His name was Charles Stepney!

Charles Stepney is amongst the most influential creators, producers and arrangers in all of modern American Music.

Stepney’s associations form a veritable Who’s Who of music. Stepney has written, arranged, produced and performed vast and varied assortments of music for Blues, Jazz and Soul greats Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Etta James, Ramsey Lewis, Buddy Guy, the Dells, Eddie Harris, Minnie Riperton, Phil Upchurch, Rotary Connection, Terry Callier, the Emotions, Deniece Williams and Earth, Wind and Fire.

Devout students of music are so enamored with his contribution that they regularly mention Charles Stepney with the likes of Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, and Ray Charles as being considered amongst the great musical innovators of the last half-century.

Yet, in spite of his myriad of accomplishments, Charles Stepney remained a reserved, humble but proud, lifelong resident of Chicago’s South Side.

           Charles Stepney in the LA while working w/EW&F

EARLY YEARS

Charles Stepney was the eldest of 2 sons (with Sterling Jr.) born to Sterling and Willie B. Stepney in Chicago, IL on March 26, 1931.

Charles began his musical instruction under the guidance of his mother Willie B., who was herself a fine pianist who performed with and for luminaries of Chicago’s gospel music communities of the early and mid 1900’s.  Willie B. formed a singing group called the Stepney Five.  Willie B. Stepney who is now 93 says she used to crash different performances at the churches.  They liked her group so much that the Stepney Five was often billed with the likes of Mahalia Jackson, the Soul Stirrers and Roberta Martin as well as other gospel greats.  Willie B. taught both of her children, Charles and Sterling how to sing and perform.  While Charles didn’t have a great singing voice, his brother Sterling would go on to sing Tenor in a local Seventh Day Adventist Group named The Ambassadors for Christ from Ohio.  Charles and his brother collaborated in on a gospel album produced by Charles and performed by the AFC.  Even as a young child, Charles voraciously loved studying/performing music, and he quickly progressed.

A teenaged Charles received musical instruction under the famed 1940-50’s music/band instructor Captain Walter Dyett while a student of DuSable High School (Jazz great Herbie Hancock also trained under Dyett.). He honed his burgeoning talents (and earned money) playing organ and piano for many Chicago church choirs. And Stepney continued his formal musical education at local Chicago’s Roosevelt University.

The young Stepney fantasized about studying music at the internationally known NYC Julliard School of Art. But since he lacked the money/connections to attend Julliard, he on his own studied books/techniques that were utilized to teach Julliard students. His favorite book was “The Schillinger System of Musical Composition” by Joseph Schillinger.  He carried it with him everywhere he went.  We still have his markings and notes on his copy of the fourth edition print.

Charles was such a dedicated musician that while a young man he quit a job as a US postal worker to pursue his music on a full-time basis. And when asked why he dare quit a secure and good paying government job, Charles responded “Either I’ll do my music or I’ll do nothing!”

So, Stepney formed his own Charles Stepney Trio jazz group in 1950’s. He played many night clubs with friends Eddie Harris and Pete Cosey. But his early years as a professional musician were lean. Access to venues in the more affluent downtown, North Side and Suburban sections of the Chicago were often denied to Black musicians. Thus, the Stepney Trio played mostly small, low paying and often harsh (even dangerous) Chicago Westside clubs. Still, Charles, with the abiding support of his family, persevered.

He would eventually get hired to play piano at Hugh Hefner’s fabled Playboy club. Playboy was a culture shock for a modest man who grew up performing in Black churches. But the Playboy money was good, dependable and steady such that Charles Stepney could now earn enough money to more comfortably support his family (and Stepney refrained from the other more ‘hedonistic’ aspects of the Playboy club scene).

CHESS RECORDS

In 1960 Stepney scored a chance opportunity to play the vibraphones for recording sessions at Chicago’s renowned Chess Records (once the recording venue of Blues/Rock greats Chuck Berry and Bo Diddly). As luck would have it, Stepney just happened to be amongst the few local musicians who owned/played the ‘vibes’.

But Stepney had become throughout his life a uniquely ardent student of the scientific and mathematical principles of music. And he had thoroughly immersed himself in and mastered myriad musical genres and methods. He could tangibly interpret music of all sorts with an astounding degree of speed/accuracy. Thus, Charles parlayed his deep interest in and keen ear and skilled facility for music into transcribing and writing music copy for Chess.

