Most people around here probably know Charles Childress as a financial advisor, and that makes sense. He’s had a three-decade career the business.
They might not know that the Flossmoor man is also a songwriter, singer and guitar player whose song, “I Woke from a Dream” got some airplay after it was recorded by Reginald Torian of the Impressions.
Childress remains both surprised and delighted by the unlooked-for success of the song.
“I just started playing guitar in college, something to do to pass the time,” he said. And for most of his life, music was a hobby. He played in local clubs in the La Grange area and enjoyed a local following.
Childress eventually moved to the South Suburbs, got busy, and for a time, music was a lower priority. But more than a decade ago, he picked up his guitar again and started writing a few songs, playing at open mic sessions and rejuvenating his passion for music.
It was at an open mic venue in the area that an acquaintance with a recording studio encouraged him to capture his songs. The CD was released in 2005.
That was about the time he reconnected with an old friend from his days at Thornton High School.
As it happened, the two rediscovered each other via television.
Childress was watching TV one night and caught a performance of the Impressions, an iconic soul and pop group from the 1960s that is still going strong today. One of the Impressions, Reginald Torian, was the second successor to founder Curis Mayfield, known for writing several songs that were adopted by the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
“I knew Reginald was with the impressions,” Childress said. “But I kind of did a double take. Reginald? That’s Reginald!”
Not long after, Torian, who lives in Country Club Hills, happened to be watching TV and saw Childress on the Minority Business Report.
He called up his old friend and they got together for lunch at Belagio’s in Homewood.
Almost as an afterthought, Childress gave Torian one of his CDs as they finished lunch. Torian was impressed.
“As I was riding down Dixie Highway, I came across this one song, ‘Hopes and Prayers,’ and I pulled over to the side of the road, because it really caught my attention,” Torian said. “I called him and said ‘You got something special here.'”
Torian encouraged Childress to change the name to “I Woke from a Dream,” a reference to a refrain that is woven throughout the song. And he offered to record it.
“As an artist, when you have somebody who’s in the industry substantiate what you’re doing, it’s pretty major,” Childress said. “I was flattered. Here’s a guy who is an internationally known artist.”
With Torian’s vocals and connections, the song has attracted some attention. In April 2012, the song was featured on the Rick O’Dell Show at a time when the station at 87.7 had smooth jazz programming.
The soulful song was getting airplay elsewhere, too.
Childress said his daughter’s fiancé was visiting Las Vegas with his family.
“He called my daughter and he said, ‘We were riding around Las Vegas and we heard your dad’s song.'”
Local music lovers will have a chance to hear Childress perform Friday, June 27, at 8:30 p.m. when he and musical guests will be at Grape & Grain, 18031 Dixie Highway in Homewood.
Contact Eric Crump at [email protected]
Audio:
I Woke from a Dream
Related story:
Signature sound of the civil rights movement kept alive by Impressions singer (HF Chronicle, Jan. 19, 2015)
