Obit: Charlie Waller

Subject: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: Wesley S
Date: 19 Aug 04 - 02:00 PM

According to www.charliewaller.net Charlie of the Country Gentlemen passed away recently from a massive heart attack. Check out the website for more info.

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: Gern
Date: 19 Aug 04 - 02:38 PM

Very sorry to hear this. Charlie has been ill for quite some time, but what a lot he's given us. The classic Country Gentlemen brought a generation of newcomers and folified folks to bluegrass. Waller's sentimental, crooning style delivered a lot of classics, such as "Bringing Mary Home" and "Legend of a Rebel Soldier." Now another voice in that band has passed away. What a shame.

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: kendall
Date: 19 Aug 04 - 04:04 PM

He will be sadly missed.

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 19 Aug 04 - 11:55 PM

In 64 I used to see 'em in Georgetown at a bar. Great music was made by those original Gentlemen. Another bit of my youth gone home to roost.

Art

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 20 Aug 04 - 12:35 AM

I went to a CG show a few years back. Make that quite a few years back. The crew at that particular time was Charlie, Bill Yates, Jimmy Gaudreau on his second time around, and a banjo player whose name escaped me long ago.

The crowd in that hotel meeting room was small but enthusiastic, just 100 or so. The boys were just passing through on their way to some bigger place, but they gave us full measure, an unforgettable evening.

They played the first set, and after a short break came back for another round. Charlie says something to the effect of "What do you want to hear? Name it and we'll play it." They proceeded to do exactly that for the next hour or more. Request after request came up out of the audience, and right back came the songs, one right after the other.

Somewhere about half way through the set or so, I worked up courage to ask for one of my favorites that so far had not been done. I called out "Ages And Ages Ago." Charlie says, Oh, that's a good one! We haven't done Ages in well . . . ages! So after a quick briefing for the banjo player who had never done it before, they came up with a first rate rendering of the old Gene Autry song. But what else would you have expected?

They stayed until we ran out of requests. No "Sorry, we've got to go." that you might have gotten from some.   They were there to please us, and they certainly did that. Yes, a magical evening I'll always remember.

Thanks, Charlie, it was a good run.

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: Mark Clark
Date: 20 Aug 04 - 01:05 AM

Damn! I've been listening to Charlie Waller almost since the founding of The Country Gentlemen and got to see them perform often at festivals. There's just no way to replace a giant like that.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: GUEST,Greycap
Date: 20 Aug 04 - 03:22 AM

Gutted- a giant in the bluegrass arena

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: kendall
Date: 20 Aug 04 - 06:55 AM

By far the best voice in Bluegrass

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: kendall
Date: 20 Aug 04 - 06:56 AM

...and when I am gone, I'll be where I belong
There in my haven of rest... R.I.P. Charlie

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 20 Aug 04 - 11:38 AM

I've never kept up with bluegrass music all that much, but in 1973 or '74 I went to a bluegrass festival in Hugo, OK, mainly because Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper were on the program. I listened to band after band until the Country Gentlement came on stage. Suddenly it dawned on me that every previous band had been covering Country Gentlemen songs. In the hands of the Country Gentlemen those songs took new life and the festival that had been rather boring to me up to that point, except for Wilma Lee and Stoney, became an exciting experience. While the Country Gentlemen have been comprised of some excellent musicians over the years, the voice of Charlie Waller, has always defined that group for me. He was one of the great ones and will be greatly missed. Mr. Waller, thanks for the ride.

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: Padre
Date: 20 Aug 04 - 07:18 PM

Art,
The bar in G'town was The Shamrock - when our band, None of the Above played there on Monday nights in the 1970's it had black walls with splotches of dayglo color on it - and a big sign above the bar reading: "Yes, we have Cold Duck!!" The CG were there on (I think) Thursdays through Saturdays most weeks unless they were at a festival in the summer. Charlie Waller and his voice will be long remembered in bluegrass and folk music circles.

Padre

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 21 Aug 04 - 09:13 PM

Two good stories from the Washington Post.

Charlie Waller Dies; Made Bluegrass Hip


A Gentleman to the End - Charlie Waller Gave Bluegrass Its Popular Voice


Sigh, the site may ask you to register. If you do a Google news search for Charlie Waller, you may not have to.

And this story by Caroline Wright in "bluegrass now" from 2001 is certainly worth reading. It contains reminisces from Eddie Adcock, Greg Corbett, Jimmy Gaudreau, Tom Gray, Charlie Waller, and Mina Waller (his daughter). A few nice pictures, including one of the writer at age six in Charlie's arms.

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: pdq
Date: 25 Aug 04 - 02:29 PM

8/23/2004

Waller Funeral

James Fernald / Daily Progress staff writer

Gordonsville, VA - The funeral of bluegrass legend Charlie Waller on Sunday drew more than 500 people, some in blue jeans and some in suits, representing the eclectic fan base Waller attracted.

