______________________________________________________________________________________________

Charlie Gracie at the London Hippodrome

My father CHARLIE GRACIE, the first solo American rock 'n' roll star (after Bill Haley's Comets), to bring the music to the U.K. (1957), was the last star to headline at the Hippodrome (August '57), before its conversion into a cabaret house in '58.

The "HIPP" is still widely known here in the States. We have always been proud of the fact that our father played a small part in the history of that great showplace.

Right - Charlie Gracie tops the Bill at the Hippodrome - 1957

Charlie, Snr. created quite a stir when the Grade agency booked him on an extensive tour in the late summer and fall of 1957.

Dorothy Squires, your "Bette Davis of song," refused to take second billing to my father at the Hippodrome. Claiming she "never heard of him" and the fact that he was an ambassador of this ''newfangled rock 'n' roll stuff" didn't improve her opinion of him. All this created a big publicity circus for my father and garnered him a wealth of press coverage.

He was a smash at the Hippodrome and in the provinces. He returned for another extensive tour in the spring of 1958. Ms. Squires later apologized and they met at some other venue. This is such fun stuff to look back on and its one of the million great stories surrounding the Hippodrome, I'm sure.

Right - Charlie Gracie in his dressing room at The Hippodrome posing for British photographers.

My father was riding high in the late 50s with hit recordings like: BUTTERFLY, FABULOUS, NINETY-NINE WAYS, WANDERIN' EYES and I LOVE YOU SO MUCH IT HURTS.

He is still an active performer and continues to play in the U.K. where he has a loyal following. He'll be in England and Finland for shows this October and November.

Left - Charlie Gracie, his guitar and the "char-ladies" backstage at the Hippodrome: August 1957.

McCartney, the late G. Harrision, Van Morrision, Cliff Richard and Graham Nash have all credited my father's singing/guitar-style as an influence on their own careers.

Sir Paul covered FABULOUS in 1999. Nash duets with my father on his current cd.

Right - Charlie Gracie with Sir Paul McCartney - 1999

Very Sincerely, CHARLIE GRACIE, JNR. 31st May 2003

Above - Charlie signing autographs at the Stage Door of the London Hippodrome - 1957

The PBS-television network did a documentary on Charlie Gracie in spring 2006. Click here to see the
2-minute trailer from the film: CHARLIE GRACIE: FABULOUS!