Charles Driebe

Last updated
Charles Driebe
Born (1956-07-13) July 13, 1956 (age 68)
Fort Gaines, Georgia, U.S.
Genres Jazz, Gospel, Funk, Soul, R&B, Pop, Rock
Occupation(s)Talent manager, producer of recordings and concerts, entertainment attorney, songwriter
Years active1990–present
Website www.blindambitionmgt.com/charles-driebe

Charles James Driebe Jr. (born July 13, 1956) is an American personal manager of musical artists [1] known for managing the Blind Boys of Alabama [2] since 2000. [3] [4] He is also a Grammy-winning record producer, [5] an entertainment attorney, [6] [7] [8] a producer of live performances and concert tours, and a Grammy-nominated songwriter. [9] [10] He is the founder and CEO of Blind Ambition Management Ltd. [11] [12] [13]

Contents

Early life and education

Driebe was born in Fort Gaines, Georgia. His family moved to Atlanta when he was five years old. His father was a prominent attorney and one-time member of the Atlanta Board of Aldermen (later renamed the Atlanta City Council). [14] Driebe's father had a client, Herb Lance, who was a DJ known as ‘Cousin Herb’ on a Black-owned radio station WERD (Atlanta), and also owned a record shop on Auburn Avenue. [15] Driebe frequented the shop, and Lance gave him DJ promo copies of blues and soul albums, kindling Driebe's love for the music.

Driebe completed his BA at Tulane University where he was a DJ, Jazz Program Director, and eventually Station Program Director at WTUL, the college's radio station. [7] [8] He completed his JD at the University of Georgia, where he was also a DJ at the radio station WUOG. In law school, he helped a new group named R.E.M. land their first show in Atlanta and then a series of shows at a bar in the Buckhead neighborhood called Hedgens. [8] [16] [17]

Career

Driebe joined his father in his general practice law firm in Clayton County, Georgia, in the 1980s and served as the president of the Clayton County Bar Association and as a member of the board of governors of the State Bar of Georgia during that decade.

In 1990, Driebe decided to combine his legal training with his passion for music. He began shifting into entertainment law, eventually serving on the executive board of the State Bar's Sports and Entertainment Law Section. Driebe was also a board member of the Georgia Lawyers of the Arts and was the chairman of the Board of its predecessor, the Southern Entertainment & Art Law Center. [18]

As an attorney, Driebe has represented diverse clients such as singer/songwriter Randall Bramblett (Sea Level, Steve Winwood), producer John Keane (R.E.M., Widespread Panic), musical artist/actor Chris Thomas King (who appeared in the movies O Brother Where Art Thou? and Ray), record label Monkey Hill Records and the Georgia Music and Sports Halls of Fame.

Driebe formerly taught a course on Art and Law at the Atlanta College of Art and has spoken at numerous seminars, including SXSW, WOMEX, and the North American Law Summit, and on radio, television, and podcasts about entertainment law and management. [18] [13] [19]

To be more involved in all aspects of an artist's career, he started managing artists in 1996. [20] His first management client was the blind New Orleans jazz/blues/funk pianist Henry Butler. Driebe negotiated deals for Butler with Black Top Records and Alligator Records, and Butler released albums on those labels during Driebe's tenure as manager, including a collaborative album with Corey Harris on Alligator.

Driebe established Blind Ambition Management in 1998. [21] The company provides a full range of services to its music clients, from career management to legal assistance. Blind Ambition Management has managed a number of noted musical artists, including a number of Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning artists.

In 2000, Driebe began managing the Blind Boys of Alabama. The group's first-ever Grammy Award came for its 2001 album "Spirit of the Century," which brought together more traditional gospel tunes with fresh takes on songs by contemporary artists such as Tom Waits — and the group's rendition of Waits' "Way Down in the Hole " was featured as the theme song for the first season of the TV show "The Wire." [22] [23]

The Blind Boys of Alabama then won Grammys for their next three albums, including in 2005 for There Will Be a Light, a collaborative album with Ben Harper. [24] [25] That year, the group also performed on the Grammy telecast with Kanye West and John Legend in what has been called one of the best Grammy performances of all time. [26]

Their fifth Grammy came for the 2009 album ‘Down in New Orleans,’ with Driebe serving as Executive Producer of the album [27] and co-producer of the follow-up DVD/CD entitled ‘Live In New Orleans’, [28] (which also aired on PBS stations nationwide). The band also won multiple GMA Dove Awards for Traditional Gospel Album of the Year during this period of time.

