Charles Bradley

Overview

Bradley exploded onto the music scene after being discovered impersonating James Brown by Daptone Records in Brooklyn. His meteoric rise to soul stardom took him from a bleak life on the streets in an incredible against-all-odds climb.

His debut album No Time For Dreaming (2011) was widely praised, and Bradley’s second album Victim of Love sees him returning to New Zealand to celebrate its release. Accompanied by his all-star band The Extraordinaires, (comprising of members of The Dap Kings, The Menahan St Band, Budos Band and others) it is touted as an offering of love and gratitude to his admirers and supporters, and takes its influence from a wide range of musical fields, including experimentation with psychedelic soul from the seventies.

He continues to make waves across the industry, Rolling Stone saying “every brass blast and chicken scratch could have come straight off a 1968 Stax Records release, but it’s Bradley’s ragged, resilient powerhouse singing that makes this soul…” and Austin American Statesman calling Bradley’s music “cathartic, explosive soul that reaches deep and shakes you to the core.” The Los Angeles Times see him as a classic. "He sells every syllable, dropping to his knees, outstretching his arms, shaking his hips. And that voice, both pleading and plaintive, anguished and extraordinary".