CHARLIE WILSON

How does that feel? It's just I'm on it. I'm just so so blessed and and you know, everything is just going my way right now, and I just thank God for the opportunity to be able to sing and rejoice and just have fun, you know, with uh, with all some of my favorite artists that that are that are still singing to day. And so you've been singing and having fun and rejoicing for several years. But um, this is kind of a a rebirth, if you will,

of the Charlie Wilson story the last couple of years. Absolutely, I mean, you know, of course, I think everybody that know me know that I was was the lead singer the Gap band for for many many years and at fifteen, I guess, top ten hits or whatever, and and how many Grammy nominations, and so I decided to start start a career. Uh, but it was you know, everybody was thought I was kind of crazy because I thought it was a little late for me to start doing it.

And you know, they told Moses the same thing. I think Noah heard the same words once or twice too. Those you're crazy, it's so crazy. So I just said, I God to before me, who could be against me?

So after that, it's just like, you know, I had eleven number one hit records, um by myself, and it's just it's just amazing, you know, how how faith can turn around or if you if you if you're satisfied with what you're doing, and and and sober, so share share just a little bit of your testimony, because you're very bold, you're not ashamed at all to talk about where you were and where God has brought you from. Well, let me just say it like quickly, like this in

a short term. Basically, I went to a party of roughly around say just say nineteen nine or something, and um, I didn't leave the party to so you showed up for the party and you just stayed at that party. Yeah, And I think I was the only one at the party. At the time, I was like, Okay, I'm the only one here. I'm the only one still standing. I'm the only one still at this party. And it just was, Okay,

this is overwhelming. And um, if anybody in my book Memoirs called I Am Charlie Wilson and I released in two thousand fifteen, it was a New York Times best seller,

Washington Post bestseller. And but I tell some things in my book about, you know, how good God has been to me because I had stayed up a few times, you know, so I'll say a few times, a few times, maybe maybe five days here and maybe eight days here straight up without no food and water, maybe ten and then twelve days, and then on and on and on. Did it get to sixteen days without food and water, just cocaine and so um um I um. I thought I would die. Uh, really thought I would not be

here today. And but God is an amazing God. You know, whatever you ask for in prayer, you know, I asked God to not to let these demons and these devils and of of drug abuse kill me out here before I could get back to what I love to do, which is seeing and beyond stage. And um, he allows that for me. And as simple as that, I mean, I'm twenty two years cleaning sober um and thanking God

for my life. And I had went to the doctor in nineties six and the doctor a throat doctor, because I was wondering why that my talking force was really hoarse and why I couldn't hit some notes. And he told me that that my vocal cards had was had been frozen from so much uh cocaine and smoke, crack abuse and um. But it's like man, and he says, well, you won't be able to sing. I was like, excuse me. He says that you might as well uh to hang those boots up. And I was like, man, this guy

must don't know. To God, I know. And right from there I went home and just got on my knees and ask God to to just release some some blessings for me, because what I really wanted to do was to continue to sing and to uh and share and share my story and give him the glory of all the things. So so was this doctor's appointment, Charlie, after you had already gotten clean sober, and this was it was It was, it was after I was sober. It

was the first in the first year. So you had gotten away from the drugs and alcohol and made that choice, but you were now suffering the damages of a destructive lifestyle. Absolutely, That's something people don't understand is you've got to pay the piper. And even if God delivers you, there's still that big bill that you owe on your body. So so the doctor says, son, you're gonna have to pay the bill. And the price you're gonna have to pay is no more singing. No more singing. Your your voice

is fried, Your vocal cords are locked. They're probably got notes on them the size of Texas. And and and I've seen I mean, I've been in this business a long time, and I've known a lot of your contemporaries that did the same thing. And they're no longer singing, they're not even speaking. Absolutely like this. Absolutely, So you went home. Okay, now pick up the story here. You went home, and what did you did? You like, pack

up your your your microphone and hang up your headphones. No. I went home and I got on my knees and I asked God deliver me from all of this that's going on with my body, you know, And um, you know my belief at the time, my faith it was a little weird because I mean, you know, it just got off the streets not too long ago, and but I would still had faith and and uh, but so what's the worst what's the worst place you ever found yourself? You woke up and you said, how did how did

