Charlie Gracie Cause of Death Mysterious: Rock Singer Dead at 86

Charlie Gracie, a rock musician who inspired several A-list artists, has died. He was 86.

ABKCO Records, Cameo Records' main company, confirmed Gracie's death in a statement. The Cameo Records was the Philadelphia-based label that recorded the singer's hits.

He died on Dec. 16 in Aldan, Delaware County.

Initial reports did not confirm Charlie Gracie's cause of death. But The Philadelphia Inquirer received a separate statement from his son, Charlie Gracie Jr., which revealed that the singer had been ill for a long time. He also suffered from a series of complications after catching the COVID-19 virus following his final two shows in Wilkes Barre and Long Island.

Charlie Gracie Rock Hall's Facebook account also reshared the messages the singer received from his colleagues and fans since the emergence of the news.

"Until then we kindly ask that you respect the privacy and wishes of the family and allow for some breathing room," one of the posts read. "Any information posted is speculative until it comes to you from right here. The family will fully inform you then. We love you all and thank you for your perpetual kindness."

Some also took their heartbreaks on Twitter, recalling Gracie's life and honoring his legacy.

Remembering Charlie Gracie

Born in South Philadelphia, Gracie - whose real name was Charles Antony Gracie - was performing on a local radio show when Cadillac Records owner Graham Prince discovered him.

He then released several singles after the meeting, including "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter," "Boogie Woogie Blues," and "Rockin' 'n' Rollin'."

Among the songs he worked on, his "Butterfly" became the best-known music as it became Billboard's No. 1 song on its pop chart in 1957. Its success helped him land on tours with several musicians, including Chuck Berry, the Everly Brothers, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Eddie Cochran, to name a few.

While starring in the 1957 musical show "Jamboree," Gracie released more chart-topping tracks like "Ninety-Nine Ways," "Cool Baby," and "Fabulous."

His popularity and singing skills influenced several renowned musicians. Paul McCartney, who constantly referred to Gracie as his music influence, covered "Fabulous" in 1999 as part of his "Run Devil Run" early rock covers album.

Thirty years before that, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page recorded his own version of it alongside Zep bassist John Paul Jones and guitarist Albert Lee.