Obit: Thom 'Champagne Charlie' Roberts

Subject: RE: Obit: Thom 'Champagne Charlie' Roberts
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 16 Apr 08 - 03:28 AM

A memorial service for Thom will be held at Springfield Golf & Country Club in Guelph (2054 Gordon Street - old Hwy 6) on Sunday May 4th from 2 - 4 pm. For more info please email Linda Fraser.

Subject: RE: Obit: Thom 'Campagne Charlie' Roberts
From: Peace
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 07:09 AM

Another great.

Subject: Obit: Thom 'Champagne Charlie' Roberts
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 09:26 AM

Guelph, Ontario: On Friday, April 4, 2008, at age 63 we lost long-time jazz & blues performer Thom 'Champagne Charlie' Roberts to heart failure.

Thom had learned the blues from Reverend Gary Davis - he used to be his 'lead boy' (his term).

A stroke in 2003 took away Thom's ability to perform & tour, although he was working with a Chapman stick and generally refusing to let the stroke stop him.


Here's a few comments that were posted on Maplepost recently:

from Jay Linden:

Colin and I (and the rest of the family) go back a *very* long time with Thom, sitting around our family home, joking and playing songs until late at night back when Colin was a young teen, I was a college kid and Thom was somewhere in his upper mid-20s, I guess. I figure he and Colin both learned a lot from each other, but mostly, Thom was a friend.

My heart goes out to his wife Cheryl, who played a *very* key role in Thom being able to function quite nicely after his stroke, despite only having one working side. A few years back, shortly after I moved "way" out west to here, he took a sheet of paper and drew me a map to their house in Guelph -- with his left hand, the one that still worked.

I didn't see Thom nearly enough over the last number of years. I know he was a major inspiration to Alfie Smith and a lot of the other blues and roots people around this neck of the woods. But mostly, he was a friend.

So long, "Chuck".


from Doc Maclean:

Back in his prime Thom Roberts was a handsome man with a twinkle in his eye, a marvelous mustache and a full head of dark hair. He had a brilliant mind, and briefly attended an important US university. This was a guy who could of done anythingâ€" but his choice was the world of acoustic ragtime and blues guitar. He may not of been a brilliant player, but he sure was good, and he sure was fun. He called himself Champagne Charlie back in the early mid 1970's, and indeed, he was a lovable rounder. Latching on to Colin Linden and myself he became a fixture in our mother's homes, later in our girlfriends homes, and the various crash pads where we lived with our record collections. And he was usually welcome at all of these places, at least much of the time.

In those hungry years Thom was expert at finding a free meal, and he happily shared his talents with Colin and myself. It was amazing how often Thom could talk small restaurants and cafes into feeding us in exchange for a little live entertainment. He had little places all up and down the line that would do that. And he booked a lot of work for the three of us as wellâ€" work that paid at least some of the rent. He could hustle like nobody I'd ever met (except maybe Peg Leg Sam). We played galleries and bowling alleys, retirement homes, bars, cafes... and quite a few dates in Quebec. That's where Thom booked Colin and Iâ€" anglos bothâ€" an after hours gig playing for a PQ street rally.

We lost touch over the years as I stayed more in the south and Thom moved to Guelph, Ontario. I know he made a new life there, and battled significant health problems. I only knew him as he was, back in the day. So that's how I must remember him. Farewell, Thom. Didn't we have a time!

Doc MacLean (http://www.docmaclean.com)



from Athur McGregor:

Sad to hear about Thom. I hired him as a regular at Rooster's Coffee House at Carleton U in the early 70's and he taught me all about his blues...We hung out together and he was so focussed on his playing it was always a joy to hear and learn from him. I bought my first D18 from him...and Champagne Charlie was his name...
Arthur



from me:

My first encounter with Thom was at a Millrace Folk Club sing-around session at Ernie's Roadhouse in Cambridge. I was seated beside this older fella (only 3 years my senior, it turns out!) with a lovely flame maple Larrivee acoustic guitar. I was expecting to hear some nice delicate fingerstyle stuff. Then he started to play and I couldn't believe what he was doing to that poor guitar - poundin' out the blues - and he was fabulous.

I had opportunities several times after that to be a part of discussions and sessions with him. The 'Champagne Charlie' nickname happened at an affair he was playing when a very drunk emcee, a local deejay, who could barely remember where he was, announced "And here he is: Champagne Charlie!" Being the only performer going on at that moment, Thom went on stage. Thing was, Thom got a really good review of his performance, and as he said, "You don't waste a good review."

I remember him happily showing me & others the difference between the Delta and Piedmont styles. Aside from a personal sense of loss, it strikes me, much as it did when Rick Fielding passed, how much knowledge and history has also been lost.

Rest well, Thom.