I get here? Where? Where? What was that moment? Well, I was, you know, without telling my holster, I was sleeping under a U Haul truck under under not inside, not under the U Haul truck under you know, and a U Haul parking lot whatever is like maybe a hundred U Haul truck. So you just made you just found your way into the U Haul rental place and thought,

this looks like a good hotel. And oh well yeah, because you know, you found the truck in the back where you're gonna have to They're going to sell a lot of run a lot of U Haul trucks to get to this one because the windows is really dirty on this truck. So I'm gonna sleep under this truck. And so that's where I was for a while. And then some homeless people was taking care of me here and there here and then sleeping in bushes behind trash cans and dumpsters and and things like this. This was

after the Gap band success. But yeah, I UM, and I come up to go to UH to go to a store, liquor store or something, and outside and seen a cousin of mine who had been sober for three

years and uh. And she immediately started crying because I looked at her and said, because, wow, you should his light skinned, because the last time I had seen her, she was all skin, was all dart and patchy and blotchy, and you know, because we were smoking and getting high and she, um, she said, because she just chears store rolling out of our eyes. And I said, what's wrong with you? Give me a hit? And she's like, because I don't get high no more. I don't get how

no more. You know, look at you, you look like you're dying. You kinda come on good in the rehab, I was like, I ain't going to no rehab. I'd have been in seven of them. Of course, none of them work for me, because I went across somebody else told me I should go into the rehab, and not for myself. But I listened to her this one time, and I got she took me to this rehab. I didn't have no money, and uh and uh they got me in this day program and man um um for

fourteen of those days. I um, of course I was just uh, you know, trying to sign autographs and and all kinds of crazy stuff. So how how how tall are you and how much do you think you were weighing at the time. At the time, I was, I still from five eleven, And of course I was waiting about maybe a huntred and thirty pounds hunting. I was a mag stick, because any man's at that agent and five level should weigh at least one said if I want eighty somewhere in there, I was wearing one thirty,

you know. Yeah, it was bad for me to lie bad, bad bad, but and but God just was with my cousin found me and uh, God knows why how why was she in that area? You know? And uh, but she found me there and she talked to me, since listen to I'm about to take you this rehab. And I was like, wow, is that bad? Did she normally hang out in that area or was this one of those divine appointments where God took her out of her way and took you out of your way? So you

could have that intersection in time. Definitely not a hangout area for her because she was like like maybe forty miles away from that place where she used to live and where we used to hang out basically, um, but I don't know how and why she was there. Never got into that. I was just looking for actually another hit, and I thought she probably were the one that had it,

since we used to get high together. But she said it was three years and she had had a uh some cocaine and she was sober, and she worked at this rehabilitation center and she was like, please, because you're dying, and she was crying, and I was like, wow, I hadn't looked in the mirror. So she she grabbed my my, my, my jaws and it was pulled a skin. She's like, you see this skin. Look at your arms, she said, your your your arm, your forearm, look two fingers almost.

It was like it was out of looking at myself. And I smile, and I knew I had uh pinned up my pants and rolled them up from the back and just trying to keep away flying there and it was everything was falling off from me. But she talked me into this rehabilitation center, and and that's what my life I started living again. I mean, after fourteen days, I finally got in touch with these feelings I had.

And man, I just broke down and and sharing in these meetings and just cried and cried and cried and listening to everybody else's story and cried more and more and and um and ran into this later. That was the doctor in the rehab there and and uh, and my cousin had worked for her, and you know, she we talked and she said, why uh, prior to that, why weren't you sharing? And I need to talk to

you more and more and more, you know. And I helped your cousin out, and she went through that whole story, and she said, what you're gonna do when you get out of here? You onta have like fourteen days. Man, I just broke down and start crying. And this ladies office and she's like, you know, she said, so I don't know you like that well, but I mean I do know your cousin, So I'll tell you what I'll do.

I'll help for you. I won't let your feet hit the ground if you're serious about being clean and sober. And I said ma'am. Yes, ma'am, I said, I don't want she's what you're gonna go when you get out of I don't have anywhere to go. So lady took me out with a past like a few days later and look around from me the house and got the house.