During Driebe's tenure, the Blind Boys of Alabama received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. They were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2010. Since 2000, the Blind Boys of Alabama have made appearances in the films The Fighting Temptations and Hop (film), and have been featured on such television series as 60 Minutes II [29] and The Colbert Report, as well as on multiple episodes of The Today Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with David Letterman. They were invited to perform at the White House in both 2002, during the presidency of George W. Bush, for a celebration of gospel music, and in 2010 during the presidency of Barack Obama, for a celebration of music from the civil rights movement.

The Blind Boys of Alabama have collaborated with numerous artists under Driebe's management tenure, including Peter Gabriel, Susan Tedeschi, Lou Reed, Mavis Staples, Bon Iver, Chrissie Hynde, Aaron Neville, Taj Mahal, and Allen Toussaint.

In 2016, Driebe traveled to the homes of the two surviving original members of the group, Clarence Fountain and Jimmy Carter, and recorded their reflections on their lives. [30] Then Driebe sent the recordings to various songwriters who used the interviews (and sometimes the exact words from them) for inspiration in writing new songs. [31] Songs on the album were written for the Blind Boys of Alabama by writers including Marc Cohn, Phil Cook, John Leventhal, and Valerie June. [32] Driebe was a co-producer on several tracks on the album, [33] as well as a bonus track of a previously unreleased Bob Dylan song, "See By Faith." He also co-wrote an updated version of ‘Pray For Peace,’ originally recorded by the North Mississippi Allstars, for the album. [34] 'Pray for Peace' was the debut single from the album. [35] In 2017, Driebe appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition to discuss the album along with original band member, Jimmy Carter. [36]

In 2019, Driebe served as Executive Producer of a collaborative album featuring the Blind Boys of Alabama with Marc Cohn titled Work To Do. [37]

In 2020, Driebe co-wrote and co-produced two songs that were recorded as collaborations by the Blind Boys of Alabama and Amadou & Mariam. [38] In 2022, he also co-wrote and co-produced another collaborative track with the two groups entitled 'Netola.'

In 2021, the Blind Boys of Alabama received a Grammy nomination for the song "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free," a collaboration with genre-spanning banjo player Bela Fleck, which Driebe and Fleck co-produced. [39]

In 2022, Driebe co-wrote and co-produced (with Peter Levin) a song called ‘The Message,’ a collaboration between the Blind Boys of Alabama and Black Violin, [40] which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Americana Performance. The song was also played during the Blind Boys of Alabama’s appearance on The Today Show on January 16, 2023. "Episode dated 16 January 2023". imdb.com. January 16, 2023.

Driebe was a co-producer of the album 'Echoes of the South' by the Blind Boys of Alabama, which was released on September 8, 2023. [41] It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album. Also, two songs from the album were nominated for Grammy Awards for a total of three nominations. On February 4, 2024, the album won a Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album.

From 2009 to 2019, Blind Ambition Management and Driebe managed Ruthie Foster. [42] During that time, Foster released four studio albums, the first three of which were nominated for Grammy Awards (her first nominations). She also won numerous Blues Music Awards, Austin Music Awards, and Living Blues Awards and was inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame.

In 2011, Blind Ambition Management and Driebe began managing Stax Records' soul legend William Bell. [43]

In 2013, Bell appeared at the White House as part of the "In Performance at the White House" series on a show entitled ‘Memphis Soul.’ [44]

In 2016, Bell recorded This Is Where I Live for the revived Stax Records, his first major label album in over 30 years. In 2017, Bell was awarded a Grammy for Best Americana Album for the album, his first such award. He performed his hit "Born Under a Bad Sign" alongside Gary Clark Jr. on the 2017 Grammy Awards telecast. Bell was also featured on Rolling Stone's "Best of the Grammys" for that year. The win and the performance had such a strong effect on his streaming data that Rolling Stone called him the night's biggest winner. When Bell's name was called as the winner of the Grammy, he was so stunned that Driebe had to prompt him to head to the stage to collect it. [45]

Later in 2017, Bell performed alongside other legendary Stax Records acts such as Booker T Jones and Sam Moore, as well as Welshman Tom Jones at BBC's 50 Years of Soul event at Royal Albert Hall in London, UK. [46]

Bell was also featured in the documentary film Take Me to the River, which explored the heart of the enduring Memphis music scene. He was featured alongside other artists, including Bobby Bland, Mavis Staples, and Snoop Dogg (with whom he collaborated on a remake of Bell's song ‘I Forgot To Be Your Lover’). Bell spent time in 2017 and 2018 touring with a group of featured artists from Take Me to the River. The touring group was named one of the "10 Bands to See This Year" by Parade .

