Chas Hodges facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chas Hodges
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Hodges at Let's Rock Bristol, June 2015
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charles Nicholas Hodges |
| Born | 28 December 1943 Edmonton, Middlesex, England |
| Died | 22 September 2018 (aged 74) England |
| Genres | Rock, pop, rockney |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano, guitar, bass, banjo |
| Years active | 1960–2018 |
| Labels | Retreat, EMI, Rockney |
| Associated acts | Chas & Dave, Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, The Outlaws, Heads Hands & Feet, Chas & His Band, Deep Purple |
Charles Nicholas Hodges (born 28 December 1943 – died 22 September 2018), known as Chas Hodges, was an English musician and singer. He was best known as the lead singer and piano player of the famous musical duo Chas & Dave.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Chas Hodges was born in Edmonton, London, on 28 December 1943. His full name was Charles Nicholas, but everyone called him Chas. When he was young, his family moved to Kent, but they returned to North London after his father passed away. His mother played piano in local pubs, which might have inspired him.
Chas became very interested in rock and roll music when he heard Little Richard on the radio around 1956. He was also inspired by Lonnie Donegan to learn guitar at age 12. A year later, in 1957, he joined a skiffle band called The Horseshoe Skiffle Group. After seeing Jerry Lee Lewis perform in 1958, Chas decided he wanted to learn piano too. He left school just before he turned 15 and worked in a jewellery shop for a short time.
Becoming a Professional Musician
By the age of 16, Chas was a professional musician. He played bass guitar in different local bands. In 1960, he joined Billy Gray and the Stormers. Later, he and his bandmates became the backing band for singer Mike Berry, forming a group called The Outlaws. Famous guitarist Ritchie Blackmore also joined them.
The Outlaws worked as session musicians, which means they played music for other artists. They backed famous musicians like Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Haley, and Gene Vincent. Chas said he learned to play the piano by watching Jerry Lee Lewis during these sessions. He even got the nickname "Sleepy" because he sometimes fell asleep while recording!
After The Outlaws broke up, Chas joined Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers as their bass player in 1965.
Forming Chas & Dave
Chas Hodges had known Dave Peacock since 1963. They discovered they both loved the same kind of music. After playing in other bands, Chas and Dave decided to form their own group in 1972. They wanted to sing in their natural London accents about everyday things they knew. This unique style became known as "Rockney" – a mix of rock and roll with Cockney slang.
In Chas & Dave, Chas usually played the piano and guitar, while Dave played the bass. Their first album, One Fing'*'Anuvver, came out in 1975. They said the title song was their first true "Rockney" song. In 1976, Mick Burt joined them as their drummer.
In 1978, they signed with EMI and released the album Rockney. Their song "Strummin'" was their first to enter the music charts. A year later, their song "Woortcha!" was used in a TV advert for Courage Bitter beer. They re-recorded it and released it as a single called "Gertcha", which became very popular. They even opened for the legendary band Led Zeppelin at the Knebworth Festival in 1979!
In 1980, Chas & Dave started their own record label called Rockney. Their first song on this label, "Rabbit", became a top 10 hit. They had an even bigger hit in 1982 with "Ain't No Pleasing You", which Chas mostly wrote.
Chas Hodges was also very popular with fans of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. He and Dave released several songs for the team, including "Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur" and "Ossie's Dream (Spurs Are on Their Way to Wembley)".
Chas also played piano for a short-lived supergroup called The Rockers, which included famous musicians like Roy Wood and Phil Lynott.
In 2009, Dave Peacock decided to retire from performing after his wife passed away. However, he changed his mind in 2010, and Chas & Dave went back on tour in 2011.
In 2012, Chas wrote a charity song called "Got My Tickets for the Darts" with his band and some darts players. The money raised from the song went to a children's hospice.
Chas Hodges also released some solo albums, including Chas Hodges in 2009 and Together We Made Music in 2011. He was also a keen gardener and wrote a column about it in a British newspaper.
Illness and Passing
In February 2017, Chas Hodges shared that he had been diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. He began treatment right away. Sadly, he passed away in his sleep on 22 September 2018, at the age of 74, due to complications from pneumonia.
See also
In Spanish: Chas Hodges para niños