And long story short, she got the house, got the furniture and put the furniture in the house for me and everything and um and a long story short again, um, I asked this later, I said, ma'am listening, I cannot be in this house by myself, and um and and I was just looking at it. She said, what you're looking at me for? I said, I said, because I can't be in this house, ma'am by myself. And she said, but why are you looking at me? I said, because

I need you to be in here witnesses. No no no, no, no no no, I can't be in here with you. And so long story show. And I finally talked to him to being with me. And she's now my wife at twenty two years and I have not turned around one time. She's been right, Oh, Charlie, you're gonna make me cry. Twenty two years at twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. We're together. We go everywhere except

for the public restrooms. So God sent you, not just your cousin to help you to find sobriety, but your wife to help keep you on the right path. And Angel, Yes she did. He's sitting at Angel. I'm crying. Wow. So what's the name of your book again? I am Charlie Wilson. And if it's still available in bookstores, are on Amazon or wherever books are sold, Yes it is.

And you've been singing, singing, singing up a storm, Yes I have, and having number one records, my first, my first number one record back then she told my wife told me before I got actually got masts and listen, we're gonna get you. I'm gonna help you get back to whatever you do, whatever it is you do, because I don't know none, no music. I don't know what everybody's talking about. I don't know what your music is because she didn't know what the music was. And but

she um, she got me back. We got back in there, and she got me in. Then got my first house, and and then the next year I bought a house and and my first number one record was in two thousand. It's called without you, And then the next one was in two thousand four, and I've been having them since every every year and since then. And you have one out right now that we're playing. Yes, oh wow, Yes, it's beautiful. You and Robin Thick smile for me. Beautiful

and and who do you think of it? Like I need to ask, Oh, my gosh, my wife of course, and and and and every day she's still making you smile every single day of my life, every moment of my life. Now, see, I need to speak with her and find out if this is a two way street, Like is she's still stupid in love like you are? Oh? Yeah, for sure. She keeps me. Of course, she keeps me in line too. You know. It's just like you know, I always tease about it sometimes. Let's say, what is

this dictatorship or something? And does she said, Charlie, let's just review where you were before I came into your life. Now she don't, she don't go back there. She don't have to because I look at her and say, okay, okay, I already know what you're thinking and what you're gonna say. And she she's like, yeah, don't you ever forget it? Because you know but she's so much fun and I we have such a good time every single day of

our life together. We go every Like I said to Lita, we go everywhere together, everywhere, And I'm so so glad that you're here to celebrate with us. Thank you so much, so, Charlie. If somebody wants to see your tour schedule, if somebody wants to connect with you, if someone maybe somebody it's struggling with addictions, who's listening to this right now. Maybe somebody said enough is enough, I want to change, and they want to hear something to inspire them. How can

they find you. It's Charlie Wilson dot com and everything everything is there. And and for those who are struggling with drug addiction and our alcohol abuse or whatever, man, let me tell you something. Don't ever give up on yourself. Don't ever let anybody uh distort your mind about what it is that you want to do in life. You know, because I was told no so many times. I almost gave up because so many, so many people saying, man, he's crazy. Man, you need to go retire or whatever.

So let me tell you something, man, anything you want to do in life, you can do it. You just need to get up and go do it. Go do it, and use every ounce of your energy, every ounce of love you have for whatever it is, forever passion that you have to pull it off, you know, and forget about what other people are saying about you. You know,

they almost turned me around. They're almost turned me around because I listened to know so much, you know, and they almost had my management team back in the very very early days. They almost turned us all around because we just heard no all the time. And I felt so sorry for Michael Paring back in the day. He was, you know, he was young, very young, and he was just listening to the all of the rhetoric of what people used to say about me and all the Gap

band back in the day. And then finally he just said, you know what, I'm not gonna listen to anybody. You know, I'm gonna go do this thing and I'm gonna get you back. And that's exactly what he did. And so here I am in the flesh, number ones all over the world, strong and thinking people like Delilah, I love you so much, so down