Sexton trades country for rock

By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
April 7, 1989

Three years ago, when singer-guitarist Charlie Sexton made his Chicago debut at the Cabaret Metro, he introduced his songs in a clipped British accent. Normally, that wouldn’t have raised any eyebrows, but Sexton, who was being hailed as rock ‘n’ roll’s new wunderkind, was born and raised in Texas.

“That whole accent thing was a result of hanging around with Keith Forsey, my English record producer, so much,” Sexton said, his Texas twang back where it should be. “It took a while for me to shake it off. I think I confused a lot of fans with it.”

To many of his hometown fans in Austin, the accent was the least confusing thing about his new image. Sexton, who as a pre-teen combed his hair back and played lead guitar for Joe Ely, now wore his hair in a gravity-defying ‘do and played slick songs void of any of his country roots. Fans were concerned he’d forgotten his country heritage.

Sexton hasn’t forgotten anything. Rather, he’s chosen to play the type of music he prefers: polished rock ‘n’ roll. While it would have been simple for him to mollify critics by putting some country into his self-titled second album, Sexton held firm in his belief he should play the type of music he wants to play, not what people expect him to play. The songs on “Charlie Sexton” are catchy and cool, but not country.

“I think this record is pretty close to what Charlie Sexton music is kind of like,” he said in a phone interview from his Los Angeles apartment. “It’s by no means the ultimate record in my eyes. I’m still working on my songwriting. It’s not a conceptual record or anything. It’s just a bunch of songs I felt strongly about. The real test will be to see if the kids like it.”

Sexton will get to test out his new material when he returns to the Cabaret Metro tonight for an all-ages concert. Tickets, $13.50 for the 7:30 p.m. show, are available at Ticketmaster (559-1212).

Although only 20 years old, Sexton already is a rock ‘n’ roll veteran who has been playing the guitar for three-quarters of his life. To say he’s led a precocious life is an understatement. By the time his voice changed, he’d already toured with the Clash and recorded with Bob Dylan, Keith Richards and Don Henley. At 15, Sexton signed a recording contract with MCA Records.

Two years later, his first single, “Beat’s So Lonely,” made it to No. 17 on the singles charts; he was dating singer Carlene Carter, a woman almost twice his age, and he had his pinup-perfect face plastered on the covers of every magazine from Spin and In Fashion to Tiger Beat. He was living every kid’s dream – while still a kid himself.

“It’s funny being a `teen idol,’ ’cause when I was in school, my classmates thought I was odd,” he said. “I wore my hair slicked back and black Levi’s, and listened to Elvis (Presley) while everyone else listened to Nazareth. I was harassed all the time and got beat up. They didn’t quite get me.

“It was kind of like poetic justice when I started getting all the press attention.”

While his intense, dark looks definitely are an asset with the MTV generation, Sexton’s intricate guitar playing has won him the respect of his peers. During his “Glass Spider” tour, David Bowie took Sexton on the road with him as his guest guitarist. And when Duran Duran needed a new guitar player, they asked Sexton to join the band. He politely declined the offer.

One of Sexton’s biggest fans is his 18-year-old, lookalike brother, Will, who released his debut album last year. Sexton said when they were children, he made Will learn to play the bass so they could perform together in bands.

“I was your typical bossy older brother,” Sexton said, laughing. “But Will really loved music. Soon after learning bass, he switched over to play lead guitar, too. I think it’s great we’re both in the same business. I tell him a little bit of what I learned, but he’s my younger brother and I don’t want to give him a hard time. So I usually wait until he asks for my advice before I go butting into his life.”