Charles Clifton "Chaz" Walker

Charles Clifton "Chaz" Walker lived a life shaped by music, creativity, and a deep commitment to recovery and mental health advocacy. He passed away on December 1, 2025, after a long battle with kidney disease. The eldest son of Gloria and Carlton Walker, Chaz, was preceded in death by his father (2009) and his brother Christopher (2010).

Chaz is survived by his mother, Gloria, siblings Clayton, Carla, and Carole (Michael); his stepsister Kim; his daughter Tehla; his granddaughter Naydea; and a circle of loving friends and relatives, including his niece, nephews, cousins, and an aunt.

A Cincinnati native, Chaz attended Aiken High School and later earned his Graduate Education Degree from Great Oaks Institute of Technology and Career Development in 2002. From an early age, he carried a quiet appreciation for nature and animals, alongside a growing love for music that would become central to his life.

At fifteen, after playing in the Aiken Jazz Band, Chaz taught himself to play bass guitar and keyboards. Music was his calling. His admiration for Jimi Hendrix ran deep, and in 2008, one of his lifelong dreams was fulfilled when he made a pilgrimage to Hendrix's home in Seattle, Washington. That journey held profound meaning for him.

After high school, he worked in several locations around Cincinnati, including Talbert House, Consumer Network, University Club, and Dutch Girl Cleaners. Chaz was a familiar and beloved presence in Cincinnati's music scene. He performed widely, collaborated with many musicians, taught himself to be a recording engineer, and formed his own band, Chaz and the Flow. As a singer-writer, he was a regular at open mic nights across the city, including stages at the Southgate House, Northside Tavern, Mansion Hill, MOTR Pub, Stanley's Pub, and other venues. Music was how he connected with audiences, with fellow artists, and with himself.

That same spirit carried into his work in the recovery community. As a peer at the Recovery Center of Hamilton County, Chaz organized and led open mic sessions, making sure there was always a stage for others in recovery to share their voices and talents. He believed deeply in the power of creative expression as a pathway to healing.

In 1999, Chaz founded CCW Productions and created the Mental Health Talent Show of America, an annual event dedicated to artists living with mental illness and disabilities. Guided by the belief that "the sounds of recovery are recovery strong," the show became a space where inclusion, creativity, and dignity took center stage. Chaz envisioned the event as a way to bring people with and without disabilities together through music and performance-and he made that vision real.

For many years, he did most of the heavy lifting: recruiting performers, securing sponsors, designing promotional materials, engaging the media, stage managing, emceeing, and performing. Those who worked alongside him often described him as a one-man whirlwind. In more recent years, he partnered with staff at the Queen City Clubhouse to continue growing the show. The 2025 Mental Health Talent Show of America was its most successful yet, drawing a standing-room-only audience, media attention, and generating funds to support the event's future.

Diagnosed with mental illness after a severe head injury, Chaz navigated many challenges yet lived more than three decades in recovery. Advocacy was not something he spoke about in the abstract. It was how he lived. His work extended beyond the talent show to speaking engagements at conferences hosted by NAMI Ohio and the national NAMI organization. He was a longtime member and volunteer with Urban Greater Cincinnati Network on Mental Illness, NAMI Ohio, and NAMI Southwest Ohio. Chaz also participated in programs at Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services, IKRON Cincinnati, the Recovery Center of Hamilton County, and the Queen City Clubhouse.

Chaz will be remembered for his music, his persistence, his generosity of spirit, and his unwavering belief that everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and valued. Though the stage lights have dimmed, his music and message live on in every song shared, every voice encouraged, and every community strengthened by his belief in recovery and possibility.

Celebration of life memorial service for Charles "Chaz" Walker from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.,on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at Queen City Clubhouse, 1501 Madison Road (basement level), Cincinnati, Ohio 45206.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Chaz's name to The Recovery Center of Hamilton County for the Mental Health Talent Show of America, founded by Chaz as a living reminder that recovery is real, possible, and worthy of celebration.

We invite you to take a few moments to share fond memories and words of comfort and condolence with the Walker family. Please click the "Tribute Wall" icon above and to the right, enter the information, and click "Save Post."

Walker Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for the Walker family during this difficult time. Please call 513.251.6200 or visit www.HerbWalker.com for additional information.