Are you ready? Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires, the high-energy funk and soul music group, are coming to Colorado Springs this Friday, Sept. 11. Their concert will be held at Ivywild School, located on South Cascade Avenue, and will begin at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are still available, ranging from $30 to $50. Get ready to groove to the funky brass, drum, and guitar compositions of His Extraordinaires and sway to the soulful R&B sounds of Charles Bradley!
Charles Bradley, the 66-year old star of the dynamic group, discovered his calling to music at the age of 14 after his sister took him to watch James Brown perform at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. He felt so inspired by the show that he began to imitate the King of Soul’s style and stage presence at home. Before the end of the year however, his budding musical career was put to a halt when he ran away from home and began migrating between his car and the streets, in search of shelter. Once he re-stabilized his living conditions, Bradley began to work a few different jobs here and there and then traveled to Maine to become a chef. One day, after Bradley’s co-workers discovered that he could sing, they pushed him onstage in front of a crowd to perform with a band for the first time. Soon enough, Charles became a regular entertainer and traveled to California to play small shows for the next 20 years of his life.
In 1996, Charles moved back to New York and retraced back to his young roots; he began to imitate James Brown’s persona again, but this time, under the name “Black Velvet.” Over the next several years, “Black Velvet’s” popularity began to grow and soon enough, Gabriel Roth, the co-founder of Daptone Records, discovered his musical genius and signed Bradley to his label. In 2011, Charles released his debut album “No Time for Dreaming” to critical acclaim and then in 2013, released his second romantic album “Victim of Love.”
“The band is so tight knit, and Charles exudes a unique energy that makes it impossible not dance,” said first-year Lena Farr-Morrissey after seeing Charles Bradley in a previous show. “I remember walking away [from his concert] with a big smile on my face. He makes sure to remind you all the positive things about this world and to always keep your head up. His show is one that I still remember as being influential on how I listen and dance to music.”