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Charles Bradley On World Cafe

XPN | By David Dye
Published July 10, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. CDT
Charles Bradley.
Courtesy of the artist
Charles Bradley.

Soul man Charles Bradley knew he could sing — former band members and friends always told him that. But he just never got the shot, shuttling from one odd job to another. Into his 50s, Bradley was living with his mother in New York and performing as a James Brown interpreter under the name "Black Velvet." When Daptone Records co-founder Gabriel Roth saw him perform, this soul man finally got his shot at fame.

At 62, his 2011 debut album No Time For Dreaming was a breakthrough. On this installment of World Cafe, hear songs from Bradley's latest album, Victim Of Love, released in April.

Copyright 2020 XPN. To see more, visit XPN.

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David Dye
David Dye is a longtime Philadelphia radio personality whose music enthusiasm has captivated listeners of World Cafe ® since 1991. World Cafe is produced by WXPN, the public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania.