more Charles Rocket (interesting)
Evan Hulka
We lost a dear friend when Charles Rocket died unexpectedly on Friday,
October 7. For many, many people who lived in Rhode Island in the
'60s and '70s, Charlie was a hero and an inspiration, an artist who
truly pushed the envelope. Jorge (Rudy Cheeks) would have never had the
life he's had if he hadn't met Charles 35 years ago. Jorge's path
in creative work - the things that really matter to him -
wouldn't have happened if Charlie hadn't demonstrated how anything
is possible, that you can truly follow your dreams.
Charles Claverie came to Rhode Island in 1967 as a student at the Rhode
Island School of Design. He made an instant impact on campus, becoming
the emcee at almost all RISD events, and with the painter, Dan Gosch,
forming Rhode Island's environmental superheroes, Captain Packard and
Lobo. They appeared at Kentucky Fried Chicken openings, and unannounced
and uninvited at a General Assembly session. This was captured in the
film Captain Packard and Lobo Visit the State House.
Charlie was studying filmmaking and created films like Tits and Trucks.
Jorge (who had become part of Charlie's band, the Fabulous Motels)
remembers seeing it in 1970. It was basically spliced footage of trucks
driving down the street and images of a woman jiggling her bare
breasts, shot tight so that all you saw was from her shoulder to just
above her navel. The soundtrack was Charlie and Dan talking. Dan tried
to get Charlie to reveal the identity of the woman, and Charlie refused
to do so. Jorge had never seen anything like this coming from an artist
around here.
Continuing to perform with the Fabulous Motels (virtually the RISD
house band from roughly 1971-73), and getting involved in other
projects with Charlie, it was astounding to experience the range and
intensity of his talent. He drew people to him. At a 1972 gig, a young,
sort of geeky high school student came backstage to talk with Charlie
about playing the accordion (the Motels must have been the only rock
'n' roll band of that era featuring not one, but two accordionists,
Rocket and Stevie Thunder). Charlie was incredibly patient, kind, and
encouraging with this young kid, who couldn't believe he was meeting
a professional rocker who played the accordion, too. The young man may
have never forgotten that encounter.
This would be true of almost anyone who came into contact with Charlie,
the performer, around that time. His artistic life and real life were
bound together. His marriage to his beloved wife, Beth, took place
aboard the USS Massachusetts in Fall River. It was an amazing party.
Some younger players from Providence, the Hamilton Bates Blue Flames,
featuring a fresh-out-of-high school tenor saxophonist, Scott Hamilton,
and bassist Preston "Pinky" Hubbard (who would later go on to Roomful
of Blues and the Fabulous Thunderbirds), performed the music.
After the Motels disbanded, Charlie stayed in Rhode Island for a few
more years. Jorge remembers him entering a demolition derby at the old
Seekonk Speedway. A film crew was dispatched to capture the event and
Charlie (who was a great driver) probably would have placed better if
he hadn't been playing to the cameras with his long white scarf
fluttering outside the window, a la Isadora Duncan.
He did a number of odd jobs, including being one of the first
bartenders at the legendary Leo's (he and Phillipe, respectively
6'5" and 6'4", were considered the tallest bartender duo in town).
He gave Phillipe the name for his sports column, "On the Ball & Off the
Wall." Charlie also briefly managed a nightclub in East Providence. On
April 1, 1974, he invited Jorge and a few other Motels to "perform" at
the club. For some reason, the upper management did not take to the
ensuing Marx Brothers-like scene, and Charlie was relieved of his job a
few days latter.
Finally, Charlie got a gig reporting the news at WPRI (Channel 12). One
may wonder how someone with absolutely no journalistic background could
become a TV news reporter. Charlie's riveting screen presence had to
be the primary reason, but being a brilliant and a quick study allowed
him to credibly pull this off. Of course, none of this was surprising
to his friends. We always believed that Charlie could do anything.
There were not enough opportunities in this little state for someone
with the outsized talents and charisma of Charles Rocket. A news anchor
job lured him to Colorado Springs, and when he later moved to
Nashville, the network affiliate insisted Claverie was too weird a
name. Picking from a number of suggested monikers, he chose "Charles
Kennedy."
Then came what we all hoped would be the big break. Charlie was
selected to star on Saturday Night Live for the 1980-81 season. He
would anchor "Weekend Update." He would finally get the type of
audience that his talent demanded and deserved. But this was the year
that Lorne Michaels left in a disagreement with NBC. Jean Doumanian
took over and hired some very bad writers. Charlie was stuck in the
middle, trying to do his best in an increasingly untenable situation.
Those who knew Charlie were not surprised to find that his best SNL
moments were the "Rocket Reports," filmed skits of his own design.
Before the season ended, he blurted out the F-word and was tossed off
the show.
Moving to Los Angeles, Charlie appeared in dozens of films in
supporting and starring roles, and more than 50 episodes of different
TV shows.
But that's just the "Hollywood career" stuff. To his thousands of
friends and fans here in Rhode Island, Charlie was the kindest and most
generous type of person. We loved him without reservation, and he gave
us that love back. He was a towering figure in the underground arts
scene in the Providence of the 1970s. He heavily influenced Talking
Heads, the Young Adults, and dozens of other bands. Those who were
active then will tell you that Charles Rocket, in many ways, helped
create the template for the underground/hipster/bohemian art scene here
and elsewhere. We love you, Charlie. Our hearts are with Beth and Zane,
and the rest of Charlie's family and family of friends. He was our
hero.
Brad Ferguson
Evan Hulka <ehu...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Finally, Charlie got a gig reporting the news at WPRI (Channel 12). One
> may wonder how someone with absolutely no journalistic background could
> become a TV news reporter.
I don't wonder about that at all.