"He had fans that were doctors and lawyers and coal miners that loved him," said Greg Corbett of Waller's band, the Country Gentlemen.

Family, friends and fans packed the seats and lobby of Preddy Funeral Home in Gordonsville, and some even listened to the procession from outside. Members of the Country Gentlemen spoke at the funeral, and sang a few songs in his memory.

Waller died Wednesday at the age of 69 at his home in Gordonsville.

Dick Smith, member of the band from 1981 to 1985, shared a funny story at the funeral about Waller after a concert. Following a show in Pennsylvania, the Country Gentlemen found a motel next to a car junkyard. With Waller asleep in the back, the men drove into the junkyard, left Waller in the car and walked to the hotel. Waller was confused and angry when he woke up, but it didn't bother him for long, Smith said.

"He was the first to laugh even when the joke was on him," Smith said.

At the burial, about 15 members of the Country Gentlemen sang "Where Could I Go" next to Waller's family.

The Country Gentlemen formed in 1957 in Washington. Waller, 22 at the time, had already been playing the guitar and singing for 10 years. Bill Yates, a member of the Gentlemen in 1968, said he was impressed with Waller from the start.

"He was the greatest rhythm player," Yates said. "If you could sing harmonies, he could play with you."

Waller and his band experimented with many musical styles, Yates said. He said the Country Gentlemen played rock 'n' roll with banjos and changed bluegrass music and captivated legions of other bands.

"Other bands would listen just like they were going to school," Yates said.

Waller used his talent to help grieving funeral-goers. In May, Waller sang at a funeral for Army 2nd Lt. Leonard Cowherd III, who was killed in Iraq. Cowherd's father was pleased with Waller's generosity.

"That was just downright wonderful," Cowherd said.

Waller was humble in regard to his talent and income, Corbett said.

"He was a unique man. He had the means to ride in a shiny Cadillac, but he rode in an old beat-up pickup truck instead," Corbett said.

In the band's 47-year history, more than 100 musicians have become Country Gentlemen. The band is scheduled to release a new album, "Songs of the American Spirit," next month. The remaining four members of the band, banjoist Corbett, Billy Gee, Randy Waller and Darin Aldridge, will play in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Friday.

"I think Charlie would be mad at us if we quit," Corbett said.

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: Once Famous
Date: 25 Aug 04 - 02:41 PM

A bummer.

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 25 Aug 04 - 05:23 PM

We saw Charlie Waller and the Country Gentlemen perform two shows on August 7, 2004 at the Podunk Festival in East Hartford, CT. He seemed very weak, and sat in a chair while he sang, but still told some funny stories, still joked with the band. He looked frail but sang like an angel, and if you closed your eyes, his wonderful voice was still wonderful. His son Randy also sang that day, and you can hear traces of that same voice in the son.

Less than two weeks later, we were in the audience at the Amelia Bluegrass Festival in Amelia, VA when they announced that Charlie had died. The entire weekend then consisted of a memorial to Charlie, and every band did several songs in his honor, songs that he had recorded. On Sunday morning, we talked to several people who were leaving the festival in time to go to the funeral of their own Virginia hero.

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 26 Aug 04 - 01:37 AM

Sonofabitch! Another great one gone. I've been out of town and missed the news.
I used to go and see Charlie and the CG in the Shamrock in Georgetown in the '70s.
Doyle Lawson, Bill Yates and Bill Emerson was the lineup. He let me play his Martin once.
I was a neophyte performer on the Irish pub scene, and I was impressed that Charlie and the Gents would walk among the audience on their breaks selling their albums. It inspired me to make and sell my own recordings at gigs.
By the way, Charlie Waller did the best Hank Snow impression I ever heard.
Damn!

Seamus

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: Ferrara
Date: 26 Aug 04 - 01:27 PM

Sad to lose him. He was the key figure in the Country Gentlemen for me. Used to hear him at the Shamrock, the line-up was Charlie, John Duffy, and Mike Auldridge, plus one other -- could have been Eddie Adcock but by then I think he had left the group.

Charlie was criticized for playing so many non-bluegrass songs in bluegrass style. His reply was famous but I can't quote him exactly, maybe someone else can? He said they had to pick up non-bluegrass songs because aside from differences in the wording there were only three "real" bluegrass songs ever written: something like, "I'm going back to my dear old mother at home," "My little old log cabin in the sky," and one other. Can anyone remember this better?

Rita

Subject: RE: Obit: Charlie Waller
From: Wesley S
Date: 26 Aug 04 - 01:50 PM

Rita - It would have to be about death. My favorite bluegrass quote is - "If the girl is still alive at the end of the song then it's not bluegrass"