News - Entertainment

Friday, Nov. 28, 2008

Rock Hill native is charming the music world

Charissa Mobley is quietly making her voice heard.

The 25-year-old Northwestern High alum released her first album, “Check For Me,” Nov. 13 and it’s getting a bit of radio airplay to good response.

“I haven’t gotten any complaints,” Mobley says.

Mobley, who goes by Charm on stage, is an R&B artist who’s open to crossover. Think Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. A quick listen at her Web site, www.charmismusic.com, gives you a sample of her smooth sound. You can hear for yourself twice this weekend, tonight in Lancaster and Saturday in Rock Hill at Loft 13.

“I started singing in the shower around 9 or so,” she says, and her mom, Linda Mobley, encouraged her sing at church. Eventually, she ended up at Bowie State University, where she majored in communication while working with music producers. Several years and some mishaps later, she self-produced “Check For Me,” which is being carried by CD Baby and several retail outlets. Mobley says iTunes should be carrying it in a few weeks.

“I had to focus on what I wanted to accomplish,” she says about the years it took to get the album of original songs out of the studio.

Now she’s ready to conquer the music world. Mobley lives in Washington, D.C., now and she says she’ll sing the National Anthem at the Dec. 20 Eagle Bowl, which is set to be televised on ESPN.

Want to hear more?

Charm is performing tonight at 8:45 at Plantation Civic Center in Lancaster, opening for Calvin Richardson.

Saturday night, she’ll be at Loft 13 in Rock Hill for a wine and cheese event sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta. Cost is $15. The wine tasting is at 7 p.m. with music starting at 9. Details, Sonya Burkett, 803-422-6354.

Check out Charm on the Internet at www.charmismusic.com and myspace/charissamusicworld