Baton Rouge Blues Society

Bobby Charles (born Robert Charles Guidry, Abbeville, Louisiana) was an American singer and songwriter. An ethnic Cajun, Bobby Charles grew up listening to Cajun music and the country and western music of Hank Williams. At the age of 15, he heard a performance by Fats Domino, an event that “changed my life forever,” he recalled.

Bobby Charles helped to pioneer the south Louisiana musical genre known as swamp pop. His compositions include the hits
“See You Later, Alligator,” which he initially recorded himself as “Later Alligator”, but which is best known from the cover
version by Bill Haley & His Comets; and “Walking to New Orleans”, written for Fats Domino.

Charles wrote the 1950s classic “(I Don’t Know Why I Love You) But I Do” was a hit for Clarence “Frogman” Henry and was on the soundtrack to the 1994 blockbuster Forrest Gump. His composition “Why Are People Like That?” was on the soundtrack to the 1998 movie Home Fries.

Because of his south Louisiana-influenced rhythm and blues vocal style, Charles has often been referred to as black, when in
fact he is white.

On November 26, 1976, Bobby Charles was invited to play with The Band at their farewell concert, The Last Waltz. Charles
played “Down South in New Orleans”, with the help of Dr. John and The Band. The performance of “Down South in New Orleans” was not captured on film however, and did not appear in the film based on the concert with Charles only appearing briefly in the concert’s final song, “I Shall Be Released” (he is largely blocked from view during the song). The song, sung by Bobby Charles with drummer Levon Helm and bassist Rick Danko, was recorded and later released on a box set of The Last Waltz concert performances.

He co-wrote the song “Small Town Talk” with Rick Danko of The Band. “Promises, Promises (The Truth Will Set You Free)”
was co-written with Willie Nelson.

Bobby Charles continued to compose and record (he was based out of Woodstock, New York for a time) and in the 1990s he recorded a duet of “Walking to New Orleans” with Domino.

In September 2007, The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame honored Bobby Charles for his contributions to Louisiana music
with an induction.