from Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens. The title track “Changes” was a cover of Black Sabbath’s 1972 single of the same name. Bradley performed in a number of international festivals including Glastonbury and Coachella. He performed alongside vocalist Sharon Jones on multiple occasions prior to her death in November 2016.

PERSONAL
Charles Bradley died on September 23, 2017, at the age of 68. His reported cause of death was stomach cancer. He was diagnosed with cancer in the fall of 2016. He underwent treatment but the cancer returned and spread to his liver. He is survived by family and friends. Bradley was about 5ft 11in tall and he was of African-American ancestry. His net worth is currently unavailable.

Charles Bradley Bio, Net Worth, Height