Rockie Charles (Born Charles Merrick)
November 14, 1942 – March 12, 2010
Photo by Joseph A. Rosen
Rockie Charles was a beloved New Orleans R&B singer and guitarist who had been called “The President of Soul.” Born into a musical family, Charles was schooled in reading and writing music at a very young age. As he grew older, he generally won local talent competitions and occasionally shared the stage with the likes of Aaron Neville and Ernie K-Doe. He formed his first band while still in high school and by the late ’60s he was playing the chitlin’ circuit, opening for some of the biggest names in R&B at the time. Like many traditional R&B artists, Charles’ career slowed down during the ’70s as local clubs began booking disco acts, but he experienced a nice renaissance during the ’90s. Since then, he was a popular draw throughout the region’s music festivals, and had been working on a new album at the time of his death. On March 12, 2010, Rockie Charles, 67, died of cancer.