Charles’ assortment of skills quickly became more apparent. He was promptly promoted to music supervisor, arranger and session manager, then eventually head producer and A&R.

Charles met Marshall Chess, son of Chess Records co-founder Leonard Chess, in the mid ’60’s. This seminal meeting led to the creation of Rotary Connection.

Rotary was a far-reaching musical group/concept that would attempt to combine elements of all musical genres to produce new music. Via Rotary, Marshall wanted to capitalize on the then growing interest in “fusion music” (a melodic blending of Jazz, Rock, gospel, classical R&B, etc.) that he believed that would attract a broad diversity of appreciation. To effect wider appeal, Rotary was comprised of a multiracial cast of singers/musicians. Included in Rotary were the exquisite talents of a young 5-octave wielding talent Minnie Riperton.

And Charles Stepney was the musical ‘muscle’ of Rotary Connection. He produced, orchestrated, arranged, staffed, and co-wrote the Rotary works. He even performed many parts on the records.  He was an accomplished pianist.  He also played the drums, the vibes, the flute, and the guitar.

From 1966 to 1972, Charles and Marshall produced 4 extraordinary Rotary Connection albums. The Rotary songs include some of the most uniquely diverse and provocative music of its their time. Rotary was so highly regarded and popular that it was conferred a Grammy nomination in 1968. And although Rotary has been defunct for over 30 years, the results of Stepney’s efforts are highly regarded amongst many of today’s musical producers and performers.  During this time Charles wrote, produced and conducted a Classical Jazz Symphony is 5 parts entitled Cohesion.  Cohesion was performed in Minneapolis, MN by the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Ramsey Lewis Trio and Minnie Riperton.  It was his first opportunity to Conduct live before an audience.  As a proud moment, Charles took his family and cousins with him to see the performance live.  Cohesion was later conducted by the great conductor Seiji Ozawa.

In between the creation of Rotary albums, Charles also produced/arranged/co-wrote Minnie Riperton’s lusciously euphonic 1970 debut album “Come To My Garden”. (Stepney and Riperton are the only two people who were actively associated with the Rotary project from its beginning until when Riperton left Chess to pursue a solo career in 1973.)

During his tenure with Chess, Stepney also made many fine contributions to the more memorable works of Waters (whose biggest selling album “Electric Mudd” was produced/arranged by Stepney), Wolf, Lewis, James, Callier, the Dells and many other Chess artists. This is where Charles met Maurice.  Charles was producer for the Lewis Trio with White, Cleavon and Jennings.

Waters, Wolf, James and the Dells are in the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, and Guy is slated to be enshrined in 2005.

Stepney also wrote/arranged music for childhood friend and fellow musical luminary Jazz great Eddie Harris.

But as admired and successful were Stepney during his Chess years, that would prove to be only the prelude to the stratospheric success that Charles Stepney would soon enjoy.

Minnie Riperton and Charles' Cousins Ora and Sarah in Minneapolis, MN

                     They spent many nights playing chess        and yelling at each other!

Charles Stepney, Maurice White and Cleavon Eaton in Minneapolis, MN

COMMERCIALS

Charles left Chess Records in the early 70’s and began writing commercials.  Charles decided to begin a small jingle house after meeting Tom Burrell.  Tom was starting his advertising firm and called upon Charles to assist with Music/Jingle production.  Charles was already working with Kitty Haywood (Rotary Connection) and the Haywood Singers. 

Charles along with Kitty and other singers began creating jingles for companies like Coca Cola, McDonalds, Ultra Sheen and many others.  Charles was the first Black producer to create a national spot for McDonalds and was the recipient of 2 CLIO awards.  In fact, for a bit of trivia, the song Reasons, was originally created for Kitty Haywood.  Charles continued to write jingles until his death in 1976.

Kitty introduced her 17 year old nephew Morris “Butch” Stewart to Charles and he began assisting Charles with jingles and songwriting.  Stewart often mentions Charles as one of his mentors.  Charles used Butch Stewart's original “Jaaclyn” on Ramsey Lewis' album Salongo and after Charles death, Butch took on the reigns of producing jingles for Burrell and has produced for many greats such as Oprah, Tom Joyner, McDonalds and much more.