Charles Bradley passed away on Saturday, September 23rd following a yearlong battle with stomach cancer. The “Screaming Eagle of Soul” literally gutted it out as long as he could, playing his last show on August 4th.

Bradley is living proof that you’re never too old to be discovered, that talent – if you have it – will eventually shine through. The one-time James Brown impersonator was well into his fifties when he made his recordings for Daptone, and whose onstage persona often overshadowed others Bradley shared the bill with at festivals like WayHome earlier this summer.

Goodbye Charles. You were the driving force that brought soul back in the 2000s, and I don’t know if there’s anyone out there able to fill the void you’re leaving. Your voice is what we need as the world goes up in flames. #RIP