Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Charley.
Joe, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I write, model, act, and sing/songwrite – a true multi-hyphenate entertainer. For as long as I can remember, I have been performing. I began modeling in local campaigns when I was 3 or 4 years old. At the same time, I would perform songs and dances with my siblings at various events around the region.
My father was an army man, and my mother was an educator who didn’t limit us when it came to expressing and educating ourselves. We were exposed to many people, places, and forms of life. I loved the escapism and the stories that could be told through performing. Music bands and groups were very popular in the early aughts, and some elementary friends and I decided to start a group, JCT. We danced our little hearts out at almost every school and church function around us. I joined the Metropolitan Boys Choir around this time and got to tour the world singing. I did this for a while, learning how to compose my own music. I continued more earnestly in middle and high school and began performing in different art and entertainment shows and competitions.
That was how I spent my time as a child and teenager – traveling for work, meeting people, performing, and doing it all again. I signed my first professional modeling contract when I was 13 and was introduced to new markets and bigger brands, which helped make all of the previous effort I put into performing marketable. It grew from being a dream to my destiny.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Entertainment itself is joyous. It keeps my life interesting, for sure. However, the entertainment industry is difficult, especially being so young and impressionable. It can get very easy to get caught up in unfortunate situations when you don’t know yourself well enough. The business can be so demanding that sometimes it’s impossible to remember that I do need rest, which has led to burnout.
I think many people forget that life is also happening at the same time as work. I lost my father a few weeks before my 15th birthday and still had shows that I was contracted to complete with a smile. That’s happened a few times in my career. I can’t make every family or friend function, so maintaining relationships takes intention and a lot of understanding.
I’m learning every day because I’m still growing up, too. The best part of the struggle is learning to trust myself and improve.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I consider myself a great storyteller. I am currently working on my debut album, ‘Rudolph: The Audio Interpretation,’ which was me writing my way through quarter-life crises, lessons learned, and scars earned. Then the start of COVID and life put that release on hold. I am always writing as therapy, so while in quarantine, I asked myself how I can keep myself motivated. I started breaking down my history, identity, the concept of the album, and what I was trying to say. I thought of all the deer that I could allude to, and Bambi came to mind. ‘Bambi’ is probably my favorite Disney film. I thought of how we watched Bambi learn and grow to become the Great Prince of the Forest, and it felt like it was happening to me. That night in a dream, the acronym B.A.M.B.I spelled out “Be About My Business (I)” on the wall. I woke up immediately and wrote the EP’s title track about how we all make plans, but things that we can’t control, like the pandemic, happen. That doesn’t mean we quit and give in. You stand on your business and be about it, no matter what; the EP ‘B.A.M.B.I’ is something for your spring/summer vibes to tide you over until ‘Rudolph,’ the album.
In December 2022, I led Park Square/Stepping Stone Theatre’s winter show as Peter in ‘The Snowy Day and Other Stories’ by Ezra Jack Keats. The theme of these young boys learning life, making mistakes, and learning from them is what attracted me to these stories. I am most proud of having worked hard enough to now have the confidence, experience, and reputation to be able to express myself authentically through art.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Heading to a more inclusive industry. I can see more artists having the confidence to tell their stories and experiences through art.
We know things will change fast. As long as I know I can change with it by being adaptable and staying authentic, I remain excited for artists to become more independent and have the tools and resources to be seen and heard.”
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theejoecharley/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theejoecharley/
- Youtube: https://kstp.com/tcl/the-snowy-day/
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/theejoecharley
Image Credits
Chad Rider – @chadrieder
