Blue Sushi radio presents: Featured

Charles Atkins, born and raised in Daytona Beach, and has become one of the finest blues men that Florida has ever produced. His performances interpret blues at its best, from fast-paced shuffles to foot-stomping rockers to mournful, slow blues. His playing and singing evoke the healing power of the blues. Since becoming a driving force of the Daytona music scene in the 60's and 70's, Charles has worked throughout the Eastern U.S. and California. His performances at the Florida Folk Festival and at other Florida and Georgia festivals have been celebrated events.

Charles Atkins cranks out the kind of big-voiced, jump shuffle blues generally associated with Big Joe Turner, Bobby Blue Bland and Little Milton. Atkins learned his craft at The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine, just like Ray Charles before him. "At the school for the blind, we had about 40 people in the dorm and one piano on the floor, so you had to wait your turn," Charles recalls. "I've been playing ever since then, in some way, shape, form or fashion." After finishing school in St.Augustine, he headed up to New York Institute for the Blind in the Bronx where he became a member of a seven piece band, The Camerons in 1959-60. Dion Di Mucci of The Wanderer's fame frequented the band's sets.

After the band broke up, Charles headed back South.In the summer of 1961, he played the King of Hearts Club in Miami with Sam & Dave. That began a long stint of road and session work with a variety of bands such as The Ink Spots, Benny Latimore, The Red Toppers, The VIPs and Paul Mont of The Five Blind Boys. In 1963, while playing in The Daytona area with The Lindsey Morris Band, Charles remembers two young local musicians, Greg and Duane Allman, sneaking in the club to come sit in with the band.Years later, while working on the Chitlin Circuit, an incident in a Daytona Beach nightclub changed Charles' life drastically.

A stray bullet fired from the gun of a jealous husband hit Charles in the leg. It must have hit something else first, though, because it didn't have any force. "It just hit me in the leg and fell to the floor. That was a sign. After that I hadn't been in another group until I started working with The Blues Boys."Soon after his premature retirement from the stage, Charles attended Florida State University and earned a degree in Music Education.

Soon thereafter he moved to Los Angeles to work as a songwriter and session musician. After several years he once more returned to Florida and began teaching at the Blues Lab at F.S.U. It was then that he met the Blues Boys. After a year's worth of successful gigging they recorded "Animal Called The Blues" and a year later "The Blues Says It All". Their public appearances included shows at the 1995 & 1996 Florida Folk Festival, openers for such blues greats as Duke Robillard and Bobby Blue Bland, and headliners for PBS's award-winning Southern Jam!

Blue Sushi Radio's Featured Artist Tallahassee, Florida USA.
	Charles Atkins, born and raised in Daytona Beach, and has become one of the finest blues men that Florida has ever produced. His performances interpret blues at its best, from fast-paced shuffles to foot-stomping rockers to mournful, slow blues. His playing and singing evoke the healing power of the blues. Since becoming a driving force of the Daytona music scene in the 60's and 70's, Charles has worked throughout the Eastern U.S. and California. His performances at the Florida Folk Festival and at other Florida and Georgia festivals have been celebrated events. Charles Atkins cranks out the kind of big-voiced, jump shuffle blues generally associated with Big Joe Turner, Bobby Blue Bland and Little Milton. Atkins learned his craft at The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine, just like Ray Charles before him. "At the school for the blind, we had about 40 people in the dorm and one piano on the floor, so you had to wait your turn," Charles recalls. "I've been playing ever since then, in some way, shape, form or fashion." After finishing school in St.Augustine, he headed up to New York Institute for the Blind in the Bronx where he became a member of a seven piece band, The Camerons in 1959-60. Dion Di Mucci of The Wanderer's fame frequented the band's sets. After the band broke up, Charles headed back South.In the summer of 1961, he played the King of Hearts Club in Miami with Sam & Dave. That began a long stint of road and session work with a variety of bands such as The Ink Spots, Benny Latimore, The Red Toppers, The VIPs and Paul Mont of The Five Blind Boys. In 1963, while playing in The Daytona area with The Lindsey Morris Band, Charles remembers two young local musicians, Greg and Duane Allman, sneaking in the club to come sit in with the band.Years later, while working on the Chitlin Circuit, an incident in a Daytona Beach nightclub changed Charles' life drastically. A stray bullet fired from the gun of a jealous husband hit Charles in the leg. It must have hit something else first, though, because it didn't have any force. "It just hit me in the leg and fell to the floor. That was a sign. After that I hadn't been in another group until I started working with The Blues Boys."Soon after his premature retirement from the stage, Charles attended Florida State University and earned a degree in Music Education. Soon thereafter he moved to Los Angeles to work as a songwriter and session musician. After several years he once more returned to Florida and began teaching at the Blues Lab at F.S.U. It was then that he met the Blues Boys. After a year's worth of successful gigging they recorded "Animal Called The Blues" and a year later "The Blues Says It All". Their public appearances included shows at the 1995 & 1996 Florida Folk Festival, openers for such blues greats as Duke Robillard and Bobby Blue Bland, and headliners for PBS's award-winning Southern Jam!