In 1984, "Snacks" as they called him, Rick Jaeger renamed our band "Backbone" and we almost signed with Epic Records!
The band members consisted of Rick Jaeger on drums who was at the time playing gigs with Steven Stills, and he helped me find some of the other players which included William “Smitty” Smith, who was a top session player in L.A.; and Scott Robinson, an exceptional guitarist who played with jazz flute player, Tim Weisberg.
The group also included Donnie Dacus on guitar! Now this guy had some credentials! He starred in the movIe "HAIR" and played with Chris Hillman, worked on Crosby, Stills & Nash’s CSN album and later with Stephen Stills for several projects. Chicago selected him as a replacement guitarist and vocalist after the death of Terry Kath.
Donnie is currently living in St. Petersburg, Florida and is now sharing his incredible roots with us here in Tampa Bay!

Smitty was a songwriter and rock, soul and gospel keyboardist who added a lot of soul to my songs! He came to Los Angeles in 1970 and worked with Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Billy Joel, Crosby, Stills & Nash and the Pointer Sisters, with whom he recorded I’m So Excited. After Smitty suffered a stroke on New Year’s Day in 1992, several performers including Browne, Graham Nash and Bonnie Raitt staged a benefit performance for him as he was ill and past awy soon after. #RIP Smitty • RIP Rick Jaeger.

The group in 1999, reformed with band members Eric Turner of Fortress and Bill Lordan of The Robin Trower Band and was managed by Peter Bennett in New York, former Beatles promoter with Apple Records. The band recorded two solo albums at studios in Hollywood and Anaheim California,"Live Your Dream" and "9 Ball in the Corner Pocket". In 2006 through 2011, Souza also toured with the New RASCALS featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Dino Danelli & Gene Cornish with Bill Pascali of Vanilla Fudge. Charlie's music was influenced by the many artists he has worked with including Tom Petty, Gregg Allman, Bill Champlin, New Cactus Band and Florida Music Hall of Fame Nominees The Tropics.
As author of a Rock 'n Roll Autobiography entitled "Live Your Dream" Souza has written a pictorial history book, "Tampa Bay Music Roots".