Gracie has been working as a musician and putting out records since before he graduated from South Philadelphia High in 1954. What's different is that, for the first time in a long time, he has both a new album and a separate single, "Baby Doll," that is getting airplay on radio stations around the country, including Philadelphia's WXPN-FM (88.5), and on Britain's BBC2.
The record climbed to No. 52 nationally on the Billboard singles chart, and in early January Soundscan had it rated as the No. 1 CD single in the Philadelphia area. (Those ratings are for physical copies only, which pale in comparison to digital sales.)
Nonetheless, at 75, after more than a 50-year "hiatus," as he jokingly puts it, Gracie is getting more recognition than he has in years.
"It's funny how destiny works," the white-haired Gracie said in the dining room of his home in Drexel Hill. "This might not bring me back to No. 1 again universally, but whatever noise it's doing, I'm grateful for. My God, I never thought I'd get this much attention again."
"Baby Doll" is no little throwback piece, and it might even offend some of Gracie's purist fans. It's a catchy, locomotive rocker that sounds thoroughly contemporary, with blistering lead guitar by hard-rock/pop-metal ax-slinger Richie Scarlet. (Gracie plays rhythm.)
"Everybody that's heard it thinks it's great," said Gracie, who in typical fashion is not really tooting his own horn. "Not because I'm on it. If you were singing it, it would still be a great song and a great recording."
For the Love of Charlie also showcases Gracie's continuing vitality, as well as his versatility. It touches on rock and roll, rockabilly, blues, country, pop, and even a little bit of gospel. In case you don't know where Gracie comes from, it includes the rocker "Back to Philadelphia" and "On the Way to Cape May."
