Charlie Gillett- In Memoriam (19th March 2010)
It was sad to learn of the death of Charlie Gillett who died this week at the age of 68. For those who don’t know Charlie was an author and radio disc jockey.
It is as an author that I remember him. Charlie Gillett wrote “The Sound of the City” first published in 1970. A paperback copy from 1971 still sits on my book shelves. I can still rememember the feeling of excitement reading the book all that time ago. Here was a book about Rock n’Roll that was erudite, knowledgeable and analytical in tracing the history of the first fifteen years of Rock n’ Roll. Indeed given his education at Peterhouse, Cambridge and Columbia University it was academic in its tone but certainly not dull or dry. Many have followed Charlie’s path in “intellectualising” Rock n’ Roll but few have written with his clarity and insight. It is my loss that I never really latched onto Charlie’s other career as DJ. I shall, however return to “The Sound of The City”. Rest in peace, Charlie.