Charles Rocket Biography

Fast Facts

• Studied filmmaking at the Rhode Island School of Design, along with Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and director Gus Van Sant
• While attending art school, he fronted the Fabulous Motels, a band that many considered to be influential to other music groups such as the Talking Heads and the Young Adults
• Worked as a bartender and managed a nightclub before beginning his professional career in front of the camera
• As a talented accordionist, he lent his talents to a number of studio albums for various popular musical acts throughout his career
• He found a niche for himself as a comedic foil in a number of popular film and television roles
• Changed his name to Charles Kennedy while serving as the anchor for an NBC affiliate
• One of the major contributors of the Rhode Island underground-culture scene in the 1970s