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Today is the 15th anniversary of the death of “the Silver Fox” Charlie Rich. Charlie Rich was a very gifted songwriter, singer, pianist and song stylist, who certainly paid his dues before achieving real stardom in the 1970s.

Rich had begun his musical career while still in the air force as a member of the jazz/blues group The Velvetones. He then became a session musician for Judd Records and later Sun Records in Memphis, which was the home of some of the biggest names of the 50s, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. The biggest star to come out of Sun was of course Elvis Presley, but he had moved on by the time Charlie got there.

As well as playing on other artists’ records, Rich released a number of singles for Sun. The only one that made any mark was “Lonely Weekends” which hit number 22 on the pop charts in 1960.

Charlie Rich – “Lonely Weekends” (1960)

Rich didn’t have another hit until “Mohair Sam” in 1965, which was released on Smash Records. This was a song that Elvis Presley had a high regard for and reportedly kept playing on the night he met the Beatles.

Charlie Rich – “Mohair Sam” (1965)

Unfortunately again for Rich, his follow-up singles were not successful. He left Smash Records for Hi Lo Records, but again had limited success, so signed with Epic Records in 1967. This is where the familiar Charlie Rich country sound began taking hold, culminating in a top six hit on the country charts in 1972 with “I Take It on Home” and then the two songs probably most associated with him the following year – “Behind Closed Doors” and “The Most Beautiful Girl.” Both were number one hits on the country charts and the latter also hit number one on the pop charts. Both also appeared on the album “Behind Closed Doors” which went multi-platinum and was by far Rich’s most successful album.

Charlie Rich – “Behind Closed Doors” (1973)

The next couple of years were good for Charlie Rich, with several singles and albums hitting number one on the country charts, and charting more modestly on the pop charts.

By 1976, the pop hits had dried up, but Rich continued to score country hits throughout the decade. His last top ten country hit was “I’ll Wake You Up When I Get Home” in 1979, which he had performed in the Clint Eastwood movie “Every Which Way But Loose.”

The 1980s was an uneventual decade for Charlie Rich, with the artist in semi-retirement, but there was a comeback of sorts in 1992 with the release of the critically acclaimed, but not commercially successful album “Pictures and Paintings.” This jazz influenced record was probably more in his blood than some of the country singles he had been releasing in the 1970s in an effort to repeat the success of 1973.

Charlie Rich – “Pictures and Paintings” (1992)

Charlie Rich died aged 62 on July 25, 1995 from a blood clot on his lung. Sadly, Charlie’s widow, Margaret Ann Rich, died last Thursday at her home near Memphis after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. She had been a successful songwriter, with artists such as Tom Jones, Rita Coolidge, Kris Kristofferson and Charlie Rich himself recording her songs.

Those who have no Charlie Rich in their collection are missing out on some great records from a very talented individual. The following come highly recommended:

Title
Charlie Rich – Behind Closed Doors (CD)	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now
Charlie Rich – Most Beautiful Girl: 20 Greatest Hits (CD)	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Not available
Charlie Rich – Complete Sun Masters (3xCD)	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now
Charlie Rich – The Complete Hi Recordings (CD)	Buy Now	Buy Now	Not available	Buy Now