Chas Hodges

Chas Hodges: Charles (Chas) Hodges is a singer-songwriter and author. He was born in London in 1943 and is popularly known as half of English musical duo Chas & Dave. Chas started his professional career in music at the age of 16 as bass player in The Outlaws, Joe Meek’s session band, and played on numerous recordings such as John Leyton’s hit ‘Johnny Remember Me’. Chas went on to tour Britain and Germany as Jerry Lee Lewis’s bass player and learned to play the piano, later becoming part of Gene Vincent’s backing band. In 1972, Chas teamed up with Dave Peacock to form Chas & Dave. The duo became famous for their comic songs dubbed ‘rockney’ (rock/Cockney) and produced a string of well-known hits such as ‘Gertcha’ (1979), ‘Rabbit’ (1980) and ‘Ain’t No Pleasing You’ (1982). Chas & Dave still perform together. Chas currently combines time on the road with writing and his hobby of growing vegetables. In 2010, he published Chas and his Rock & Roll Allotment, a light-hearted guide to gardening. His first novel, The Adventures of Grapenut, is due for publication in 2014.