Charlie D was born in Virginia and raised in the Mountains of North Carolina and now resides on Lake Belton in Texas. While a young child, his family had him take lessons in drums, tuba, and trumpet. He finally settled on the trumpet and choir throughout his Grammar and High School years. He has been around the professional music scene since his days in the U.S. Navy.
Charlie purchased his first flat-top guitar in 1972 while stationed in the Pacific Northwest and became hooked on the instrument. He started performing country western, country pop, soft rock and folk music in local pubs & restaurants on Whidbey Island, Washington State, and took his bluegrass & mountain music background to the pubs in Skykomish near Steven’s Pass in the Cascade Mountains.
In 1975, while stationed in Japan on the U.S.S. Midway, he formed a band and performed at the taverns and private clubs in Yokosuka, Hiyama, and Tokyo. The band was so popular that the Yokosuka Navy Base commander asked if his band would perform as a warmup for the Grass Roots. The venue was billed as an American Japanese relationship concert with other ethnical shows on stage. Charlie’s band played traditional American folk & patriotic songs and was well received.
The next year, the commander of the Atsugi Navy Air Base hosted the same venue and requested Charlie’s band to perform as one of the top billing acts. The group entertained about 30,000 local folks and military families at that concert and Charlie received a letter of accommodation from the base commander for his performance.
Since 1977, Charlie has lived and worked in central Texas. Retired federal servant from the VA Benefits, VA Hospital, USDA Rural Development, and 6 years active-duty US Navy during the Vietnam era. His passions now are sailboat racing and live music. He has performed live at festivals, at local restaurants and steak houses, for Retirement Centers & Nursing Homes, and at private parties and weddings. His music style is mostly Dan Fogelberg and the Eagles; however, Charlie plays quite a variety of music to include Old Time Country (40's - 80’s), Country Pop, Bluegrass, Gospel, Easy Listening, Light Rock, Southern Rock, Rock & Roll dance (50's & newer), Golden Oldie Crooners like Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.
Charlie D Wedding Venue