Chuck Kerr
Drums, Percussion and vocal (Bass, Baritone and Tenor)
Born and raised in Canada’s capital city, Ottawa, Chuck was named after his Father, so his name is officially, Charles Francis Kerr II. He is the eldest of three, having been followed by a younger sister and then a brother. Chuck was just 25 years old when his brother was tragically killed in an automobile accident at the age of 20. It took several years for Chuck to come to terms with this loss, but, with time, the wounds healed and life continued on.
A huge part of the healing was meeting the woman with whom he is still with today. They have been happily married for more then two decades and live together in a modest bungalow on the shores of the Ottawa River. Chuck’s favourite season is summer. He says, “I don’t mind the snow, but, I hate the cold!!!” Laughingly he states, “It would be so wonderful if we could have snow yet still be sunny and plus 20 degrees celsius.”
Chuck grew up in an entertainment family. Both of his late parents, along with his sister and several uncles, aunts and cousins, were and still are in the entertainment industry. Learning to read music and charts before the age of 10, enabled Chuck to become a working professional musician at a very young age. Chuck recalled that, “I had learned how to read musical charts and to play all kinds of popular dance rhythms when I was very young. Almost all of the other young drummers couldn’t and didn’t care to learn because it wasn’t cool…it wasn’t rock and roll. As a result, I was in demand and working constantly. I was 12 years old when I got my first professional paying gig.” Chuck continued his studies both privately and at university, becoming a classically trained drummer/tympanist/percussionist.
As a result of this training, Chuck’s extensive, multiple genre recording and performance career includes, rock/pop, classical, broadway, big band, dixieland and ethnic musical endeavours.
Chuck has also been on the other side of the footlights. He has acted in many, many plays, musicals, murder mysteries and is also a popular MC. He has had to largely curtail these other enjoyments as Chuck finds the necessary time commitment to be just too much and takes away from his current musical endeavours with Song Monster.
On being a member of Song Monster, and working with Warren and Peter,, Chuck remarked, “I’m so lucky. The talent and musical integrity of those two is incredible. I’m always learning from them. Also, as an added bonus, I no longer just sit in the back playing drums. I’m out front with them singing and jumping around…..What a Gas!!!”