BY DIONNE MEEHAN
ONE of Ireland’s most influential music figures, Paul Charles, is set to launch his new book ‘Adventures in Wonderland’ tomorrow, at 3pm in Ramelton’s Town Hall.
Working with the likes of Van Morison, Ray Davies of The Kinks and The Waterboys, Paul’s love for music began at an early age when he stumbled across The Beatles.
“I remember running into my mum’s house in Magherafelt, she had the radio on as usual and this sound started.
“It was so magnetic, so pleasing and hypnotic.
“It physically, mentally and spiritually stopped me in my tracks and it was of course the sound of The Beatles, ‘Please, Please me’.
“That really changed my life and set me on my life path.
“Music just turned me on from then,” he said.
Not having the genes to make music, sing or play, Paul discovered he had a need and an energy to help people who made music get up on stage.
When Paul was 15 years old, a group of his friends formed a band called ‘The Blues by Five’ and in order get involved, Paul had to think outside the box.
“Luckily enough, two doors down from me in Magherafelt was a fine gentleman by the name of Dixie Kerr.
“Dixie played the saxophone in a big show band called ‘The Breakaways’.
“I went and knocked on his door and asked if there was any chance he would give them a relief spot.
“They would book relief groups to come along and play the first 90 minutes.
“Being Dixie Kerr, he took out his diary and gave me three different dates.
“‘The Blues by Five’ never had a booking up until that stage, they were just rehearsing all the time.
“They immediately, at 15 years old, appointed me as their manager,” he said.
From there, Paul moved to London.
“I was a big fan of The Beatles.
“I naively thought The Beatles would be playing in London every week of the year.
“In those days, it took the news that The Beatles had split up about six months to get back to Magherafelt,” he joked.
Despite this, Paul’s career went from strength to strength.
Over the past 40 years, he has been agent and confidante to The Kinks, Robert Plant, Tom Waits, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Don McLean, Lonnie Donegan, Rory Gallagher, Marianne Faithfull, John Prine, Carly Simon, Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Christy Moore, Taj Mahal, Buzzcocks, The Undertones, The Blue Nile, Shakespears Sister, Ronnie Spector and dozens more of modern music’s brightest stars.
In his role with the Asgard agency, he has also promoted shows featuring many of the leading artists in the world, including The Police, U2, Van Morrison, Dire Straits, Carole King, Meatloaf, David Gilmour, BB King, Emmylou Harris and John Lee Hooker.
Paul has also been involved since the early days with Glastonbury Festival, with his artists topping the bill on more than one occasion before he was invited by Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis to take on the daunting – and inspiring – task of booking the Acoustic Stage at the festival every year, a role he has carried out for the past 30 years.
All of these extraordinary escapades, as well as his encounters with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Police, U2 and more, are brought together brilliantly in his marvellous new book ‘Adventures In Wonderland’.
With some incredible highs and devastating lows along the way, Paul described his career as a “rollercoaster ride”.
“I hope readers of ‘Adventures in Wonderland’ will also recognise how much I have enjoyed being involved in so many different aspects of music – and working closely with artists of outstanding creative ability.
“It has been an incredible privilege and wonderfully exciting.
“So far,” he said.
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