CHARLES SHERRELL DIES…

US soul sources a reporting the death of “SWEET” CHARLES SHERRELL. Few details are available save that Sherrell, known for a long association with James Brown, died on Wednesday, March 29th aged 80.

Charles Sherrell hailed from Tennessee and was originally a drummer and trombone player before switching to bass and in the mid-60, it was as a bassist that he joined Aretha Franklin’s road band. In 1969 James Brown recruited him into the JBs and it’s Sherrell’s booming, funky bass lines that can be heard behind many of the Godfather’s big tunes of that era.

He quit in 1970 after a wages dispute with Brown (now there’s a surprise). He was replaced by Bootsy Collins and in 1974 he released a solo album, ‘For Sweet People From Sweet Charles’. He re-joined  the Brown band in 1976, becoming MD. He quit again in 1996 and  teamed up  with former Brown bandsman, Maceo Parker to form a new band that toured extensively. “Sweet” Charles was also an in-demand session player – working with people like Al Green and Snoop Dogg.

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