Biography
Musician/songwriter/producer Chas Hodges was born in North Middlesex Hospital, Edmonton on 28th December 1943. Attending Eldon Road Junior School, Lower Edmonton and later Higher Grade School, Upper Edmonton.

On 27th of December 1947, the day before Chas’s 4th birthday, Chas’s father, Albert, committed suicide.  His mother Daisy managed to feed the kids (Chas and his older brother Dave) by playing piano in clubs and pubs around North London. At the age of 12, with his mother's encouragement, Chas learned to play guitar.  A year later, 1957,  he joined his first band, The Horseshoe skiffle group. When Jerry Lee Lewis played at The Edmonton Regal in 1958, Chas was in the audience, and from that point aspired to become a piano player, much to his mothers delight. In the meantime, Skiffle had played its part and was now on the wane. Rock’n’Roll was taking over and Chas wanted to be part of it. In 1959 Chas bought a Hofner bass guitar (the first electric bass in north London, which he still has and records with) and was in demand. He began playing in various rock’n’roll bands around the area. At the age of 16 he turned fully professional.

One of his first paying gigs was the summer season at Butlins, Filey with Billy Gray & the Stormers in 1960 . The following year, the same band, minus Billy Gray become The Outlaws with new singer Mike Berry, and the legendary Joe Meek as their record producer & engineer. Chas became the major session bass player for the next two years up at Joe Meek’s famous home studio, with the Outlaws practically becoming Meek’s ‘house band’. Chas played on numerous hits such as ‘Tribute to Buddy Holly’, with Mike Berry, ‘Johnny Remember me’ with John Leyton, and ‘Just Like Eddie’ with Heinz. (Along with the new Outlaw member, Ritchie Blackmore).