BOOK: ‘Rock & Roll’s Hidden Giant,’ by Charlie Gracie (with John A. Jackson)
“Who is Charlie Gracie, anyway?”
When a British newspaper cheekily asked this question in 1957, Gracie was a young American star who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. He was so successful that he even landed top billing at the London Hippodrome, an honor that offended veteran singer Dorothy Squires to the point that she refused to share the bill with him (hence the cheeky newspaper article). Yet he faded from the public eye almost as quickly as he arrived; as the ’50s turned to the ’60s, fewer and fewer people would know who Charlie Gracie was.
Despite this early and sudden fall into obscurity, Rock & Roll’s Hidden Giant: The Story of Rock Pioneer Charlie Gracie is not a tell-all or bitter memoir of bygone fame. It’s an unusual rock ‘n’ roll autobiography: a story of relentless optimism in the face of continual setbacks, complete with a happy ending.
Gracie’s story begins well before his birth, tracing a path from his grandparents’ Sicilian roots to his childhood in one of Philadelphia’s poorest immigrant communities. These back stories place him in a street-smart world with a family who values dedication, fairness, and hard work — traits that Gracie himself relied on through the ups and downs of his career.
Known early on for his unique guitar work, Gracie was noticed by a Philadelphia record company after winning a talent contest. With the Philly-based Cameo records, he recorded two of early rock ‘n’ roll’s biggest and most influential hits — “Butterfly” and “Fabulous” — and had success in both America and the UK years before the British Invasion opened musical channels between the countries. His early stories are intertwined with, and inseparable from, the nascent Philadelphia rock scene of the mid-’50s — the city where a young DJ named Dick Clark would soon take over a regional show, Bandstand, and become one of the most influential taste-makers on the air.
But Gracie’s overnight success ended as quickly as it began: when he realized Cameo wasn’t paying him the agreed-upon royalties, Gracie threatened to sue. Though there was no hard evidence that he was actually blacklisted, that threat marked the end of his upward trajectory; he got less and less radio play — at a time when DJs and record companies controlled who was on the air and payola was routine practice — and fewer opportunities to record. He would attempt many comebacks, but would never cut a hit single again. (While Gracie doesn’t make direct accusations, a number of footnotes reference the late ’50s Philadelphia payola scandal that came before the US. House Oversight Committee, who investigated pay-for-play practices between record producers and DJs. Gracie’s co-author, John A. Jackson, is a music historian who has written extensively about Dick Clark, the Philadelphia music scene, and the payola scandal.)
Gracie’s story quickly moves away from the typical narrative of a talented kid who made good and becomes a tale of a man who had the world at his feet one moment and could barely get a gig the next. This is when the book becomes truly interesting, thanks in large part to his unusual attitude and reaction to this drastic change of circumstance. Instead of the usual coping methods we expect from down-on-their-luck musicians — violence, drug use, or adultery — Charlie Gracie never lost faith, never broke down, and never stopped working. He appears to have an incredible ability to bounce back from the countless near-misses and bad breaks that kept him off the radar for decades (perhaps too incredible; his patience at times seems superhuman). While much of the world forgot about Gracie, he persevered, performing wherever he could and sticking close to his Philadelphia roots.
After many years as a struggling but content regional performer, a renewed interest in early rock brought Gracie back into the public eye. Far from forgotten, Gracie learned for the first time how his music left a lasting mark on some of rock and roll’s most influential performers, including George Harrison, Cliff Richard, and Paul McCartney. He even starts to record again and, in these later years of his career, gets fully recognized for his early success. His story has come full circle, as he finds himself lauded by and performing with the world’s greatest musicians.
The title Rock and Roll’s Hidden Giant undoubtedly refers to the unknown influence Gracie had on the Beatles, Cliff Richards, and others who revolutionized the ’60s music scene. Yet at first glance, that title could be a turnoff for those who don’t recognize Gracie’s name, implying that the book is a bitter and desperate attempt to reclaim glory that was never his.
But don’t judge the book by its title; this is an optimistic, feel-good story from a surprisingly humble man. Though it would have rounded out the narrative to hear more about the pain and bitterness he must have felt as his fortunes changed, and more detail about the forces that contributed to Gracie’s fall from stardom may have given the story more depth, his work ethic and optimism carries the day. Polyanna? Maybe. But Charlie Gracie’s unwavering positivity in a world of cynics is refreshing.
The book is about so much more than Charlie Gracie’s career trajectory. It’s about not giving up when life gets disappointing, doing whatever you have to do to hone your craft, and never abandoning your dream, even if it doesn’t take the form you expected. Rather than becoming the superstar he expected to be, Gracie spent most of his life as a regional performer, taking each gig as it came, happy to be doing what he loved wherever he could. Now in his 70s and still able to perform with the best of them, Charlie Gracie proves that “you’re never too old to rock.”
-
Ake Roos
-
Icarus