Charles Wayne Day

Charles Wayne "Chuck" Day (August 5, 1942 - March 10, 2008) was a guitarist and baritone bluesman from South Side Chicago.

Born in 1942, his musical talents began to develop at age 3, and at age 15, he recorded the single "Pony Tail Partner" under the name Bing Day at Federal Records (1957). Day recorded several singles over the next ten years as 'Bing Day' and, also, 'Ford Hopkins'.

He moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1965 and began a career as one of the most listened to "unknown" artists in rock and roll. He immediately became bassist with Johnny Rivers' Band. It was Chuck who came up with "The Riff" in "Secret Agent Man".

Chuck joined The Mamas and the Papas in 1967, again as bassist, and again showing his talents as second guitarist on "Monday, Monday" and "California Dreamin'".

During the '70s and '80s Chuck played on numerous recordings including Shel Silverstein's "Freaker's Ball". He also wrote for the soundtrack of Fritz the Cat and performed with legendary musicians Luther Tucker and Merl Saunders.

He eventually formed his own band in 1986.

Chuck Day resided in Fairfax, California beginning in 1969 and continued to play locally in the Marin County area until he was taken ill in January 2007. After three months of care at Marin General Hospital, Chuck was admitted to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital before being relocated to District Hospital in Healdsburg, where he remained until his death on March 10, 2008.

A memorial and parade was held in Fairfax for Chuck at 4pm on March 22, 2008. The memorial procession began in the parking lot of 19 Broadway, proceeded through downtown Fairfax with a marching band and several hundred parade members singing When the Saints Go Marching In, and gathered in the town center park, before continuing back to 19 Broadway singing You Are My Sunshine and detouring through one of Chuck's favorite watering holes, Peri's Silver Dollar. Following the parade was a musical celebration of Chuck's life, including many local musicians who had played with Chuck, and featuring many of the songs Chuck indelibly etched in his fans' memories.

Solo releases

Ponytail Partner / Since You Left Me - Federal Records (1957) as Bing Day [1]
Rain Silver Dollar / Dancing Puppet - Fraternity Records (1958) as Bing Day [2]
Poor Stagger Lee - Mercury Records (1958)
I Can't Help It / Mama's Place - Mercury Records (1959) as Bing Day [3]
Mary's Place / How Do I Do It - Mercury Records (1959) as Bing Day [4]
Ya Fine, Fine, Fine - Apex Records (1959) as Ford Hopkins
How do I do It - Mercury Records (1960)
She was not My Kind - Apex Records (1961)
Memphis Tennessee - Cameo/Parkway Records (1966)
We Gotta Get Outta this Place - Fraternity Records (1967)

With Johnny Rivers (1965)

Here We GoGo Again
Rivers Rocks the Folk

With The Mamas and the Papas (1968)

Monday, Monday - Second Guitar
California Dreamin' - Second Guitar

With The Young Gyants (1968)

Tom Dooley / We Gotta Get Out Of This Place - Parkway
Memphis / It Hurts So Bad - 1964 Cameo-Parkway

With Shel Silverstein (1971)

Freakin' at the Freaker's Ball

The Chuck Day Band (1997)

Desperate Measures

With Steve Wolf (2006)

20th Century Wolf, Volume I
co-wrote You Don't Love Me Anymore with Steve Wolf and Annie McIntyre; played lead guitar on the 2006 recording of the song

Soundtracks

Fritz the Cat

House Rock
Winston

Switchblade Sisters

Full Track

Blacula

Black Girl

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

played the waterphone

TV/Video

Sleazy Arms Hotel with Jim Gabbert (1998)
Pacifica Public Access (1998)
Zone Music Local Showcase (1998)
Boney Maroni Promotional - Lifesigns Photo (2000)
various Lifesigns Photo video (2000 to present)
numerous commercial voice-overs including "Fall into the Gap" and the legendary "Member FDIC"

Recent projects

Chuck Day and the Burning Sensations
Fairfax Tavernacle Choir
The Dori Green/Dave Bergman Show
The 19 Broadway Swing Band
The Chuck and Sam Duet

External links

References