Charles “Skip” Pitts

Charles “Miss” Pitts was never children name, but he created probably one of the most recognizable guitars riffs in the annals of pop music; Pitts performed the sharply rhythmic wah-wah acoustic guitar pattern that opened up Isaac Hayes’ “Theme from Shaft,” even though it had been a landmark second in the annals of 1970s funk, it had been one among many significant recordings that used his skills. Charles Pitts was created in Washington, D.C. on Apr 7, 1947. Pitts started understanding how to play acoustic guitar when he was 11, and got some early tips from Bo Diddley, who resided in a nearby and became something of the mentor to youthful Pitts. In a short time, Pitts started playing for extra change on road edges, and he fulfilled several leading R&B celebrities through his uncle, who possessed a hotel nearby to Washington, D.C.’s celebrated Howard Theatre and played sponsor to many well known soul music numbers on tour. Pitts got his 1st big break when he was 17, playing on Gene Chandler’s strike solitary “Rainbow ’65,” and after touring with Chandler he became guitarist with Wilson Pickett’s street music group. Pitts also supported the Isley Brothers (playing on the 1969 strike “It’s Your Thing”), and after touring with Sam & Dave, Pitts relocated to Memphis in 1970, where he performed on several classes for Stax Information and became section of Isaac Hayes’ studio room team and touring music group. Pitts stated that he developed the starting riff for “Theme from Shaft” while tuning up and screening his results pedals, but Hayes understood the sound experienced the driving tempo the tune required, and Pitts’ acoustic guitar work helped to help make the track a high Ten strike and earn the tune an Academy Honor for Best Track. Pitts and Hayes had been collaborators for over 30 years, and Pitts was still playing live gigs with Hayes once the vocalist and composer passed away in 2008. In 1998, maker Scott Bomar put together a supergroup of Memphis program musicians to try out music within the traditional Southern soul design, and Pitts was recruited to become listed on the combo, called the Bo-Keys; after playing several high-profile concert events, they cut an record in 2011, Surely got to REUNITE! Pitts also performed on latter-day albums by Al Green, Cyndi Lauper, and Axelle Crimson, and added to the soundtrack from the film Dark Snake Moan. Furthermore, Pitts helped instruct music to at-risk youngsters in Memphis, and lent his tone of voice to some commercials made to encourage youngsters to stay away from street criminal offense. Lung cancer stated Pitts’ life on, may 1, 2012.