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His name is Charlie Baggett and he’s just a kid, having turned 14 a month ago. He is a wellmannered, soft-spoken regular teen, who admits to cleaning his room only when he can’t find something that he needs.
Yet when you hear him sing, as he did Sept. 20 with the California Symphony in Concord, you could easily believe that you were listening to Il Divo, Andrea Bocelli or even a younger Pavarotti – such is the power of his performance. Baggett is poised to become a household name in the near future.
“I started when I was 5 or 6,” he explained. While his mother was talking on the phone with Charlie’s grandmother, she asked him to sing something. He did. While a grandmother could hardly be considered an objective audience, her reaction was certainly accurate.
“After my father died, Charlie would sing at the cemetery,” explained Charlie’s mother, Corky. “My father was in the military and it was a way to honor him, as well as the other veterans.”
James Davis, Antioch mayor pro tem, started calling for Charlie to sing at Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day and July Fourth parades.
“I’ve known Charlie since he was 8 years old,” Davis said. “He is a tremendous young man, very impressive.”
“I like helping people,” Charlie said. “I’m willing to give, not take.”
“He’s been taking voice lessons for the last two years,” Corky said. “His coach studied under Judy Davis.” Davis was a legendary vocal coach with clients from Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra to Grace Slick from Jefferson Airplane.
Charlie, who attends school half the time because of production and performance requirements, is also a part of Benicia-based VOENA (Voices of Eve ’n Angels). The group has performed for Presidents Clinton and Bush, as well as many other notables.
“That was before I joined,” Charlie joked. However, he has performed for Microsoft’s Bill Gates at the Moscone Center.
“God blessed this child with a voice,” Corky said. “People always say how it touches them.”
Clayton family friend Yvonne Eade jokes about Charlie with her son, Kirk, who attended Charlie’s school, making music videos and having a lot of fun. “I’m going to get his autograph,” Eade said. “He is definitely talented, although he is very humble.”
“Singing with the orchestra was incredible,” Charlie said of his experience with the California Symphony. “After that, you go back to just the piano and something seems to be missing.”
Charlie and his producer Ricardo Scales, himself a talent described in the media as “San Francisco’s rising star,” had been working on Charlie’s debut CD due out November. While most of the songs are standards, Charlie reports that they are writing a few originals.
Charlie calls Scales “an incredibly coach and mentor.”
In what little spare time he has, Charlie is also a pilot-in-training, flying with an instructor and eager to get his license. “My instructor is 24 years old, so we get along well,” Charlie said. Flying is his passion and obsession.
He is also a sound technician, having worked shows for a few years at the Contra Costa Christian Theatre as well as other venues.
His latest musical experience, and where he can be found most Sundays, is as part of the gospel choir at the Macedonian Mission Baptist Church in San Francisco. “It adds a whole new aspect,” Charlie said.
“I tell the council that one day we will all say ‘I knew Charlie when ...,’ ” said James Davis. “I’m sure of it.” - The Concordian
When I turned 15 no one proclaimed the day “MisterWriter Day",” but that was one of the surprises for Charlie Baggett today at his CD Release Party (and birthday party) at Concord airport.
Mayor Laura Hoffmeister and Vice Mayor Guy Bjerke joined the crowd of about 200 inside the large hanger of Pacific States Aviation where Charlie rents his aircraft. The hanger included an attractive private jet, along with assorted propeller aircraft.
While he knew that the city officials would be there, Charlie had no idea of the Proclamation and was visibly moved. You can watch the video which shows that moment as well as Charlie singing live the title track from the CD “I only dream of you.” - Misterwriter
After much work, the debut CD of Charlie Baggett (age 14) is near. As I reported last year HERE in my blog as well as in the Clayton Pioneer and The Concordian (p25), this is a kid to watch. I first heard him at the California Symphony playing at Todos Santos Plaza last summer. He was only 13 at the time and wowed the audience.
