Trumpeter who started playing in the Florida State University Summer Band Camp Program before graduating from Bunnell High School, then went on to attend FSU from 1954 to 1959. While at FSU, he performed in the Circus Band, the Marching Chiefs, the Symphonic Band, and the Symphonic Orchestra.
After attending FSU, he went west to Las Vegas to play professionally. He played with many of the big names, including Count Basie, Vic Damone, Sammy Davis, Jr., John Denver, Jimmy Dorsey, Ella Fitzgerald, Ralph Flanagan, Eydie Gorme, Robert Goulet, Harry James, Steve Lawrence, Dean Martin, Wayne Newton, and Jerry Spivak, and even did a stint with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
The biggest name of all came calling in 1975, when Frank Sinatra offered him the lead trumpet chair in his orchestra and his small touring band. Charles would stay with him until 1983, when Frank decided to stop touring. That same year, Frank gave his blessing to Charles for an album called What’s New?, an instrumental album of popular Sinatra tunes: Frank even went so far as to conduct the orchestra, the last recording on which he did so.
Other albums on which Charles appears include the Ella Fitzgerald-Cole Porter collaboration, Dream Dancing, The Pablo Sampler, and the Sinatra boxed sets, Sinatra: Vegas and Trilogy.
On 19th May 2006, Charles passed away. He had been suffering from depression and diabetes.
There is something of a small shrine assembled in his honour at the FSU Warren D. Allen Library, which houses some of his memorabilia, musical scores, and one of his beloved trumpets.
Sources:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Turner_(musician)
- http://music.fsu.edu/library/turner.htm
- http://www.answers.com/topic/the-pablo-sampler?cat=entertainment
- http://sinatraguide.com/conducts.htm
- http://www.emusic.com/album/Ella-Fitzgerald-Cole-Porter-Dream-Dancing-MP3-Download/10603464.html
- http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/7293715/a/Sinatra+Vegas.htm