My Christmas holidays are usually filled with a little sadness and remembrance on my part. This one was no different. Christmas eve marked 27 years since the passing of my hero Charlie Moore.

I cannot relay in words just what an impact this man has had on my life and my musical career. As many of you who know me know; i have spent countless hours,dollars and several telephones trying to keep his legacy alive. I even started a book on him which i hope to finish soon.

Charlie's story is a story of triumph and tragedy. He was a gifted musician. A great guitar player,he could also play bass,mandolin,and banjo proficiently. He was great at arranging material.A terrific songwriter. An extremely entertaining MC with a sharp humor, and his singing was truly soulful. His phrasing was simply great.

He was born in Piedmont SC Feb 13th 1935 an only child. His father was a manager at a local textile mill and took Charlie when he was young to see the Monroe Brothers,The Hired hands and string bands of this time. This is where Charlie first learned how to entertain an audience.

Charlie wanted to play banjo. So his dad went to town to get his son his first instrument which ended up being a mandolin. He began to get a little frustrated with the small neck on the mandolin so his dad got him a guitar. This would be where Charlie would stay for most of his career. He explained why he chose to play with a thumb and finger pick with a "roll" much like the older guitarists of the day: "Well simply put i just couldn't get the hang of holding on to a flatpick!" He found he could play rythym and still use "bass runs" pretty easily.

In 1958 Charlie had his first incarnation of "The Dixie Partners" which included Ansel Guthrie on mandolin,Curly Ellis on banjo and Duck Sisk on fiddle.

This group would record some powerful numbers for Starday records including Charlie's own "No graves gonna keep this soul of mine" and "Why is mother buried in a grave so deep" These were particularly powerful tunes and even at a young age Charlie had a masterful control over his voice.

1962 would prove to be a pivotal year for Charlie though. Charlie had struck up a friendhsip with Stanley Brother sideman Bill Napier while Charlie was working with Cousin Wilbur Westbrooks in Asheville NC. It was then that the two partnerd to form Moore and Napier and the Dixie Partners. They were soon signed to King Records a big move in Charlie's career. IT wasn't long before they had a hit record with one of Charlie's songs "Truck Driver's Queen" It was to be one of the duos biggest hits receiving significant jukebox play and earning them numerous guest spots on the Grand ole opry and the Wheeling jamboree.

The group comtinued on for some 7 years. Charlie wrote a lot of the material for the group some a mere hour before recording sessions. Some of Charlie's greatest songs came fron this time period: "Girl of the night", "Praise god i'm ready to go", "Johny on the spot", "One more time" and many more.

The partner ship resolved after 7 years and Charlie went back home to SC and became a successful DJ and program director. It wasn't long before Charlie got the itch again and recorded a very strong and powerful album for Starday which lies unreleased. It included the first cut of "lorena go home"

Charlie the put together what is arguably the greatest song of his career and a bluegrass standard now. He cut a very powerful album for Ray Davis and Wango Records. His band for this brief time was Chubby Wise fiddle,Butch Robbins banjo, and Uncle Henry Dockery on bass. On this album was the first and definitive version of "legend of the rebel soldier." Charlie recalled when he debuted the song at a fest in Gettysburg PA they encored 7 times.....

Soon Charlie was doing better than ever even with small labels with little distribution...1971 until his death in 1979 were a peak time for Charlie. He was writing songs and making albums that would stand with time. Songs like "Leaving Detroit", "The Fiddler", "Wheeling", "Kentucky Girl", amongst others.

Personal problems and health problems would plague is later years but even through all of this he recorded some very unique and memorable bluegrass and his stage shows were exciting and entertaining. Bluegrass was a very poor living at the time but Charlie plowed on with work in Baltimore, DC and Richmond barrooms and even did 2 tours of Europe.

But soon it would all take it's toll. In 1979 he recorded his final two albums. "Cotton farmer" for Old Homestead and "The Legendary Charlie Moore" for leather. Even in poor health his voice was full of emotion and his songs were straight from the heart.

He fell into a coma in November 1979 and never recovered. he died Christmas eve 1979 in Richmond VA. He was 44 years old. He had talked shortly before his death of wanting to be with his best friend Carter Stanley. He had gone home.

In my travels and research i discovered that sadly Charlie lay without a tombstone for numerous years until friends held a benefit to raise money for one where he now rests in SC.

I can't relay enough what a profound impact Charlie has had on my life. I listen to him every day and what little impact i have in the music business, i owe to Charlie Moore.

Please remember Charlie. If you have enver heard his music you truly owe it to yourself as a fan of bluegrass to give him a listen. Sadly one of the more overlooked pioneers of the music.

RIP my hero Charlie Moore.