Driebe and Blind Ambition Management have managed other artists as well, including Marc Cohn of ‘Walking in Memphis’ fame, folk duo Over the Rhine (band), blues harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite, [47] singer/songwriter Steve Forbert, troubadour Steve Poltz, indie band The Low Anthem, [16] [48] and southern raconteur Paul Thorn. [49]

In 2019, Driebe co-produced the recording of Big Band of Brothers; A Jazz Celebration of The Allman Brothers Band. [50] [51] The album spawned tours in 2021 and 2022, with Driebe serving as producer of the shows, which featured Jaimoe (one of the original members of The Allman Brothers Band) and other special guests. [52]

Driebe conceived and co-produced a multimedia show based on the Grammy-winning box set Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by William Ferris. It featured archival film and photos from William R. Ferris and debuted at the University of Mississippi in 2021. The show then sold out at Lincoln Center in 2022 [10] before continuing on tour in 2022 and 2023.

Driebe completed a residency at the Hambidge Center and became a Hambidge Fellow in 2021. [53]

Awards

Driebe was named Manager of the Year in 2007 by the Blues Foundation. [54]

Discography

Production

Management

Songwriter

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Harper</span> American musician (born 1969)

Benjamin Charles Harper is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music, and he is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances, and activism. He has released twelve studio albums, mostly through Virgin Records, and has toured internationally.

Alabama has played a central role in the development of both blues and country music. Appalachian folk music, fiddle music, gospel, spirituals, and polka have had local scenes in parts of Alabama. The Tuskegee Institute's School of Music, especially the Tuskegee Choir, is an internationally renowned institution. There are three major modern orchestras, the Mobile Symphony, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra; the last is the oldest continuously operating professional orchestra in the state, giving its first performance in 1955.

<i>There Will Be a Light</i> 2004 studio album by Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama

There Will Be a Light is a gospel album by Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama, released in 2004. It is Harper's sixth album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Cohn</span> American singer-songwriter and musician

Marc Craig Cohn is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1992. Cohn is best known for the song "Walking in Memphis", from his 1991 album Marc Cohn, which was a Top 40 hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elvin Bishop</span> American musician (born 1942)

Elvin Richard Bishop is an American blues and rock music singer, guitarist, bandleader, and songwriter. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 2015, and in the Blues Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Cotton</span> American blues singer-songwriter (1935–2017)

James Henry Cotton was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who performed and recorded with many fellow blues artists and with his own band. He also played drums early in his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Musselwhite</span> American blues musician (born 1944)

Charles Douglas Musselwhite is an American blues harmonica player and bandleader who came to prominence, along with Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, and Elvin Bishop, as a pivotal figure in helping to revive the Chicago Blues movement of the 1960s. He has often been identified as a "white bluesman".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Blind Boys of Alabama</span> American gospel group

The Blind Boys of Alabama, also billed as The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, and Clarence Fountain and the Blind Boys of Alabama, is an American gospel group. The group was founded in 1939 in Talladega, Alabama, and has featured a changing roster of musicians over its history, the majority of whom are or were vision impaired.

"Take My Hand, Precious Lord" is a gospel song. The lyrics were written by Thomas A. Dorsey, who also adapted the melody.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Bell (singer)</span> American soul singer and songwriter

William Bell is an American soul singer and songwriter. As a performer, he is best known for his debut single, 1961's "You Don't Miss Your Water"; 1968's top 10 hit in the UK "Private Number", a duet with Judy Clay; and his only US top 40 hit, 1976's "Tryin' to Love Two", which also hit No. 1 on the R&B chart. Upon the death of Otis Redding, Bell released the well-received memorial song "A Tribute to a King".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James & Bobby Purify</span> American soul music vocal duo

James & Bobby Purify were an R&B singing duo, whose biggest hits were "I'm Your Puppet" in 1966, which reached number six in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and in a re-recorded version number 12 in the UK Singles Chart, and "Let Love Come Between Us" in 1967, which reached number 23 in the US. The original "Bobby Purify" was replaced by a second "Bobby Purify" in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Leventhal</span> American musician, producer and songwriter

John Leventhal is an American musician, producer, songwriter, and recording engineer who has produced albums for William Bell, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Michelle Branch, Rosanne Cash, Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin, Sarah Jarosz, Rodney Crowell, Jim Lauderdale, Joan Osborne, Loudon Wainwright III and The Wreckers. He has won six Grammy Awards.

