Charles Bradley's sold out show at Majestic Theatre on Saturday April 30th is going to be one heck of a show and has created a lot of buzz within the Madison community. For those unfamiliar with Charles Bradley, his story is one of adversity and an unexpected road that brought him to his music career. Bradley was born in 1948 and grew up in Florida until he moved with his family to New York, where at the age of 14 he ran away from home due to poor living conditions. After two years of homelessness Bradley found a job through Job Corps and worked as a chef for most of his life in different cities from Bar Harbor, Maine, to Seattle.
Charles Bradley had always had a love and passion for music and played and performed in small venues for much of his life. He often styled himself similar to James Brown when he performed and his music today is still very similar to James Brown. In the 2000's Bradley grew in popularity and appeared on the radar of many producers and record labels. He would eventually sign with Daptone Records and released his first album, No Time For Dreaming, in 2011 at the age of 63.
Since 2011 Bradley has released two other albums, Victim of Love (2013), and Changes (2016), which he is currently on tour for. His music is a gateway to the past of soulful and grooving music. His depth as an artist and talent is clear with the range of songs he has released. In songs like Why Is It So Hard, Bradley brings his raw emotions of what it is like growing up in the U.S. under such hardships. Other songs such as Strictly Reserved For You are impossible to not move to. Bradley has grown in prominence in these past few years and is known for his strong stage presence. Performing with a large band creates a fun and lively atmosphere at his performances. I know that I can't wait to see this show and personally jam out to his music with a packed house. Bradley will be continuing his tour across the U.S. for the summer, playing at music festivals as prominent as Bonnaroo before taking his tour to Europe.
