Bobby Charles

Bobby Charles made his living as one of the great R&B songwriters of the 1950s, and his charming, laid-back New Orleans sound came off like a de-boogie-woogied Fats Domino. While tunes such as "The Jealous Kind" and "I Can't Quit You" became big hits for other performers, his own voice was perfectly suited for his material. A witty lyricist, Charles was a major influence on Randy Newman and Robbie Robertson, and the self-titled album he recorded with the Band in 1972 is one of his finest. Charles added folky introspection to R&B, but he was already such a master of the three-minute pop song, that he had nothing to prove.