<i>Sanctuary</i> (Charlie Musselwhite album) 2004 studio album by Charlie Musselwhite

Sanctuary is the twenty third studio album by American singer and harpist Charlie Musselwhite. It was released in 2004 on Peter Gabriel's Real World label, Musselwhite's debut release on this label.

<i>Go Tell It on the Mountain</i> (album) 2003 studio album by The Blind Boys of Alabama

Go Tell It on the Mountain is a Grammy Award winning Christmas album by The Blind Boys of Alabama, released in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Thorn</span> American singer-songwriter and boxer

Paul Thorn is an American Southern rock, country, Americana, and blues singer-songwriter, whose style is a mix of blues, country, and rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruthie Foster</span> American blues musician, singer, and songwriter

Ruthie Cecelia Foster is an American singer-songwriter of blues and folk music. She mixes a wide palette of American song forms, from gospel and blues to jazz, folk and soul. She has often been compared to Bonnie Raitt and Aretha Franklin. Foster has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards for Best Blues Album and Best Contemporary Blues Album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama Shakes</span> American rock band

Alabama Shakes were an American rock band formed in Athens, Alabama, in 2009. The band consisted of lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell, and drummer Steve Johnson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leave It There</span>

"Leave It There" is a Christian hymn composed in 1916 by African-American Methodist minister Charles A. Tindley. It has become popular enough to have been included in 12 hymnals; and even to be attributed to "traditional" or "anonymous". The title is sometimes given as "Take Your Burden to the Lord and Leave It There" or as "Take Your Burden to the Lord" or as "Take Your Burden", words taken from the song's refrain; the plurals "burdens" and "them" are sometimes used, and "God" instead of "the Lord":

Fabrizio Poggi is a singer and harmonica player. A Grammy Awards nominee who has received the Hohner Lifetime Award, and has been two times Blues Music Awards nominee, Jimi Awards nominee, and during his long career has recorded twenty two albums. He has performed in the US and Europe with the Blind Boys of Alabama, Garth Hudson of the Band, Steve Cropper, Charlie Musselwhite, Ronnie Earl, John P. Hammond, Marcia Ball, Guy Davis, Eric Bibb, Flaco Jimenez, Little Feat and many others.

<i>God Dont Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson</i> 2016 compilation album by various artists

God Don't Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson earned Grammy Award nominations for Best Roots Gospel Album and Best American Roots Performance for Blind Boys of Alabama recording of Mother's Children Have a Hard Time. The compilation was produced by Jeffrey Gaskill of Burning Rose Productions. The package features extensive historical liner notes by author Michael Corcoran.

