Charles "Wigg" Walker at the Nashville Jazz Workshop

Join Charles "Wigg" Walker at Nashville Jazz Workshop’s Jazz Cave on Friday, September 27, 2024 for a grooving night of soul music! The concert begins at 7:30pm CDT (Doors open at 7:00pm).

LIVE PERFORMANCE TICKETS ($35) – NEW add a charcuterie box on Eventbrite with your ticket.

About the artist:

Fresh off a spectacular performance in the Jazz Cave in January, Charles “Wigg” Walker returns with his group featuring Pat Bergeson (guitar), Pete Abbott (drums), and Charles Treadway (organ).

Charles Walker was born in Nashville, Tennessee on July 12, 1940. Charles or “Wigg,” as he is known by his friends (his mother nicknamed him when he was born with a full head of hair), began singing at an early age in church and school. He cut his first record in 1959 for Ted Jarrett’s legendary Champion label.

1962 found Charles recording with Chess Records out of Chicago, and soon he signed on as lead singer with the J.C. Davis Band. This band began touring the country opening for the greats of the era including James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Etta James, Wilson Pickett, Little Willie John, Otis Redding, and Sam Cooke. The J.C. Davis Band recorded some real barnstormers for Chess like “Sweet Sweet Love” and “The Chicken Scratch.” In 1964, Charles formed his own group, Little Charles and the Sidewinders. They became one of the most in demand soul bands in New York City’s nightclub scene, performing at the Apollo Theater, Small’s Paradise and venturing out to Las Vegas and Atlantic City. They subsequently recorded for Chess and Decca labels. In 1979, Charles signed on with Motown as a staff writer.

Charles is one of the few remaining original soul singers from back in the day when old school R&B/soul was brand new on the music scene. With the recent resurgence of this style of music finding a younger audience while rekindling memories for the old school crowd, Wigg is still delivering this style of music at a very high level. Join us and hear why Wigg’s experience and maturity in the field of soul music gives him a perspective that is unmatched!

Host or Publisher Nashville Jazz Workshop