Maine’s Rick Charette to Semi Retire

The Mainer who made singing about mud fun, says he's gonna retire...kind of.

According to the Portland Press Herald Rick:

...announced his semi-retirement on his website and Facebook last month, saying that he will no longer perform at schools, but will keep his options open to occasionally play at events with his Bubblegum Band. “I have decided that the time has come to turn the page and to embrace the next chapter in my life,” Charette said in the statement. “When I reflect on the last 35 years of performing for you, your children and grandchildren, I feel very blessed to have been able to share my songs with you.”

 

He's earned a semi retirement. He's actually earned a full on retirement. He's 71 years old, and has been in Windham with his wife since 1975.

The Press Herald reports:

He was slow to recover after a bicycle accident last September left him with a broken collarbone and four broken ribs, and was almost prepared to retire altogether. Charette has amassed a catalog of hundreds of songs and 12 albums since he first found his way into the music industry during the early 1980s. After studying English and then music education at the University of Southern Maine, he spent several years in the classroom as a music teacher.

His first big kid's song was 'Bubblegum' and he got a lot of inspiration from his own kids. The song, 'Mud' came from watching one of his sons play in mud. And 'Alligator in an Elevator' came from a misunderstanding with this then 2-year-old. Rick said he was getting in an elevator and his little son thought he said alligator.

He now gets inspiration from his two grandkids.