He died at 2am yesterday morning, two weeks after an open heart surgery, said his younger brother Edwin.

“Charles suffered a mild stroke after the surgery and that resulted in him not being able to eat and talk well.

“I was with him the night before at his house and as he was groaning in pain and found it difficult to breathe, he asked me to hold his hand and say a prayer,” said Edwin.

Hours later, Charles collapsed and was taken to University of Malaya Medical Centre where he died.

Charles found his love of music in the 1960s through the encouragement of his father, George, who bought a full set of instruments for boys in the neighbourhood to ensure they did not indulge in undesirable activities.

Back then, kids would go to the Nathaniels’ home at Road 17 in Old Town, Petaling Jaya, to jam.

Several of them later went on to become big names in the local music scene. They included Nand Kumar (Strollers), Francis Danker (Memories) and Granville Pereira (Alleycats).

Drummer Edwin co-founded the renowned Aseana Percussion Unit in 1989, and today promotes the practical uses of percussion as an aid for special needs children.

Charles began his career as bassist with The Poor Boys, led by Danker, before joining the resident band at Capitol Cabaret in Melaka .

He was a pioneer member of Cellar Hi-5 that was formed in 1970 and was named after The Cellar nightspot on Jalan Barat here.

The other original members of Cellar High-Five were trumpeter Syed Agil Syed Mohd Al-Habshee, Johnny Ng (keyboard, saxophone), Sunny Narcis ( lead guitar, vocals), Don Beins (lead guitar, vocals) and Peter Kuan (drums).

They were always dressed sharp in suits and the poster boy of the group was the late Syed Agil who drew elite patrons.

His son-in-law, prominent businessman Syed Yusof Syed Nasir, who was a regular at The Cellar, remained friends with Charles over the years.

Beins, who teamed up with Hilary Manasee to perform as Dos Combrados after quitting Cellar High-5, said: “Charles and I had wonderful moments over the decades and his generous spirit also lives in the hearts of the music community.

“I have known him since his days at the Capitol Cabaret and we were like brothers, keeping in touch with each other regularly.”

Cellar Hi-5 vocalist A Radha Krishnan said he last performed with Charles in a live-streaming Christmas gig that also featured Edwin and former Delta bandleader Richard Joseph on December 23 last year.

He said Charles was one of those who helped pay for his trip to Singapore for the Fanfare magazine’s deejay contest in 1973 which he won as a 19-year-old.

“He was sure I would win the contest and his encouragement was the trademark of a humble and nice chap,” said Radha Krishnan, who became a singer with Cellar Hi-5 after a stint as the emcee for the club’s Sunday tea dance.

Just as Radha Krishnan scaled the heights of the local music scene as a singer and deejay, many novices were given breaks by Charles and his bandmates to perform at the tea dance.

One of them was drummer Mohd Ros Yaakob (Khalid) who joined the band after the earlier drummers, Kuan and Tommy Low left.

In an interview with FMT in 2020, Charles recalled that Khalid first came to The Cellar in torn jeans and carried a broken drum stick.

“He asked me, ‘Boleh main ke?’ (can I play?) and I welcomed him. I was keen to give any musician an opportunity.

“It wasn’t easy because he couldn’t speak English and I had to find a way to cue him into the songs we played. But he played beautifully and even performed in Japan and Korea,” Charles related.

Charles’s eyes sparkled when he told the story of The Cellar that captured the glorious era of the 70s and 80s when bands ruled the night scene at venues that were household names.

The basement club with a lounge upstairs – located opposite PJ Hilton (where Syed Restaurant is now) – was then the go-to place and was patronised by the who’s who of the time.

The owner was the 1972 Cobra Rugby Club president Kim Tai Swee Leng who is held with distinction as a man who contributed immensely to the music scene then.

Charles was proud that many talents were nurtured during the Sunday tea dance which Kim Tai started as a launch pad for budding musicians.

He was equally delighted that Cellar Hi-Five opened for many international artistes during their Kuala Lumpur concerts, including The Hollies and Marmalade.

Charles is survived by his daughter Elaine, son Adrian and his two grandsons, Ryan and Darren.