Russellville Blues’ sixth season of the Mary Ann Fisher Summer Concert Series will kick off on Friday, June 21, with a performance by Charles ‘Wigg’ Walker and his band. A review of a recent performance proclaimed: “Walker shouted, moaned, wailed and constantly took the crowd on the search for secular salvation that permeates and defines great R&B/soul singing.”
Walker is one of the few remaining original soul singers from back in the day when "old school" was brand new. He is a consummate entertainer with a resumé far too extensive to list. A native of Nashville, he cut his first record in 1959 for Ted Jarrett’s legendary Champion label. In 1960 he moved to New York City and then recorded with Chess Records out of Chicago. He soon signed on as lead singer with the J.C. Davis Band, with whom he toured the country, opening for the greats of the era including James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Etta James, Wilson Pickett, Little Willie John, Otis Redding and Sam Cooke.
In 1964 Charles formed Little Charles and the Sidewinders. They became one of the most in-demand soul bands in New York City’s nightclub scene, performing at the Apollo Theater, Small Paradise and venturing out to Las Vegas and Atlantic City. They subsequently recorded for Chess and Decca labels. The Sidewinders stayed together through the 60s and 70s, and in 1979 Charles signed on with Motown as a staff writer.
Charles spent most of the 1980s in England and Spain and then moved back to Nashville in 1993. He became the featured singer for The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker. Their big band, party sound has earned them steady bookings throughout the nation and Europe.
The Russellville concert will feature an outstanding trio backing Walker. Pat Bergeson stands out as one of the best guitarists in Nashville and has been in the studio with Lyle Lovett, Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, Suzy Bogguss, Peter Frampton, Michael McDonald and many others. He has toured with Shelby Lynne, Chet Atkins, Wynonna Judd, Bogguss and Lovett. On the Hammond B3 organ will be Charles Treadway, who has established a reputation as one of the finest on the instrument. Rounding out the trio will be drummer Pete Abbott (Average White Band; Blood, Sweat, and Tears; Tom Jones; Larry Carlton; Keb Mo; and others). The concert will also feature spoken word
performances by local writers, including T. C.Thomason and Michael Elliott.
The concert is free and is held on the grounds of the West Kentucky African American Heritage Museums at the corner of Sixthand Morgan streets in Russellville. Food vendors will be on site, and guests are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and an appetite.
The second Russellville Blues concert will be presented on Friday, Aug. 9and feature regional favorite Tyrone Dunn and Kinfoke. Dunn was one of the special guests during last year’s August concert and is one of the main singers in the Motown series by the Kentucky Orchestra.
The final event of this season will be the presentation of the musical drama, “Stories from da Dirt”. This outdoor theater event will be held on the lawn of the Bibb House Museum on Sunday, Aug. 11in the late afternoon.
Bluegrass Cellular is the presenting sponsor for the summer series, and several other local businesses and individuals provide the funding for these events. More information is availableat www.russellvilleblues.com and at “Russellville Blues” on Facebook.