How Charles Bradley Taught Me About The Patience Necessary While Following Your Dreams

Credit:CBC Music

Thanks to my cousin Guillermo, I was able to snag two free tickets to The Meadows Festival in Queens back in 2016. He was performing during a Prince tribute set featuring The Twin Shadow. It's always a treat to see my cousin drum and be in his element. But I selfishly salivated at the opportunity to see Kanye West in concert. I know we all can't stand dude right now, but truth be told, his music holds a special place in my life. Up until that point, I had always wanted to see Kanye live. I was able to, right up until the show had to abruptly end due to an unfortunate Kim Kardashian robbery.

This music festival also contained other hidden gems. I was able to see the likes of Bryson Tiller, Pusha T and the late Mac Miller perform. Mac's set was special, but that may be a story for another day. The performance that stuck with me on that day was by the late Charles Bradley and his "Extraordinaries." The Extraordinaries are a band that traveled on the road with Charles.  Charles Bradley was a soul singer who upon coming across his performance, I was almost certain he had albums out back in the day that my mother probably listened to.

Truth be told, I was wrong, but I will revisit that in a few. Charles blew me away as he bellowed from his soul. As the old soul that I am, I just appreciated it. The music, the lyrics, his presentation, it was all so visceral; it was genuine. I just knew I was witnessing something special. I watched along with my friend Jean and we kept saying to each other, "this dude is amazing!" He was that and then some. He set the tone for us that day as we reached the festival. Everything we saw after was simply a bonus.

      Courtesy BLARE Magazine

I love going to music festivals as I really do live for live performances. The following summer I had plans to attend the Made In America Festival for the second time. It was an added treat once I purchased my tickets that I saw Charles Bradley was once again on the bill. At this point I was already an Instagram follower and I reveled in the thought that I'd be able to see him perform again.

Unfortunately, Charles had to cancel. As a matter of fact, this was one of the many cancellations that were happening around this time. Charles had been ill, and it was finally made public that he was battling a cancer that was beginning to spread. On September 23rd, 2017 Charles Bradley succumbed to his illness. It certainly took me by surprise as these sort of deaths tend to do. I felt like I just got to experience such greatness and I wouldn't have the opportunity to see it live again.

I couldn't help but feel like I was late to the party in regards to being aware of this music. It wasn't until I got curious about his final single "Changes." which is featured on the Netflix hit show Big Mouth. Now in it's second season, Big Mouth features "Changes" as it's theme song. It's fun to sing along to, and it's very funny in the context of the show. The song however, I grew to learn is a remake from Black Sabbath's original version. Charles' rendition is in tribute to his late mother.

I learned all of this beginning with a simple search trying to figure out who sang the song in the first place. From that point I started watching interviews and performances by Charles on Youtube. I eventually learned that I wasn't late to the Charles Bradley party. In fact Charles Bradley didn't put out his first album until he was 62 years old. I was baffled when I first heard this. There had to be a story behind all of this.

As it turned out Charles left home at 14 years old, he was homeless at times or lived in less than flattering circumstances. He always had a love for music and had an ability to sing. He wrote everywhere, he took his music everywhere. He entered Job Corps which allowed him to become a Chef. That is how he made his living for a number of years until he returned to New York and accepted opportunities to perform as a James Brown cover artist at different venues.

As I read this history, I couldn't help but to look within myself. Knowing the kinds of things that I want to accomplish, I can certainly say that I get in my own head a lot. It's a daily occurrence for me. I know many of you all reading experience a similar thing. Learning about Charles Bradley continued to preach a narrative to me of getting out of my own head. You have to continue to stick to your guns and continue to cultivate your talents. This means to do it even if it isn't your money maker currently.

    Courtesy: Montreux Jazz

We didn't get a Charles Bradley album til he was 62 years old! But after that album, this man toured like nobody's business. I have watched countless performances and interviews that Charles did over a six year period during the latter stages of his life. This man was on the road. There was seemingly a stage that he didn't touch. Through it all, his gratitude seeped through. His spirit, his love, you can see  that it was infectious for anyone around him. He exuded peace and humility. I think those qualities, along with his faith is what allowed him to keep believing. He believed, and eventually he lived out his dreams further than he could've ever imagined.

Now let's be clear, I really really hope things don't begin to start working out for me when I'm 62 years old. I'd love for more progress to happen sooner than later. Then and still, I am committed to continuing to work and continuing to be a sponge here in this online media world. Obviously Charles had a profound impact on me. I hope his story provides you with that extra boost to realize your goals as well. I'll end with this bar from Cassidy, "Slow motion better than no motion, keep it moving."

These are my words and I make no apologies.