Grammy award-winning composer Charles Fox is best known for Killing Me Softly with His Song, made famous by Roberta Flack but did you know that Fox’s music roots go back to New York City’s Latin Music scene.
That's where he started by playing the piano for, composing, and arranging for artists such as Ray Barretto and Tito Puente.
"I fell in love with Latin music when I was very young. I was 15 years old and had a band in the Catskill Mountains where a lot of us got started there. It was a great place to play. One day, a fellow came over to my little hotel to see Randy Carlos. Randy Carlos was a pretty big deal in those days. He was playing in the hotel and we were invited to over. To be very frank with you, I saw the band play the music. I heard the beat and the conga rhythm and the people dancing, the beautiful young women on the floor, I just hooked forever."
Fox is returning to his roots again on June 26 at The Cutting Room when he and the Bobby Sanabria Band will perform songs from the hit documentary Killing Me Softly with His Songs (now available on APPLE TV) and much more.
Bobby Sanabria, host of WBGO’s Latin Jazz cruise and Grammy nominated percussionist and band leader can’t wait to team up with the maestro.
"It's an honor and privilege for me to this concert. We'll be accompanying Maestro Fox with a scaled-down version of my Multi-verse Big Band."
Sanabria is also proud to share the stage with a fellow performer from the Bronx.
Fox, who now lives in Hollywood, is also known for creating many film scores for movies including one of his earliest projects Barberella with Jane Fonda. He also created popular TV themes for shows like Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Wonder Woman and The Love Boat.
Fox was inducted in the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2010, Fox published hi memoir, Killing Me Softly: My Life in Music.
The Cutting Room concert's special guest will be A.J. Croce, the son of the late singer Jim Croce. Charles Fox and his writing partner Norman Gimbel wrote the theme for The Last American Hero which included "I Got a Name" which was sung by Jim Croce.
You can SEE Doug Doyle's entire interview with Charles Fox and Bobby Sanabria here.