I have had the pleasure to know the family through my interviews and they have been kind enough to allow me a preview CD to listen to. It is an extremely good CD and one that promises many years of great things for this young man with a voice that fans of Josh Groban, Il Divo, Andrea Bocelli and many others will enjoy. - Misterwriter
Discography
"I Only Dream of You"
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Bio
Taking to the skies: Young singer launches professional career
With the release of his debut CD, "I Only Dream of You," on Sept. 17 at a dual official release party and 15th birthday party, Charlie Baggett took the first steps to establishing a professional career.
The first thing you notice about Charlie is the incredible humility with which he approaches his craft. He has been performing since the age of 6 as an a cappella soloist, in multiple venues to large crowds up to 10,000 including the well-known Bay Area professional children’s choir Voices of Eve 'N Angels (VOENA.) With each performance Charlie expands his range and focus working with other vocal professionals. Charlie's style has been compared to the likes of Il Divo, Josh Groban and even a younger Pavarotti.
Launching his CD in the main hanger of Pacific States Aviation at Concord's Buchanan Airport where he is working towards his pilot certification seemed the perfect location. With about 200 people in attendance including producer Annabelle Marie, who wrote two original songs for him, Charlie was the recipient of a mayoral Proclamation presented by Concord Mayor Laura Hoffmeister and Vice-Mayor Guy Bjerke. "We express our immense pride and honor in having so talented an artist calling Concord home," Bjerke told him as he handed over the framed Proclamation naming September 17, 2009 as "Charlie Baggett Day in the city of Concord."
Charlie's manager, Wally Roker who as a member of The Heartbeats also promoted them along with other major talent such as Laura Branigan, Dionne Warwick, and Roberta Flack, took the stage to express his admiration for the young singer.
“I usually look at a birthday as just another day," Charlie said, visibly touched by the honor bestowed upon him. "I’m 15 – I love planes." Behind him the hanger was lined with assorted light aircraft including a sleek business jet. Charlie often flies out of the field in a Cessna 172R and has aspirations of getting a commercial pilot license in line with two of his idols, actor John Travolta and pilot Capt. "Sully" Sullenberger, the hero of an emergency landing in the Hudson River in New York in 2009.
In 2008, Charlie celebrated a debut performance with the acclaimed California Symphony as the guest vocal artist to a record crowd of over 2,000 people. The California Symphony has been voted the best Symphony by Readers Digest. Charlie performed “Time to Say Goodbye” and “The Prayer” to a crowd that was left in awe of his young age.
A young man with a big heart, Charlie has a love and compassion for everyone around him, qualities that are very easy to spot minutes after meeting him. His concern for animals translates into benefit performances for the Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation. Sharing the stage with star performers like Jonathan Cain of Journey, Carlos Reyes, Holly Stell, and Karl Perazzo from the band Santana, Charlie donated his talents to ARF's cause with a commitment for ongoing involvement.
With vocal coaching from Annabelle Marie a student of Judy Davis known for her work with clients Barbra Streisand and Jefferson Airplane, and with an ongoing regimen of performances, Charlie takes his craft very seriously.
James Davis, Mayor for the city of Antioch, CA, agrees. "I've known Charlie since he was 8 years old,” Davis said. "He is a tremendous young man. Very impressive." Davis had asked Charlie to sing at Memorial Day, Veteran's Day and the July 4th Parades.
Charlie is a member of the Grammy Recording Academy and has performed as a soloist for the Bay Area Chapter’s annual end of year celebration in 2007.
Between performances, Charlie also enjoys the technical side of recording and production. He has worked with the Contra Costa Christian Theater's productions of The Wiz, High School Musical and Honk backstage as part of the production crew. Add baseball, dirt bikes and learning to play drums and you have a typical teenager mixed in with his incredible talent.
Charlie's debut CD titled, "I Only Dream of You," is available through Amazon.com, iTunes and on the Baggett Record Group Website at www.charliebaggett.com.
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