Charles Wayne Day (August 5, 1942 – March 10, 2008), also known as Bing Day, was an American

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselve ...

and

baritone A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

man from the South Side of

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Biography

His musical talents began to develop at age 3, and at age 15, he recorded the single "Pony Tail Partner" under the name "Bing Day" at

Federal Records Federal Records was an American record label founded in 1950 as a subsidiary of Syd Nathan's King Records and based in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was run by famed record producer Ralph Bass and was mainly devoted to rhythm & blues releases. The comp ...

(1957). Day recorded several singles over the next ten years as 'Bing Day' and, also, 'Ford Hopkins'. He moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, in 1965 and began a career as one of the most listened to "unknown" artists in

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

. He became bassist with

Johnny Rivers Johnny Rivers (born John Henry Ramistella; November 7, 1942) is a retired American musician. He achieved commercial success and popularity throughout the 1960s and 1970s as a singer and guitarist, characterized as a versatile and influential art ...

' Band. Day invented the signature lead guitar

riff A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based ...

afterward used by Rivers in " Secret Agent Man". Day worked with

the Mamas and the Papas The Mamas & the Papas were an American folk rock vocal group that recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968, with a brief reunion in 1971. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. Formed in New York C ...

in 1967, again as bassist, also playing as second guitarist on "

Monday, Monday "Monday, Monday" is a 1966 song written by John Phillips and recorded by the Mamas & the Papas, with backing music by members of the Wrecking Crew for their 1966 album ''If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears''. Denny Doherty was the lead vocali ...

" and "

California Dreamin' "California Dreamin" is a song written by John and Michelle Phillips in 1963 and first recorded by Barry McGuire. The best-known version is by the Mamas & the Papas, who sang backup on the original version and released it as a single in Dec ...

". During the 1970s and 1980s, Day played on numerous recordings including

Shel Silverstein Sheldon Allan Silverstein (; September 25, 1930 – May 10, 1999) was an American writer, cartoonist, songwriter, and musician. Born and raised in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Silverstein briefly attended university before being drafted into ...

's ''Freaker's Ball''. He also wrote for the

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

of ''

Fritz the Cat ''Fritz the Cat'' is a comic strip created by Robert Crumb. Set in a "supercity" of anthropomorphic animals, it focused on Fritz, a tabby cat who frequently went on wild adventures that sometimes involved sexual escapades. Crumb began drawing ...

'' and performed with musicians

Luther Tucker Luther Tucker (January 20, 1936 – June 18, 1993) was an American blues guitarist. While soft-spoken and shy, Tucker made his presence known through his unique and clearly recognizable guitar style. Tucker helped to define the music known as ...

and

Merl Saunders Merl Saunders (February 14, 1934 – October 24, 2008) was an American multi-genre musician who played piano and keyboards, favoring the Hammond B-3 console organ. Biography Born in San Mateo, California, United States, Saunders attended Poly ...

. Day formed his own band in 1986. Day resided in

Fairfax, California Fairfax is an List of cities in California, incorporated town in Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States. Fairfax is located west-northwest of San Rafael, California, San Rafael, at an elevation of . The population w ...

, from 1969, and continued to play locally in the San Rafael area of California until he was taken ill in January, 2007. After three months of care at Marin General Hospital, he was admitted to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital before being relocated to District Hospital in

Healdsburg Healdsburg is a city located in Sonoma County, California, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 11,340. Healdsburg is centered on a 19th-century plaza. History Early inhabitants of the local area included the Pomo ...

, where he remained until his death on March 10, 2008, his grandson Noah's 6th birthday. A memorial and parade were held in Fairfax for Day on March 22, 2008. After his death, it was revealed that he was the biological father of Owen Vanessa Elliot, the daughter of singer

Cass Elliot Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974), known professionally as Cass Elliot, was an American singer. She was also known as "Mama Cass", a name she reportedly disliked. Elliot was a member of the singing group the Mamas & the P ...

the Mamas and The Papas The Mamas & the Papas were an American folk rock vocal group that recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968, with a brief reunion in 1971. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. Formed in New York C ...

Discography

Solo releases

* "Pony Tail Partner" / "Since You Left Me" - Federal Records (1957) as Bing Day * "Rain Silver Dollar" / "Dancing Puppets" - Fraternity Records (1958) as Bing Day With Danny Bell And The Bell Hops * "Poor Stagger Lee" -

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. Mercury Records released ...

