Age is just a number to the age-defying Charlie Moore Jr.
Over the past decade, Moore has become a beloved resident in the Williamsport area, accompanying bands like Lumpy Gravy, Cabinet, Willie Jack and the Northern Lights or performing with his own group, Charlie Moore and the Fantastic Four.
Moore easily stands out due to an array of tattoos on his head, each image carrying significance to Moore.
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"The first tattoo I had was the eye on the back of my head. I got it done because I had turned 74," Moore said. "Then I just went from there. It all sort of ties together. You have Buddha on top of my head and Mother Earth on this side and the crimson A symbol of atheism on the back of my head."
Moore picked up his first harmonica at 16 and learned a few songs on it and then put it away.
"During my Navy stint, I picked up another harmonica and learned a little bit more before putting that one away. Then I got out of the Navy in 1958, went in the Air Force and I guess after about five to six years in the Air Force I started playing again - playing along with records."
During these years, Moore combined his military career with collegiate accomplishments that include degrees from the University of Maryland, Syracuse University and Wayne State University in Polish Language-Russian, European history and educational psychology, respectively.
Moore's harmonica was always close by and, while he was stationed in Berlin, playing it began to take a more prominent role in his life.
"It wasn't until in my early 30s that I decided I really liked playing the harp. In 1972, we formed a blues rock band while I was in Berlin. The band stayed together for about three years," he said.
He got into a few bands in the Baltimore area but it wasn't until he moved to Pittsburgh that he started playing more.
"I started going to open mics and playing with other people," he said. "I became really interested in jazz, too, while I was there."
He then played with a couple of bands in the Pittsburgh area. One was an Irish music group featuring two brothers. According to Moore, "that lasted three years until I couldn't stand it anymore."
After that, Moore didn't get involved with another band. He'd just go places and sit in with bands - a trend he continued upon relocating to Williamsport in 1997.
"My wife had property up here so we decided to move up here and retire. After we moved, I began sitting in with various groups," Moore said. "That taught me more, I think, than being in a band all that time because, for one, it tunes your ear, you have to watch the other players and listen. Know when to play and when not play, a lot of harmonica players don't know that - it's important to find the spaces to play and not be playing over the leads or vocals."
Moore likes the challenge of playing with a mix of artists and exploring different styles. He said a "dream gig" would be to play with the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra at the Community Arts Center, where he would play classical and jazz.
The musician inside of Moore has blossomed at a time in life most people are hanging it up.
"Just because you've reached a certain age or point of life doesn't mean you have to stop. As a matter of fact you may discover and, in fact, I've discovered that I do have a bit of creativeness in me that I didn't know that I had before," Moore said. "Music is what I love ... I couldn't imagine not playing music."
