Encouraged by his father to play the guitar, Gracie's musical career started at the very early age of 14 when he appeared on the Paul Whiteman television show. Gracie performed at weddings, local restaurants, and parties, and on local radio and television. He also won many regional talent contests. The little money and prizes he received were turned over to his mother to help support the family.
The owner of Cadillac Records heard one of Gracie's early radio performances, contacted the young musician and signed him to a contract. This association yielded the single, Boogie Woogie Blues backed with I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter. The record led to Gracie's first appearance on Bob Horn's "American Bandstand" television program. (This was four years before Dick Clark became the host)
After cutting two more singles for Cadillac, Gracie moved on to 20th Century Records, a subsidiary of Gotham, where he put out another four sides, including Wildwood Boogie. The discs he made embraced a wide variety of styles: jump blues, gospel, and country boogie with the influences of Big Joe Turner, B.B. King, Louis Jordan, Roy Acuff, and Hank Williams.
Between 1951-53, Gracie was experimenting with many types of music, years before many rock heroes had ever set foot inside a recording studio.
By 1956, Philadelphia had given birth to the new Cameo record label. Its founders, in search of a strong talent signed Gracie later that year. With a $600 budget, this new union went into the studio to record a single that would forever change their lives. The record, Butterfly backed with Ninety Nine Ways became a monster hit, reaching the number one position all across America. Charlie received a gold disc for the two million plus sales and became the first native Philadelphia rock star to achieve international success. Other substantial sellers followed: Fabulous, Wandering Eyes, and Cool Baby. The financial success of these hits bankrolled the Cameo label, which became a dominant force in the recording industry for several years.
Gracie's personal appearances grew until he performed and headlined some of the biggest venues of that time: Alan Freed's rock and roll shows at the Brooklyn Paramount, The Ed Sullivan Show, Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" and the 500 Club in Atlantic City. He appeared in the 1957 film Jamboree, and toured with the likes of Chuck Berry, The Everly Brothers, Bo Diddley and his close friend, Eddie Cochran.
Gracie became only the second American, guitar-toting rock and roller to bring this new art form to the British concert stage. His two extensive tours in 1957 and 58 were a whirlwind, topped off by headlining the Palladium and the Hippodrome in London. He played to packed houses and drew rave reviews. In the audiences, among Charlie's fans and admirers, were future rock greats: Graham Nash, members of the Beatles and Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker and Van Morrison. These performers and many other well-known acts have credited Charlie as an influence. George Harrison referred to Charlie's guitar technique as "brilliant" in a March 1996 interview with Billboard Magazine; Paul McCartney invited Charlie to the premiere party of his 1999 release which paid tribute to the early pioneers of rock music.
Gracie found himself somewhat miscast at Cameo. He moved on to other labels such as Coral, Roulette, Felsted, and Diamond, performing more of the R&B he preferred. Even if success slowed, Gracie' continued to perform in clubs, theaters, and resorts through the 1990s.
Gracie's pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Gracie was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame on November 16, 2012, at the Hilton City Avenue, Philadelphia.
In 2019, Gracie toured the UK with Marty Wilde along with Mike Berry, Nancy Ann Lee and the Wildcats.
I Love You So Much It Hurts
Charlie Gracie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Darling, that's why I'm so blue
I'm so afraid to go to bed at night
Afraid of losing you
I love you so much, it hurts me
And there's nothing that I can do
I want to hold you, my dear
I love you so much, it hurts me so
I love you so much, it hurts me
And there's nothing that I can do
I, I wanna hold, hold you, my dear
Forever and ever
I love you so much, it hurts me so
"I Love You So Much It Hurts" is a sappy love song by Charlie Gracie that speaks of the painful depth of romantic passion. The lyrics convey a deep sense of vulnerability, with the singer confessing that their love for their significant other is so intense it causes them emotional pain. The pain is so severe that it keeps them up at night, living in constant fear of losing the person they love. The melancholic undercurrents of the song are palpable, with the singer expressing a desire to hold onto their love forever, yet feeling helpless knowing that their love is so strong that it is causing them physical harm.
The song's lyrics convey the deep feeling of love that comes with intense emotional pain. The singer is so much in love with their partner that they cannot sleep at night, fearing the loss of their love. When the feeling of love reaches a certain level, it becomes a bittersweet pain that cannot be ignored. This song's emotional appeal lies in its honesty about the difficulty of loving someone so deeply that it causes physical pain.
Line by Line Meaning
I love you so much, it hurts me
I am deeply in love with you, and my love for you is so intense that it is causing me emotional pain.
Darling, that's why I'm so blue
Because I love you so much, the pain of being apart from you has left me feeling sad and melancholy.
I'm so afraid to go to bed at night
I am filled with anxiety at the thought of losing you, and this fear is causing me to lose sleep.
Afraid of losing you
I am terrified at the prospect of being without you, and the thought of losing you fills me with dread.
And there's nothing that I can do
Despite my love for you, I feel powerless to prevent the pain that comes with being apart.
I want to hold you, my dear
My love for you is so strong that all I want is to hold you close to me and never let you go.
Forever and ever
I want our love to last forever, and I want to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much you mean to me.
I love you so much, it hurts me so
My love for you is so intense that it is causing me a great deal of emotional pain, but I wouldn't have it any other way because I love you that much.
Contributed by Caden E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@marcomarchi7756
wonderful!!!!
@leepresley2055
I Love this ! Sensational song..
Thanks 45prof
-{Chris
@mickybowser1434
OH OH MY GOSH THIS IS TO BEAUTIFUL WOW🌹VELVET BLU BO'NEE🌈
@xxvvkx9312
I agree💖👍
Patsy Cline sang it too 🎶
@mickybowser1434
@@xxvvkx9312 XXVvKX9 hi hi🌹oh oh yes much dreamy beautiful song ❤️I love much I just do and listen to much yes yes 🌹 velvet Blu bo'nee🌈
@gsnfan
Charlie Gracie is still active at 86, mainly performing in the Philadelphia area. Find out more at charliegracie.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Gracie
@nashburnette7247
He passed away last week
on December 16th.