If you don’t know who Charles Bradley is, crawl out from under your rock, brush off the dirt and dust and degradation, and look him up on that little thing called the Internet. Don’t be confused when you see pictures of a 67-year-old man, his face lined with years of struggle. That’s him, and he is, rightfully so, the man of the moment.

Three years ago, I had absolutely no idea who Charles Bradley was. My DJ partner, knowing my obsession with all things soul, played one of his songs for me, “The World (Is Going Up In Flames)”. I thought the song was from the early 60’s, some gem she’d discovered getting lost on YouTube. Bradley’s voice was a little O.V. Wright, a little Otis Redding, with a rhythm section so on point with the Muscle Shoals’ sound, I couldn’t believe it was new.

Charles Bradley’s journey into the modern musical consciousness was long and hard. Poull Brien’s 2012 documentary “Charles Bradley: Soul of America” sums up his life pretty well, revealing Bradley’s pain-filled past, his poverty, and his utter obsession with music. In the late 90’s, Bradley began performing in local clubs as a James Brown impersonator, calling himself “Black Velvet.” Soon after Gabriel Roth of Daptone Records discovered his Godfather of Soul routine, Bradley had a band, some original songs under his belt, and a label that was willing to take a chance on a man who, despite his age, showed nothing but promise.

No Time For Dreaming, his first feature length, was released in 2011 to critical acclaim, and even has a cover of Nirvana’s “Stay Away” as the closing track. And it’s a pretty fucking good cover, as covers go. Mojo, one of the last credible music magazines of our time, ranked the album on its “Top 50 of 2011” list. Bradley’s follow-up, Victim of Love, released in 2013, did equally well on lists and charts and general opinion.

Homeboy just finished playing Coachella, where I heard he shared his trailer backyard with Allah-Las and scolded them for smoking cigs. I’ve also heard stories of Bradley embracing fans after sets, hugging them with genuine warmth and appreciation as tears dripped down his face. His shows are on everyone’s must-see lists, and his uncanny resemblance to James Brown both in looks and strut have people from all age groups queued up in his fan line.

A soul singer with real soul, which is rare in the current debased music industry, is a wonderful thing, and hopefully, Bradley won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. So pay attention. –Maya Eslami

“Why Is It So Hard” (Live on KEXP)

Soul of America [Official Trailer]