Image caption: Manny Charlton during The Fluffy Jackets session at Sun Studio, Memphis TN, 2011

Manny Charlton, guitarist, engineer, producer

Manny Charlton (25 July 1941 25 - 5 July 2022) was famous for the guitar riffs that catapulted the international Scottish rock band Nazareth to stardom during the 1970s. He played on, produced, and wrote many of their biggest hits, including “Broken Down Angel,” “Bad Bad Boy,” “Hair of the Dog,” and countless others. He also produced the definitive rock ballad “Love Hurts,” which became a global Top 10 hit in 1975 and remained on the Norwegian singles chart for an unprecedented 60 weeks.

Manny Charlton left Nazareth in 1990, later relocating to Fort Worth, Texas in 1997 before returning to Europe in 2015, settling in Córdoba, southern Spain. He continued making music throughout, releasing several acclaimed albums, including Hellacious (2014), which featured an all-star lineup of rock legends such as Tim Bogert (Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Beck, Bogert & Appice), Walfredo Reyes Jr. (Santana, Traffic, Steve Winwood, Lindsey Buckingham), Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard), Robert Sarzo (Quiet Riot), Steven Adler (Guns N’ Roses), and vocalist Robyn DeLarenzo.

Manny played a hugely important role in the creation of The Fluffy Jackets' award-winning album Fighting Demons (2014), producing four songs at the legendary Sun Studio and even writing a brand-new song, “Can’t Stop the Rain” for that album. He went on to serve as producer, guitarist, and co-writer on The Fluffy Jackets follow-up album Something from Nothing (2019). They say you should never meet your heroes, but that was absolutely not the case with Manny Charlton. Working with him was a joy every time, and having him contribute to our music remains a true honour.

Post note:
Manny Charlton sadly passed away on 5 July 2022 while visiting the United States. He was 80 years old.

Manny had originally agreed to perform on two songs that would eventually appear on The Rise and Fall of the Songwriter (2024), but sadly he never got the chance to hear them. In his place, American slide guitarist Matt Bradford and Manny’s final guitar technician, Liam Creedon from Aberdeen, Scotland, were invited to contribute to those tracks in his memory: “Now That She Is Gone” and “The Well Is Dry.” The latter song was given new lyrics written in Manny’s honour.

On 3 February 2024, a special Manny Charlton Memorial Concert was held in Córdoba, Spain. Helge Rognstad (The Fluffy Jackets) and Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Black Sabbath) were among the guest performers, appearing alongside members of The Manny Charlton Band, Tracey Lamb (Girlschool), and Emil Gammeltoft (SKoR). It was a heartfelt celebration of Manny’s music and legacy.

The Fluffy Jackets has published a tribute page to Manny Charlton:
In loving memory - Manny Charlton (RIP).