Chuck Prophet is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer from Whittier, California, and is based in San Francisco. He is a member of Green on Red, Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express, Chuck Prophet and the Spanish Bombs, and Chuck Prophet & His Cumbia Shoes.

Early career

Prophet first gains recognition as the youngest member of Green on Red, an 1980s college rock group, and appears on several albums and touring line-ups with the band. In the early 1990s, as Green on Red winds down, he begins performing with his future wife Stefanie Finch and starts releasing independent records on small labels.

Solo recordings

His solo debut, Brother Aldo, appears in 1990 on Fire Records, and is later reissued on Walter Yetnikoff’s Velvel imprint. He then follows it with Balinese Dancer in 1993 and Feast of Hearts, produced by Steve Berlin and released in Europe through Fire.

After a long period of substance abuse, Prophet returns with Homemade Blood in 1998, The Hurting Business in 2000 and the live album Turn The Pigeons Loose in 2002, all available in the UK through Cooking Vinyl. By this point he also begins to work electronic elements into his roots rock sound.

His 2002 album No Other Love and 2004’s Age of Miracles receive wider distribution on New West Records. In the United States he later signs with Yep Roc for Soap and Water in 2007, a record that leads to appearances on National Public Radio and on television programmes including Late Night with David Letterman and The Carson Daly Show.

Collaborations and songwriting

Prophet records a side project with Stefanie Finch called Go Go Market around 2000. He also writes with other songwriters including Kelly Willis and Steve Yerkey, and plays guitar or contributes as a musician on sessions by Jonathan Richman, Warren Zevon, Kim Carnes, Cake, Tom Heyman and Jewel.

His songs are recorded by Solomon Burke, Heart and Cyndi Thomson. He also works with musicians who were once among his influences, including Jim Dickinson, Dan Penn and Warren Zevon. Alejandro Escovedo’s Real Animal, produced by Tony Visconti, is co-written and recorded with Prophet.