References

  1. ↑ "Talkin' Blues podcast episode 213 - Charles Driebe". Open.spotify.com. May 28, 2020.
  2. ↑ Slotnik, Daniel E. (June 6, 2018). "Clarence Fountain, 88, Dies; Led the Blind Boys of Alabama". The New York Times .
  3. ↑ "Charles Driebe". Nolamusiucon.com. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  4. ↑ Watts, Gabbie (November 7, 2017). "Blind Boys Of Alabama Look Back On 'Almost Home'". wabe.org. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Blind Boys of Alabama win sixth GRAMMY Award with 2024 Best Roots Gospel Album". Gratefulweb.com.
  6. ↑ "Advocate Magazine". digitalcommons.law.uga.edu. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Cohen, Jane; Grossweiner, Bob. "Industry Profile: Charles Driebe". members.celebrityaccess.com. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 "Class Notes". Advocate Magazine. University of Georgia School of Law. Spring–Summer 2003. p. 40. Archived from the original on June 24, 2023.
  9. ↑ "The Message lyrics by Blind Boys of Alabama". Paroles-musique.com.
  10. 1 2 "'Voices of Mississippi': Celebrating Generations of Soul-Stirring Music". Bittersoutherner.com.
  11. ↑ "Blind Ambition Mgt". Blindambitionmgt.com.
  12. ↑ "Blind Boys of Alabama co-founder Clarence Fountain dies at 88". Pagesix.com. June 4, 2018.
  13. 1 2 "Charles Driebe, founder of Blind Ambition Management, Ltd". Lenzonbusiness.com. June 29, 2019.
  14. ↑ Geshwiler, J. E. "Charles 'Chuck' Driebe, 77, longtime Democratic Party loyalist". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  15. ↑ "Auburn Avenue". Georgiaencyclopedia.org.
  16. 1 2 "Charles Driebe's sobering Moment changed his life – and those of many addicts – for the better". Saportareport.com. October 15, 2012.
  17. ↑ Schroder, Chris (October 15, 2012). "Charles Driebe's sobering Moment changed his life – and those of many addicts – for the better". saportareport.com. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  18. 1 2 "Charles Driebe, Biography" (PDF). Lommen.com. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Talkin' Blues podcast episode 213 - Charles Driebe". Music.amazon.com. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  20. ↑ Driebe, Charles (December 25, 2020). "How I Transitioned From A Career In Law To Starting A $40K/Month Business Managing Music Artists". Starterstory.com.
  21. ↑ "Blind Ambition Management - Phone, Email, Employees, CEO, VP, 2024". Visualvisitor.com.
  22. ↑ "The Wire almost had a different theme song by... the Cowboy Junkies???". Entertainment Weekly . January 24, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  23. ↑ Potter, Jordan (April 5, 2024). "Why was 'Way Down in the Hole' by Tom Waits used as 'The Wire' theme?". faroutmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Awards Nominations & Winners". grammy.com. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  25. ↑ "The Blind Boys of Alabama". realworldrecords.com. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  26. ↑ "The Best Grammy Performances of All-Time". Consequence.net. February 10, 2011.
  27. ↑ "The Blind Boys of Alabama : Down in New Orleans". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  28. 1 2 "Charles Driebe". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  29. ↑ Kohn, David (August 4, 2003). "Five Blind Boys Of Alabama - CBS News". Cbsnews.com.
  30. ↑ Kraft, Chris (August 16, 2017). "First Listen: The Blind Boys of Alabama". Gardenandgun.com.
  31. ↑ Varty, Alexander (September 20, 2017). "The Blind Boys of Alabama sing a stormy history". straight.com. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  32. ↑ Dauphin, Chuck (August 11, 2017). "The Blind Boys of Alabama Reflect on Their 7-Decade History & What's Left for Them to Achieve". Billboard.com.
  33. ↑ Horn, Rachel (June 23, 2017). "Blind Boys Of Alabama Announce 'Almost Home' — Hear Four Songs". npr.org. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  34. ↑ "Single Lock signs The Blind Boys of Alabama!!". Singlelock.com. April 30, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Play MPE Charts". Daily.plaympe.com.
  36. ↑ Garcia-Navvaro, Lulu; Wharton, Ned (August 13, 2017). "'Almost Home' Celebrates The Blind Boys Of Alabama's Storied Lives". npr.org. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  37. ↑ "Marc Cohn And Blind Boys Of Alabama - Work To Do | Releases". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  38. ↑ "Bamako to Birmingham". July 25, 2019 – via YouTube.
  39. ↑ Zimmerman, Heather (February 4, 2023). "The Blind Boys of Alabama move spirits at The Guild Theatre". Rwcpulse.com.
  40. ↑ "Blind Boys of Alabama Ft. Black Violin - The Message". September 8, 2022 – via YouTube.
  41. ↑ Reece, Chuck (August 25, 2023). "The Last Man Standing – Salvation South". Salvationsouth.com.
  42. ↑ "Blind Ambition Management Management". Artistandfan.com.
  43. ↑ "William Bell - Contact". Williambellmusic.com.
  44. ↑ "White House Celebrates the Sounds of Memphis Soul". Memphisdailynews.com.
  45. ↑ Freeman, Scott. "Soul music legend William Bell rides his career resurgence with new album". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  46. ↑ "In pictures: Stax Records celebrates 50 years of soul at the BBC Proms". Royalalberthall.com. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  47. ↑ "Musselwhite talks Southern roots, blues history in Clarksdale". Sunflowerfest.org. August 10, 2005.
  48. ↑ "Charles Driebe, founder of Blind Ambition Management, Ltd". Soundcloud.com.
  49. ↑ "Paul Thorn - Agent, Manager, Publicist Contact Info". Bookingagentinfo.com.
  50. ↑ "The Producers". Bigbandofbrothers.com.
  51. ↑ Hart, Ron (October 9, 2020). ""Don't Want You No More" By Big Band of Brothers' "A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band"". americansongwriter.com. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  52. ↑ "The Core: Big Band of Brothers' Lamar Williams Jr. and Jaimoe". Relix.com. July 18, 2022.
  53. ↑ "Fellows Listing". hambidge.org.
  54. ↑ "Awards Winners and Nominees". Blues.org. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.