Charles Pitts
| Charles Pitts | |
|---|---|
Pitts outside of Stax Records, 2011
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Skip Pitts |
| Born |
April 7, 1947 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | May 1, 2012 (aged 65) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Soul, R&B, funk, blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1964–2012 |
| Labels | Stax Records |
| Associated acts | |
Charles "Skip" Pitts (April 7, 1947 – May 1, 2012) was an American soul and blues guitarist. He is best known for his distinctive "wah-wah" style, prominently featured on Isaac Hayes' title track from the 1971 movie Shaft. He is widely considered to have been one of the architects of soul, R&B, and funk guitar.
Pitts learned to play guitar at age 11 on the street corners of his childhood hometown, Washington D.C., often receiving tips from his neighbor, Bo Diddley. Pitts' uncle owned a hotel next to the Howard Theater, where he was introduced to soul and R&B musicians such as James Brown and Otis Redding.
At the age of 17, Pitts performed on Gene Chandler's "Rainbow '65," which would become his first appearance on many hit recordings. Pitts soon became the guitarist and bandleader for Wilson Pickett's Midnight Movers, backing Pickett and Sam & Dave.
In 1969, Pitts joined the Isley Brothers band, for whom he created the signature riff for their chart-topping hit "It's Your Thing."
In 1970, Pitts moved to Memphis, Tennessee, to join Isaac Hayes' band. A year later, Pitts created the wah-wah guitar intro for "Theme From Shaft", a song which earned Hayes an Academy Award.
Pitts went on to work with Hayes over the next three decades, appearing on many of Hayes' hit albums and soundtracks. He can been seen onstage performing with Hayes in the documentary Wattstax (1973) and in the blaxploitation film Truck Turner (1974). In the 1990s and 2000s, Pitts collaborated with Hayes on the John Singleton remake of Shaft as well as the soundtrack for the animated series South Park, for which he received a gold record.
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