(1958) * "Mama's Place" / "I Can't Help It" -

(1959) as Bing Day * "Mary's Place" / "How Do I Do It" - Mercury Records (1959) as Bing Day * "Ya Fine, Fine, Fine" -

Apex Records Apex Records was a Canadian record label owned by the Compo Company which lasted as late as 1980. Compo established the Apex label in July 1921 in Toronto. It released American recordings from Okeh Records and Gennett Records, among others. It al ...

(1959) as Ford Hopkins * "How Do I Do It" - Mercury Records (1960) * "She Was Not My Kind" - Apex Records (1961) * "Memphis Tennessee" - Cameo/Parkway Records (1966) * "We Gotta Get Outta this Place" - Fraternity Records (1967)

With
Johnny Rivers Johnny Rivers (born John Henry Ramistella; November 7, 1942) is a retired American musician. He achieved commercial success and popularity throughout the 1960s and 1970s as a singer and guitarist, characterized as a versatile and influential art ...
(1965)

* "Here We GoGo Again" * "Rivers Rocks the Folk"

With
The Mamas & the Papas The Mamas & the Papas were an American folk rock vocal group that recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968, with a brief reunion in 1971. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. Formed in New York C ...
(1965-1966)

* "

" - Second Guitar * "

" - Second Guitar

With The Young Gyants (1968)

* "Tom Dooley" / "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" - Parkway * "Memphis" / "It Hurts So Bad" - Cameo-Parkway (1964)

With
Shel Silverstein Sheldon Allan Silverstein (; September 25, 1930 – May 10, 1999) was an American writer, cartoonist, songwriter, and musician. Born and raised in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Silverstein briefly attended university before being drafted into ...
(1971)

* '' Freakin' At The Freaker's Ball''

The Chuck Day Band (1997)

* ''Desperate Measures''

With Steven Wolf (2006)

* ''20th Century Wolf, Volume I'' **Day co-wrote "You Don't Love Me Anymore" with Steven Wolf and Annie McIntyre; played lead guitar on the 2006 recording of the song.

Soundtracks

''
Fritz the Cat ''Fritz the Cat'' is a comic strip created by Robert Crumb. Set in a "supercity" of anthropomorphic animals, it focused on Fritz, a tabby cat who frequently went on wild adventures that sometimes involved sexual escapades. Crumb began drawing ...
''

* "House Rock" * "Winston"

'' Switchblade Sisters''

* "Full Track"

''
Blacula ''Blacula'' is a 1972 American blaxploitation horror film directed by William Crain. It stars William Marshall in the title role about an 18th-century African prince named Mamuwalde, who is turned into a vampire (and later locked in a coffin) ...
''

* "Black Girl"

''
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest may refer to: * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (play), a 1963 stage adaptation of the novel starring Kirk Douglas * ''One Flew Over the ...
''

* played the

waterphone A waterphone (also ocean harp) is a type of inharmonic acoustic tuned idiophone consisting of a stainless steel resonator ''bowl'' or ''pan'' with a cylindrical ''neck'' and bronze rods of different lengths and diameters around the rim of the bo ...

Television and video

* Sleazy Arms Hotel with Jim Gabbert (1998) * Pacifica Public Access (1998) * Zone Music Local Showcase (1998) * Boney Maroni Promotional - Lifesigns Photo (2000) * various Lifesigns Photo video (2000 to present) * numerous commercial voice-overs including "Fall into the Gap" and "Member FDIC"

Other projects

* Chuck Day and the Burning Sensations * Fairfax Tavernacle Choir * The Dori Green/Dave Bergman Show * The 19 Broadway Swing Band * The Chuck and Sam Duet

References

External links

Chuck Day and the Burning Sensations website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Day, Chuck 1942 births 2008 deaths American blues guitarists American rhythm and blues guitarists American male guitarists American blues singers American blues singer-songwriters Singers from Chicago Soul-blues musicians 20th-century American singer-songwriters 20th-century American guitarists People from Fairfax, California Musicians from Marin County, California Guitarists from Chicago 20th-century American male musicians American male singer-songwriters Singer-songwriters from Illinois Singer-songwriters from California