Charles Lee grew up during the fifties and sixties in Detroit, Michigan. His musical influences are varied, but the strongest has been the Motown sound. The musical history that Charles gives is a basic tracing of the history of Rock ’n’ Roll, which originated from the blues in the Delta region of the Mississippi. When the blues “split” around the time of World War I, Blacks migrated to the North, bringing their music and customs with them, which evolved into the Big Band sound Charles refers to as “Urban Blues.” On stage, he gives his rendition of tunes like Tobacco Road (Lou Rawles) and Goin’ to Chicago Blues (Big Joe Williams, Count Basie). Charles says some of his most favorite songs have been from Lou Rawles, for the driving beat, the strong baritone vocals, and the way “you believe his lyrics.”

Moving more forward in history, Charles gets the audience moving and singing along with more familiar tunes like Chain Gang (Sam Cooke), Under the Boardwalk (Drifters), and Just My Imagination (Temptations), which Charles considers his “thank you” to how the Temptations influenced him. “The Temptations were my heroes. I watched them rise, their tragedies, and their triumph.” During his introduction of “Under the Boardwalk,” Charles even gives some little-known facts, such as that Drifters member Rudy Moore died on the day the song hit number one. He can also tell you that the famous Drifters are not the members who originally made up the group. After the original five members requested a raise, five new “Drifters” were hired, including Ben E. King.

Charles gives this history to introduce the cover songs that he performs during his show. All of this history of Black music leads up to a few original gospel numbers. By outlining the evolution of Black music, Charles shows how his own music brings that musical history into the present.

The cover tunes that Charles performs prove to be popular with audiences of all ages. The people who also grew up on that music often sing along, while the younger generations seem to gravitate to the uplifting beat. The appeal of Charles Lee’s original music thrives on that familiar and “happy music” sound. Charles combines his encouraging and uplifting gospel lyrics with that mainstream music sound to keep his audience toe-tapping right along and humming his tunes long after his performance ends.