Hey I'm Charlie and I'm into writing and performing story songs about conflict and the choices people make during times of stress. A friend of mine called them songs that matter. My band The Dutchmen add three part harmonies, banjo, guitar, and jump. I like nouns in songs, more nouns, more nouns. Bill collectors on caller ID, lawn chairs left out in the rain, bulging tattoos, strip malled small towns, sand bagged houses in flood plain, toupees filled with bar smoke. 
I also create small business software used by over 3000 musicians in 21 countries. I give seminars at music conferences and universities on songwriting, touring, business, and technology. Contact me for your event, panel, or seminar. You can hear the songs here and try the software over at indiebandmanager.com. I'm pretty much a poster child for D.I.Y. so if you call or write, you'll reach me directly. Call anytime.
This site is mostly about my songs. I also maintain a fairly active blog.
What others are saying...
Jackson Browne said "I love your stuff..." and asked me to sing with him on stage.
Pat MacDonald said "I love your really sad songs and your really funny songs." and went on tour with me.
The Capital Times called me "[a] gritty troubadour."
Freedy Johnston simply wrote "Charlie Cheney = Great Music"
Paulie Ryan (Garbage) said "You're the best songwriter I know, your CD makes me laugh and cry."
Jonathan Spottiswoode wrote "I have now hereby patented the adjective 'charlie cheneyesque' to describe off-beat, dead honest, and beautifully eery songs."
In the past 10 months my songs have been included on the SteelBridge Songfest compilation CD, the St. John Songfest compilation CD, and the February Album Writing Month compilation CD. A new song "Twirl" was released on the SB4CD last June. All the songs were written and recorded during those festivals.
I released a solo CD "Giant Chicken" (available on iTunes or by mail) in late 2006 and I'm planning a new CD for 2008. I'm currently booking tours to the east and west.