With more than 40 years behind him as a solo blues musician, Michael Charles is coming back to Pentictonsa国际传媒檚 Dream Cafe.

The Blues Hall of Fame artistsa国际传媒檚 career stretches back even further, with 38 albums to his name, including a 30-year anthology, not something that many artists can boast of.

Speaking with the Western News, Charles was full of energy and a joy for performing that sounds like another 40 years of music in him.

sa国际传媒淚 think whatever you do in life, you better love it because, letsa国际传媒檚 face it, we work probably 90 per cent of our lives so letsa国际传媒檚 find something we love,sa国际传媒� said Charles. sa国际传媒淚 cansa国际传媒檛 speak for everyone, but for me, Isa国际传媒檝e never felt like I had a job, itsa国际传媒檚 just something I love doing. Isa国际传媒檝e been blessed to still be able to do what I was doing when I was 20 years old.sa国际传媒�

Charles has been coming to Canada for at least 18 years, and he cansa国际传媒檛 recall how many times hesa国际传媒檚 been to the Okanagan. His next appearance is set for April 13 at the Dream Cafe.

The Melbourne, Australian-based musician has coming to Pentictonsa国际传媒檚 Dream Cafe since at least 2019, and itsa国际传媒檚 a venue he enjoys returning to.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檝e always had a great time at the Dream Cafe,sa国际传媒� said Charles. sa国际传媒淭hey always keep asking me back, and thatsa国际传媒檚 a high compliment. We always sell the place out, so when things like that happen you always return and I hope they keep asking me to come back.sa国际传媒�

Having toured around the world, Charles has also performed on television, radio, and alongside Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy.

After being invited to perform alongside Guy at the Legends in Chicago, Charles moved to America to work the blues circuit, although he doesnsa国际传媒檛 consider himself specifically tied to one genre.

sa国际传媒淚 mean, the industry, the people that come out and see me, the media, have all put me into the blues genre, which is a compliment but I look at myself as not just the blues guy,sa国际传媒� said Charles.

Growing up as a kid in the 1960s and 1970s, Charles says he was influenced by the likes of the Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton.

sa国际传媒淧eople like BB King, Buddy Guy and so forth,sa国际传媒� said Charles. sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 thinking we all come from the same cloth, itsa国际传媒檚 all Americana music.sa国际传媒�

After 40 years as a solo performer, one of the things that Charles has learned is how to keep people coming back for more and to keep his music fresh for audiences.

sa国际传媒淓ven your early stuff, donsa国际传媒檛 try and always play it like the record,sa国际传媒� said Charles. sa国际传媒淎s the years pass I revamp those early songs, because like it or not you have to keep performing a lot of your early stuff, and I change some arrangements, maybe change tempos. I just keep refreshing the music to make it sound like it was recorded yesterday.sa国际传媒�

Tickets for the show are on sale now online through the . Tickets are $32 for the show.