The Legendary Charles Wright
I Ascend: How many years have you been in the entertainment industry and what was one of your greatest professional achievements?
Mr. Wright: I have been in this industry for about 60 years now. I would have to say “Express Yourself.” Has been one of my greatest achievements
I Ascend: How did that song continue to evolve over the past couple of decades?
Mr. Wright: Well, I wrote the song in 1969 and it was a hit record for me and my group. About five or six years later, my career kind of took a downturn, and my royalties kind of dried up. My wife was working at a bank then, and I asked her to see if she could help me get a job working in the daytime. I was able to get an interview, and when the interview was about over, the interviewer asked me what were you doing before? I told him I was in the music business. He said I cannot give you this job. I said, but I need the job. The man told me again, I won’t give you this job. You have to keep doing what you are doing. I hung up the phone, and a week or two later, my son called and said, Daddy, you got a hit record. I said, no, I’ve never heard it on the radio, so I don’t know what to tell him. My son called me back a week later, I said, okay, I will go to the record store and see what he was talking about. So I walk out of my front door and head for the record store, and here comes this kid from next door in his jalopy playing “Express Yourself” in his car by NWA. I went over to the driveway, and said, that’s my song. He said you’re old school, this is the newest joint out. This is not your song. I said, give me that box, he got up to get the tape box. I looked at the tape box, I said, I’ll show you this is my song. But it said “Expresses Yourself,” written by Ice Cube. The Kid from next door starts hollering, I told you that it was the newest stuff, it isn’t yours. I said, no, that’s wrong, and I took the information off that tape box and went into my house and called the record company. The lady who answered told me she had told them she didn’t think they could get away with using my song. She gave me Ice Cube’s number, I called Ice Cube up and we settled everything right there. A month or so later, Nike used Express Yourself for their tennis shoe commercial. And then, after that, Corporate America took it, and they kept using it. It’s been used over 100 times around the world and this takes good care of me. I am so thankful.
I Ascend: What has the process of “Becoming” been like for you on this journey?
Mr. Wright: You know, I came from a place where the Blues started. A little town called Clarksdale, Mississippi. Muddy Waters was from there, Sam Cooke, Sandy Hooker, David Ruffin. I mean, you could go on and on. Blues sparked this thing in the world that has blown up so big, that everything you hear practically is somebody trying to do what the blues actually is. Now, my father was a sharecropper. His sharecropping boss somehow convinced my father that the blues was the devil. My father wouldn’t allow me to listen to it. He wouldn’t allow me to listen to secular music period. I could only listen to Gospel or Western music. I moved to California at twelve years old. I remember walking home from school with a couple of kids, and they were singing all these songs I had never heard. I asked them where they heard those songs. They told me about this radio show they listened to. I started listening to it and let me tell you, I got hooked immediately.
I was listening to the radio one day, and I heard a guy named Jesse Belvin. I had found his number in the phone book. I said Mr. Belvin, I want to sing, and I want to sound just like you. He gave me a great piece of advice. He said, “Get your own style boy, and leave mine the hell alone.” I said I just want to be a part of what you are doing can you please give me some pointers. He said, “Okay, I’m having a rehearsal with the Turks,” which was a group that had hit records on the radio. I went over there, and I had the best time I ever had in my life. When I left there, I had to be a part of this thing.
I went to my cousin’s house, which was my best friend and his brother. I asked them. I told them I wanted to start a group and I wanted to get them to sing with me and they agreed. Jesse Belvin told me about a guy living in the neighborhood who owned a record store, recording studio, and record company. I went by there and asked him if he could run us an audition. My cousin had this natural beautiful voice as he sang the song. Then I stepped up and they said oh no gosh, no, you stay in the background. They told me not to ever try to sing the lead again. (Chuckles) I felt so bad, and I stepped back in the back row and held my head down. After that, I would go to the tunnels. They used to have these tunnels where we go across the street, to get to school. There was a tunnel not far from my house. At night, I would go in there, and I would rehearse all by myself. I could hear my voice echo. Then one night I went back to the studio by myself, and I wrote several songs. I would sit down, there at the piano, hoping he’d let me finish the first verse. I sang this song right there, and when I got through, I turned around trying to see what his reaction would be, He said “I don’t believe it you’re not the same guy, I don’t believe it.” I said by the way, if I don’t have it right by now, Mr. Williams just tell me, I’m going to keep on working at it. He said I see a huge improvement right now. I see that you have all it takes to do it, boy. He said, “From now on, you will be my number one star,” and he took me to the studio and recorded my first record. It was a hit, and it was only eight months after I decided I wanted to get into this thing.
I Ascend: What hardships have you faced while Ascending to where you are?
Mr. Wright: I have had some hardships. My father and my parents didn’t like what I was doing. There were times I had to sleep in the car. I had my first hardship with another group I was a part of, I got cheated out of all the money there. I went through that three or four times before I learned how to handle my own business, own my own publishing company, and everything. I went through three vocal groups, all had hit records and nobody got paid. Finally, I decided to start a band, and that’s what I did. I had to kind of con eight guys to stick together. It happened and we stayed together for about eight years. There was some jealousy and stuff in there, so that eventually fell apart but all in all, I think I have proven myself. I did all I could do, I left the rest up to God.
I Ascend: Please share some of the projects you’re currently working on and how our readers can continue to follow and stay abreast of all that you’re doing.
Mr. Wright: I have two books “Express Yourself” which you can find on Amazon.com along with my previous book “Up From Where We’ve Come.” I have two new singles out The first release is “Your Hand,” which, like all other Charles Wright songs, can be found across all streaming platforms. The song “Express Yourself” is currently being used for a Holiday Inn Express commercial. I also interviewed Little Richard on my Express Yourself TV show. You can find it on YouTube. It was a pleasant conversation with Little Richard and Charles Wright, check it out. Follow On IG @iamcharleswright Websites: Charleswright@expressyourself.net. Or Iamcharleswrite@expressionyourself.net.