Charles 'Chazz' Smith shares memories of High School years in Minneapolis, band battles, talent shows, parental advice and the influence of his cousin Prince growing up.
How can U just leave me standing? ...in search of Prince Rogers Nelson.Show Notes
Charles 'Chazz' Smith is the founder, original drummer and lead vocalist of Grand Central - the band that spawned Morris Day (of The Time), Andre Cymone, and also featured his cousin Prince Rogers Nelson. Charles and Prince attended Lincoln Junior High School together, with several other young local musicians they collaborated with, and formed the roots of what was later described as 'The Minneapolis Sound'. Grand Central was one of the only black groups in MPLS to fuse both rock and funk. Their name was inspired by the group Grand Funk Railroad. They performed yearly at outdoor summer festivals, school dances, and talent shows. Later Charles was slated to be the drummer on Prince's first tour, but his cousin was told that he needed a more multi-racial band. Prince credited Charles influencing him on three things in his life - drums, basketball and girls, as cited in Dan Piepenbring's book The Beautiful Ones.
More from How can U just leave me standing? ...in search of Prince Rogers Nelson.
Born in Jackson Heights, New York, Alan Leeds is an American music industry legend, as a tour manager and production manager, he is best known for his work organising performances and concert tours for artists such as James Brown, Prince, KISS, Cameo, D'Angelo and Chris Rock.
Born in Jackson Heights, New York, Alan Leeds is an American music industry legend, as a tour manager and production manager, he is best known for his work organising performances and concert tours for artists such as James Brown, Prince, KISS, Cameo, D'Angelo and Chris Rock.
Born in Jackson Heights, New York, Alan Leeds is an American music industry legend, as a tour manager and production manager, he is best known for his work organising performances and concert tours for artists such as James Brown, Prince, KISS, Cameo, D'Angelo and Chris Rock.
Welcome to this very special 5th Anniversary episode of 'How Can U Just Leave Me Standing?' - the podcast where we go in search, of Prince. By talking to band members, artists influenced by the purple one, academics and fans, we shed further light on a unique musical legacy.
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