Wright was born on April 6, 1940, in Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States.^[1] The seventh of twelve children, he was raised on a cotton plantation. Years later, he would refer the sharecropping era as "The next shade after slavery". According to the book Up from Where We've Come, the sharecropper that owned that plantation was a cruel man by the name of Edward Miles. When Wright was 12, the family moved to Los Angeles. Contrary to his father's rule of not allowing his children to listen to secular music, he began listening to popular music and became mesmerized by it. Jesse Belvin was a singer that he heard on the radio was to have a significant influence on the young Wright and who became his mentor. After hearing Belvin on the radio, he looked up his number in the phone book and contacted him. He was told by Belvin to stop copying his sound and find his own. Later, Belvin took Wright under his wing and helped him get started. This association lasted until 1960, but stopped because Belvin died in a car crash at the age of 27. The following year, Wright had his first hit record.^[2]

Wright is best known for his role as band leader of the group Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, which had the classic 1971 hit "Express Yourself".^{[citation needed]} He has been associated with Johnny Guitar Watson, touring with him and playing on early recordings by him.^[3][4] He also added his vocals to an album by The Watsonian Institute.^[5] For a very brief period, Wright managed singer Bill Withers.^[6][7]

He is also the author of the book Up from Where We've Come.^{[citation needed]}

1950s to 1960s edit

Early in his career, he was a member of The Shields, an LA based doo wop group that recorded in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Johnny Guitar Watson and Jesse Belvin had also been members of the group. Wright took the lead when he replaced lead singer Frankie Erivin.^[8] According to Tony Hilder, Wright and Belvin sang on the recorded version of the Shield's release "You Cheated". The song bw "That's the Way it's Gonna Be" was released on Tender 513 in 1958.^[9][10] Also that year, a record that Write helped compose with Fred Lowery and Fred Stryker, "No Other Love" was recorded by The Blossoms and released on Capitol F4072.^[11][12]

Wright and Belvin became involved with A&R man Hilder who had worked for the Kent/Modern organization.^[13][14] With the assistance of Hilder, Wright penned "You're Unforgettable".^[15] It was recorded by Billy Watkins. Released in 1959 on the Challenge label, it was backed with "Rendezvous", a Robert Hafner composition. It was given a B+ rating by The Cash Box in its October 17 issue.^[16][17] It was also a prediction to do well by Billboard that month, and it was already charting locally that year.^[18][19] In early 1960, Hilder had come to San Luis Obispo to find a backing band to back Wright and Watkins on a tour. Norman Knowles of The Revels offered up his band to back them but Hilder didn't take up his offer.^[20]

Around 1962, a single "Latinia" bw "Runky" was released on Titanic 5003. According to Robert Dalley's book, Surfin' Guitars: Instrumental Surf Bands of the Sixties, the backing band was Bob Vaught's band, The Renegaids.^[21][22] The A side was written by Thomas Nuñes and Mark Hilder while the B side was written by Wright along with B. Adkins and B. Morgan.^[23][24]

By early 1966, and now recording as Charlie Wright, he had a single out on the Capitol label. Along with singles by The Mar-Keys and Percy Mayfield, Wright's single, "Help Yourself" was predicted to reach the R&B Singles chart.^[25]

In 1969, Capitol released "I Don't Have To Dream" bw "She Taught Me What Love" by Bobby Sheen. Wright wrote the A side song Wright and the B side he co-wrote with Sheen.^[26] Wright also had played guitar in one of the bands Sheen was in.^[27]

1970s to present edit

By late August 1970, Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band had entered the Billboard Soul Chart with "Express Yourself".^[28] It would eventually peak at No. 3 on the rhythm and blues chart and No. 12 on pop chart.^[29] This was one of about eight charting hits that he wrote for the band.^[30]

• The Philadelphia Tribune: "Charles Wright is still expressing himself" by Bobbi Booker
• 45Cat: Charles Wright
• Charles Wright Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2020)