Fats Domino sings Bobby Charles’ ‘Walking to New Orleans’
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Bobby Charles, a reclusive Louisiana singer-songwriter, died Thursday at age 71 at his home in Abbeville in the southwestern part of the state where Cajun culture predominates. Even if you don’t recognize his name, you will know his songs. And anyone who has ever been to New Orleans knows how hard it is to get out of your head this tune Charles wrote for Fats Domino, as seen on YouTube.
Charles also wrote ‘(I Don’t Know Why I Love You) But I Do,’ which Frogman Henry performed on the soundtrack to Tom Hanks’ 1994 movie ‘Forrest Gump,’ and ‘See You Later Alligator’ by Bill Haley and His Comets.
Scheduled to perform at the 2007 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Charles withdrew because of poor health.
He and Dr. John have an album called ‘Timeless’ scheduled for release next month. It is dedicated to Domino, who lost his home in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Charles was forced from his home by Hurricane Rita, which struck the Gulf Coast a few weeks after Katrina.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune has more here.
-- Claire Noland
