By SoDak
Charles Bradley was the type of person you wanted to hug.
Chances are if you met him, he would hug you, as he deeply appreciated the
opportunity to share his music with fans. He lived much of his life in poverty,
working odd jobs just trying to survive. He often performed as a James Brown
impersonator. Late in life, he found moderate success with three strong
retro-soul records. His first full-length record, No Time for Dreaming, was released in 2011. The record opens with
the exceptional song, “The World (Is Going Up In Flames),” which hits the
listener in the heart, given the beautiful soul sound and the lyrics that speak
to the general disregard for humanity that is all too common today. Bradley’s
voice is rough, but captures the emotional depth of the lyrics in each song.
This debut also includes a cover of Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold,” with a
wonderful vocal performance. He sang his heart out on each record. His most
captivating songs touched upon his own struggles and experiences. I am
particularly fond of “Strictly Reserved for You” from Victim of Love (2013) and “Good to Be Back Home,” “Nobody but You,”
and his cover of Black Sabbath’s “Changes,” which serves as the title of his
final record in 2016. At times, his
voice has the power of Otis Redding, just with more age. Bradley was easily
moved to tears, as he was compassionate and desired a more humane world. His
music continues to serve as an open hand to connect to each other.
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