Charles William Ashworth (born August 10, 1956), known professionally as Charlie Peacock, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, record producer, and author. Peacock was born in Yuba City, California, and his father was a trumpeter and educator. As a youth he was inspired by the music of American jazz musician John Coltrane.
After leaving California State University, Sacramento in 1976, Peacock began playing jazz piano in the band, The Runners. He met author Frank Kofsky at California State University and through him met various jazz artists such as Andrew Hill. In 1978, songwriter Stephen Holsapple recorded Peacock's vocal compositions and they began writing songs together. He began performing at Maurice's American Bar and his song "So Attractive" was placed with a music publisher. Vocalist and songwriter Sal Valentino asked Peacock to join his band and gave Peacock's music to his industry friends. In 1980 A&M Records signed Peacock for a demo recording with producer David Kahne.
Peacock formed The Charlie Peacock Group with Erik Kleven (bass), Jim Caselli (drums), Darius Babazadeh (tenor saxophone) and guitarist, Mark Herzig. He also recorded with David Kahne at the Automatt and at Moon Studios with Stephen Holsapple during this period and those recordings became the album Last Vestiges of Honor, released in 1998. Peacock contracted with a production imprint company called Exit Records in early 1983. That year, he performed as a keyboardist and vocalist for Vector in the band's 1983 release Mannequin Virtue.
From 1990 to 1999, Peacock produced over fifty albums in the Christian and gospel music genre and founded the record company re:think (EMI/Sparrow) and signed the artists Sarah Masen and Switchfoot. Amy Grant's 1991 single "Every Heartbeat" was co-written by Peacock, Grant and Wayne Kirkpatrick.
He has co-written and produced songs and albums in the CCM market for artists like Geoff Moore, Margaret Becker, Out of the Grey and himself. Three of his solo albums have made the list of CCM Magazine's 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music: Lie Down in the Grass, The Secret of Time and Love Life.
On March 9, 2004, Peacock released Full Circle: A Celebration of Songs and Friends commemorating his 20-year anniversary as a solo recording artist. In 2005 Peacock released his first commercial jazz/improvisational music CD, Love Press Ex-Curio, short for Loves Pressure Exhibits Curiosity. According to jazz critics, "while Peacock has consistently pushed the boundaries of pop and gospel music by adding elements of alternative rock, dance music and jazz, he has never before delved into jazz as unabashedly and wholeheartedly as he does on Love Press Ex-Curio."
Peacock is married to his wife Andi and they have a son, Sam Ashworth, who like his father, is making a name for himself in the music business as an artist, songwriter and producer. Ashworth is married to his collaborator and recording artist Ruby Amanfu and has three children.
More information on Charlie Peacock at Wikipedia:
Discography
Kingdom Come (1999)
Last Vestiges of Honor (1999)
Full Circle: A Celebration of Songs and Friends (2004)
Love Press Ex-Curio (2005)
Arc of the Circle (2008)
No Man's Land (2012)
Lemonade (2014)
When Light Flashes Help Is on the Way (2018)
Lil' Willie (2019)
She Sang for Me, Vol. 1 (with Les Chanteuses) (2019)
Skin and Wind (2021)