Independent Artist | Singer-Songwriter
aboutme
Charles Grigsby is an American singer-songwriter that has recently returned to the music industry with a new sound and album. After an exciting time at American Idol, Charles turned to producing and releasing his own music. He performed across the United States and overseas before he lost his singing voice. After recovering, Grigsby has returned to music.
EARLY LIFE
Charles' life as an artist goes back to his early childhood. Although he has no formal voice training, he grew up with a love for music. As a teenager, Charles would use two cassette recorders to lay down multiple tracks of his own voice, harmonizing to the songs he memorized. In high school, he joined the school choir to aid in his study of singing mechanics. He grew up listening to such acts as Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Donnell Jones, Brian McKnight, Marvin Gaye, Boyz II Men and Take 6, all of whom influenced his vocal style.
MUSICAL JOURNEY
In 2003, being determined to follow his dreams, Charles found himself in Detroit standing in line at the auditions of Fox's American Idol. The second season was gearing up as nearly 70,000 contestants auditioned with the hopes of becoming the next great superstar. Charles excelled amidst the contest pressures in Hollywood and stepped up his game. He took center stage and belted out his own rendition of Stevie Wonder's Overjoyed. The performance garnered him the most votes from the viewers, securing him as the first of the twelve finalists. He was voted off on March 19, 2003 after a performance of You Can't Win during Movie Songs Night.
Charles' break came in 2005 at a New York release party. After being swept away by the melody in Charles' voice, Ziggy Gonzalez (Founder of Cityboyz Music Ltd) signed and advanced Charles further along into the music industry. In July 2005, Charles released an EP self-titled that consists of six tracks: 5 W's, Those Loving Eyes, Tell Me, That Coulda Been Me, After Party and a revised version of Peter Frampton's Baby I Love Your Way.
After working on his EP Charles Grigsby, Charles set out to reorient his music field in 2008. He joined the group Croonerz and performed Top 40 Hits in local venues across northeast Ohio.
In September 2010, Charles broadened his vast scope of music by performing as a lead vocalist of the band Centric at the
Hard Rock Cafe in Pattaya, Thailand.
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In March 2011, Charles returned to the United States with a focus on writing new songs. After discovering an issue with his vocal cords, which he unknowingly had for years, Charles postponed the production of his new album.
Before committing to vocal rest, Charles recorded a single produced by a local talent, Anthem. In August 2011, the television audience of Fox 8 News were treated to the first live performance of Charles' single Headliner.
Charles also held a benefit concert at The First Church in Oberlin, Ohio on September 11, 2011 along with musicians from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Together they helped raise funds for The Underground Railroad Project, which highlighted Oberlin's prominent role as Station 99 on the Underground Railroad.
A NEW WAY
In May 2011, Charles married Reichele in an intimate ceremony in Oberlin, Ohio.
After releasing Headliner in September 2011, Charles decided it was time to take that much needed vocal rest. The Grigsby's moved to the northwest suburbs of Chicago where they later found a church community and a sense of enlightenment.
Nine years' worth of spiritual yearning unleashed songs of praise and worship. Charles released his first Christian Contemporary R&B album Hindsight in December 2020.
For Charles, the pandemic led to a better understanding of how to make the best of a less ideal situation. Despite the cumbersome circumstances, Charles made the best of his home studio and a slew of online freelancers to record new songs. He is currently recording a Christmas album in memory of his late mother.
Digital Download
Digital Download
FINAL WORD
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV