Welcome to the Charlie Landsborough Web Site News Biography Music Pictures

Full Name
Charlie Landsborough

Date Of Birth
26th October

Place of Birth
Birkenhead

Marital Status
Married to Thelma

Colour of Eyes
Brown

Colour of Hair
Grey and Flowing!

Pet Loves
Characters and eccentrics

Pet Hates
The M6 on a Friday near Birmingham

Charlie Landsborough is proof that it is never too late to fulfil those boyhood aspirations. 39 years after a headmaster innocuously remarked to a young Liverpudlian boy that, 'he had a good academic future ahead of him until he discovered that damn banjo', Charlie Landsborough, at the ripe young age of 53, found himself as a flourishing musician and a much fabled man in demand. Thank God, you could say, for that 'damn banjo'.

Since that moment over a decade ago, Charlie, now 64, resembles something of a delightfully elegant mature wine. Whereas his biggest and most famous hit to date remains 'What Colour Is The Wind', the wonderfully orchestrated song that gave him his first breakthrough back in the mid 90's, he has still gone onto highly successful worldwide tours and best selling albums, which now remarkably number an incredible eleven (including best of's), resulting well in excess of 1 million units sold. And whereas the title 'Charlie Landsbrough Easy Listening Star' may have taken a while to appear, when it did it certainly showed no signs of leaving, indeed, like the most fortified of wines, Charlie only ever gets better with age, and, as he looks back on a life of happiness throughout various times and careers, which still continue to inspire the ever loving Liverpudlian, the music shows no signs of slowing down.

Born and raised in the in the dockland area of Birkenhead amongst a concocted view of docks, dumps, railway lines, oil factories and the coal wharf Charlie was one of a family of eleven. However, if that front window view sounds pretty grim and intimidating Charlie insists that his childhood was far from that. Surrounded by a loving family and, of course, very importantly, music, his early years were extremely happy. His father was a ballad singer, billed locally as the 'silver voiced tenor', and his brothers, all sailors, used to bring home guitars and records of wonderful country music from their trips abroad. As Charlie recalls, 'I remember sitting enchanted by the scent of the wood in a guitar from Spain that my brother bought back. It just set my imagination afire'. Proof then that even at such an early age Charlie's creative juices were evident for all to see.

As an important education in life was taught to him throughout his youth while embracing various far flung careers from postman to railway worker, Charlie eventually found his first grounding in the army. He was sent to work in Germany (with typical army logic, he originally applied for a posting to Hong Kong!!) and his one abiding memory of his days there was of the Cuban missile crisis. 'Being only thirty miles from the border', Charlie recalls, 'I was convinced that within a short space of time I would be dead. After going into town for a last few pints I returned and found all the various N.A.T.O. camps in the scene of frenzied celebration. I couldn't believe it'. It was an incredible time, but despite this Charlie bought himself out. His army record book shows that he was intelligent, reliable and a good runner, 'not a very distinguished career eh!!' says Charlie, observing wryly.

Charlie spent the next few years of his life dividing his time between Germany and England. He maintained a career in a diverse range of jobs and played for several different local bands, still clutching to the dream that one day he would be a musician. During this time he also married his childhood sweetheart Thelma in Dortmund, and decided that, now a married man and having had his own wedding suit bought for him courtesy of a cheque from Thelma's mum, he had better become a little more responsible. He returned to his native north west and became a teacher, but he still refused to give up on his pipe dream.

Nearly forty years after his encounter with that incidental headmaster comment, Charlie finally got the break he deserved, but, ironically, it did not come through his accomplished musicianship, but instead through his profound songwriting, which he had started undertaking ever since becoming a teacher. It was one song in particular, 'I Will Love You All My Life', which garnished the attention of one Tony Allen, famed for his band Foster & Allen. Tony fell in love with the song, and indeed the man that wrote it, and thanks to Tony, Charlie got introduced to Ireland, and the Irish people. Before long another song, the aforementioned 'What Colour Is The Wind', became the most requested song on Irish radio and the album of the same name went platinum and straight into the number 1 spot, removing Garth Brooks and beating of competition from the likes of Celine Dion and Riverdance.

And now, over a decade on since that magnanimous occasion, it really is the songwriting that remains at the heart of Charlie's work. The point about his music is that the lyrics are heartfelt -they come from his own experiences and sentiments in life, and despite the fact that he maintains the actual writing experience remains 'completely chaotic', it is the inspirational tone that lines his work which people really identify with.

This could, arguably, be traced to the fact that in later year's religion has become an increasingly important part of Charlie's life. Indeed, he believes that it is this support, along with his music and his closely knit family life, that have given him his wide spread heart felt appeal and integrity - a fairly uncommon thing in showbusiness. As Charlie explains the background to his faith and eventual conversion to Catholicism, you can see where his uniquely easy going inspired gentility comes from: 'I'm a believer', says Charlie. 'I truly do believe in God, in an afterlife. I wouldn't hide that from anyone. At the same time I'm no saint! I have my failings - many of them - and that includes enjoying a drink. Or three.'

Charlie Landsborough - a down to earth entertainer and a singer-songwriter who touches people deep inside. Despite the consistently well received albums and the sold out tours in as far flung places as Australia and New Zealand he doesn't need any of today's flashy gimmicks - just his simple heartfelt lyrics and memorable melodies. Music is his life - the success of recent years has helped him realise his ambitions and may have made the road he travels that much smoother, but whether that success had come or not he would still be making music somewhere - even if there were only a handful of people to appreciate it. He is, after all, a man of the people for the people, and surely no one could ever begrudge Charlie the forty year overnight success story that he has so gratifyingly become.