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Post subject: Popular and loved Boston,Mass. songwriter/bandleader gone.
Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 5:53 pm
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Forum members who have been around for a good while may recall me often singing the praises of a popular Boston group from the late 80s,Scruffy the Cat and its leader songwriter Charlie Chesterman.After the breakup of Scruffy, Charlie went on to form Chas and the Legendary Motorbikes and several other very popular musical undertakings.All his musical undertakings met with huge critical acclaim and it was often said by critics that he was every bit as talented and important as Dylan,Ochs,Guthrie and Buckley. For the past couple of years Charlie had been waging a very stubborn fight against cancer and kept on gigging until it was just impossible to muster the strength to do so.Since I have been dealing with the after effects of an accident in my truck in early Dec. and my own ongoing health issues,I hadn't been keeping up on the Friends of Charlie Chesterman Facebook site,so a couple of weeks ago I was floored when I found out that Charlie had succumbed to cancer back in November.Just today a copy of Dynamite Music Machine by Chas and the Legendary Motorbikes that I had ordered before I found out about his death, came in the mail.Even though the music was just fabulous it was the saddest time that I ever had listening to an album.Even though we had never crossed paths I felt that I knew him by listening to so much of his music and just reading about his rapport with audiences wherever they played,plus a good friend of mine knew all the guys in the band through her friend who did the sound for them.She even got a copy of one of their gigs for me right from the soundboard but unfortunately lost it when she moved from Boston to California.Even though our paths never crossed I still regarded Charlie as one of the best friends that I never met.

I'm sure that any forum members from the Boston area would be familiar with Charlie's music and if you haven't and really like pure unadulterated old fashioned rock with catchy melodies and brilliant and very witty lyrics, check out the discography of Scruffy the Cat,Chas and the Legendary Motorbikes and the compilation tribute album done by bands who were either friends of or were heavily influenced by Charlie's music called Chorus vs. Solos-A Tribute to Charlie Chesterman.This album was a labour of love with the proceeds to go to Charlie to help pay for his expenses while fighting cancer-now the proceeds go to his widow and two very young children.Charlie was only 53-another great musician taken from us before his time.

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Post subject: Re: Popular and loved Boston,Mass. songwriter/bandleader gon
Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 6:44 pm
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The name, Scruffy the Cat, rings a bell. I did a search for him
and found this. Rest easy, Charlie. :(

http://charliechesterman.com/funeral.html

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Post subject: Re: Popular and loved Boston,Mass. songwriter/bandleader gon
Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 7:17 pm
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Thanks for posting that Mike,I thought that I had seen all of Charlie's obits and tributes but that was certainly one of the best.I bought the Chorus vs. Solos CD mainly to help out with his financial needs but now that there is a fund set up for his family,I will certainly be giving to that,for all the enjoyment his music has given me it's the very least that I can do.

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