From Bakersfield.com:

Charles Brady, a great musician, passionate educator and great, great man died Monday of a heart attack. Word has been spreading among his friends and colleagues, who join the Brady family in shock and sadness at his sudden passing at age 72.

Charles made his living as a trumpeter -- spending three decades with the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra -- and as an educator. In these two roles he touched the lives of hundreds of fellow musicians and students directly, and thousands more in his audiences.
A native of Kern County, Charles graduated from Delano High School in 1955, then went on to study at USC, the Juilliard School and Catholic University. He spent six years as principal trumpeter of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., and recorded for Columbia Records under the batons of Igor Stravinsky and Bruno Walter.

Charles' performance of Stravinsky's "L'Histoire du Soldat" ("A Soldier's Tale") was critically acclaimed and has long been regarded as the gold standard for how to play that piece. "I remember driving one day in the mid-'80s and had turned on KVPR," recalled Mike Raney, who succeeded Charles as BSO principal trumpeter in 2007. "It was a small chamber group, and the trumpet player just stood out. I pulled over to listen to it." "It was 'L'Histoire' and sure enough, it was Charles." "He was the consummate orchestral player."
Bakersfield Symphony conductor John Farrer, who worked with Charles for almost 30 years, echoed that sentiment: "There are some people who are put on this earth with a talent that can only be described as God-given. (Charles) was just put on the earth to play the trumpet."

Charles also performed with the Bakersfield Community Band, chamber groups, brass ensembles, church ensembles, jazz, dance and show bands and was much in demand as a soloist. Even in retirement, Charles continued playing with the Cal State Community Orchestra. That's a demanding enough career, but Charles was also a devoted educator who gave a lot to all the students in his care. He was on the board of the Bakersfield Youth Symphony, he taught privately, was an adjunct professor at Cal State Bakersfield and was the music teacher at Fairfax Middle School from 1975 to 2007.

"My children are all still in music because of him," said Rita Gomez, a co-worker for 10 years at Fairfax, whose three children all studied with Charles. "He treated all students the same." I had the pleasure of performing with Charles many times, and I can attest to his fine musicianship: he could play anything, was game to attempt any musical style and could play it all well.

But it would be an injustice to devote this column solely to his musical ability. As I said at the beginning of this article, Charles was a dear, good man. His professionalism was merely an extension of his being a true gentleman, considerate of everyone around him. He was a peacemaker -- he could sincerely speak well of everyone, and would not join in a fight. He was also very funny. He was not above wearing a silly hat on a New Year's Eve gig, or dressing in costume for a children's event.

"There was never any pretense, never any pomp and circumstance," Farrer said. "He was just a good guy. He was just Charles."
Underneath everything else, Charles Brady was a man of deep faith. As a devout Christian, Charles professed his faith primarily by how he lived his life. But he was happy to share -- not impose -- that faith as something he loved. His intent was unmistakeable.
I will never forget the kindness he showed my father, Ralph, years ago. Dad was also a great trumpeter and musician, and the two had worked together many times. Charles visited my father in the last months of his life in 1996. Theirs was a private conversation, but I know that Charles spoke to my father about the hope of a life to come in the true spirit of friendship and goodwill.
Musician, teacher, mentor, friend -- Charles Brady was all of these. We are all richer for having known him, and the poorer for losing him.

Funeral services are pending. Arrangements are being handled by Doughty-Calhoun-O'Meara.

Source : Susan Scaffidi, Bakersfield.com