By Sarah Wallace

Grammy-nominated Australian blues artist coming to Birch Hills

Feb 19, 2017 | 7:00 AM

An eight time Grammy-nominated Australian blues artist is making a stop in a small Saskatchewan town.

Michael Charles will be in Birch Hills March 9 to play a concert at The Mane Event, formerly known as The Flute and Fiddle.

On top of playing in Birch Hills, Charles will also be performing at the Saskatoon and Regina Blues Festivals.

“It’s always nice to go back,” Charles said. “The feeling that I get is that I’m going back because people have asked me back. That’s probably the biggest buzz of all; that people want to hear your music.”

Charles said he always makes a point of going to smaller towns like Birch Hills because he feels these towns sometimes miss out on certain things big cities can offer.

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“I love playing to a new audience because it gives you the opportunity for them to hear what you’re all about, and also it tests your music,” Charles said.

Charles’ shows feature captivating original blues songs, blues-based rock, ballads and some well-known covers.

In 2015 Charles was induced into the Blues Hall of Fame.

“I don’t think too much about those kinds of things,” he said. “I’m just so involved with in my work and making sure that I do all the right steps and get out there touring and get as many people to hear what I’m all about.”

Charles said he tries to release an album every year, and called himself a big workaholic.

His show at The Mane Event is Mar 9 at 7 p.m. with tickets only $10.

Growing up with music

Charles said he grew up in a family where there was always a guitar around the house. He said he just couldn’t keep his hands off of the guitar, and at the age of five he started playing and never looked back.

Growing up in a time without social media, Charles said his musical inspirations came from listening to the radio and watching TV.

“As a child I got fed with things like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, even Elvis Presley and all those guys like that,” he said. “All their music originated from them listening to blues.”

As he got older, Charles said he began listening to Creedence Clearwater Revival, Deep Purple with Ritchie Blackmore, Jeff Beck from The Yardbirds, Eric Clapton and Cream, groups he said inspired him to play the blues.

“They’re all blues-based musicians,” he said. “You always try to mimic these people that have inspired you through your life.”

Around the age of 10 Charles said he began to find inspiration in the band behind Elvis Presley, including Hank Garland and Scotty Moore.

“You got these two heavy-duty guitar players and Elvis was the voice, so I became a big fan of Hank and Moore. In my early days they would have been my biggest inspirations because that’s what I was hearing on the radio,” he said.

Another inspiration for Charles was Carlos Santana, which Charles said was because of the power Santana had behind his music.

“He took the guitar to a whole different dimension. It was all about improvisation, it was all about feel, and that really twisted me to another direction completely,” Charles said.

From Australia to North America

In 1989 Charles’ management came to him with an invitation to play Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago, which at the time was the American hub for the blues. This, Charles said, was be his first gig in America.

“I was told ‘what do you think?’ And I just kind of looked and said ‘think? There’s nothing to think about.’ You get an invitation from God, you go,” he said.

Charles said when you get an opportunity to meet a legend like Guy, you do it. Charles said playing in Chicago was one of the highlights of his career, a moment he’d treasure all his life.

Charles spent two weeks touring in the US with musicians like Junior Wells, Sugar Blue, Phil Guy, James Cotton, Eddy Clearwater and Jimmy Dawkins. He said it was a phenomenal time.

Once he got back to Australia, Charles said he quickly realized he had to get back to America. Charles moved back after just six months, and has been in the US for over 30 years since.

“It’s been one hell of a ride,” he said.

swallace@panow.com

On Twitter: @sarahthesquid 

Editor’s Note: This story was updated Feb. 20 to correct an upcoming tour date.