Chuck Mead is best known for being a founding member of the Grammy nominated and CMA Award winning 90s country group BR5-49. He is also a renowned songwriter, record producer, music director, and one of the leading characters of the Global Neo-Traditional Country Music movement.

Originally from Lawrence, Kansas, he cut his teeth playing in his family's country band in the 70s before forming his own band Homestead Grays in the 1980s. Living in a college town and close to Kansas City, Chuck was exposed to a huge variety of music from Country, Rock n Roll, Blues, Jazz, Pop, and Reggae. At different points all of these influences reveal themselves in his music and set him at the forefront of what has come to be known as Americana Music for over 30 years. Both with BR5-49 and as a solo artist Mead has built and indelible bridge between authentic American Roots music and millions of fans worldwide.

Along with BR's seven albums, he has released four critically acclaimed solo albums, and made over 200 guest appearances on the famed Grand Ole Opry. 2009's Journeyman's Wager, Chuck's first solo effort, produced by famed producer Ray Kennedy (Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams), was an electric collection of diverse songs entirely consisting of co-written material. His second solo album, Back at the Quonset Hut was recorded in the newly reopened Quonset Hut Studio which was the first studio established on Nashville's famed Music Row and reunited him with BR5-49 producer Mike Janas. The record features collaborations with Nashville's “A Team” musicians (Harold Bradley, Bob Moore, Hargus “Pig” Robbins, Buddy Spicher) and duets with Old Crow Medicine Show, Bobby Bare, Elizabeth Cook, and Jamey Johnson on classic country songs many of which were originally recorded at the legendary studio. NPR's Ken Tucker described Chuck's songwriting on the 2014 solo release Free State Serenade as “impressively adroit.” Produced by Joe Pisapia (Ben Folds, KD Lang), Free State Serenade is a collection of songs that tell stories of Mead's home state of Kansas. Although he lives in Nashville, Mead has a deep connection to Memphis which led to him recording his fourth solo album, 2019's Close to Home at the Sam Phillips Recording Studio with Matt Ross-Spang producing. In 2024 he released a single co-written with Marty Stuart called “Lonely Boy” that has a sound that has been described as “The Who on hay bales.” Also the same year, he participated in a project that paid tribute to his friend Kevn Kinney recording a version of the classic Drivin' & Cryin' song “Paid in Full.”

He also co-produced with legendary bass player Dave Roe critically acclaimed tribute albums to Johnny Cash & Waylon Jennings, working with such artists as Guy Clark, Raul Malo, John Doe, Dave Alvin, Carlene Carter, and Rodney Crowell. Mead's production credits include Americana Country artists The Shootouts, and Swiss Country Music artist Florian Fox.

In 2008 Chuck became Music Director/Supervisor for the Tony Award winning Broadway hit musical Million Dollar Quartet crafting the arrangements of the classic songs of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash for not only the Broadway show but for the Chicago, Las Vegas, West End, and National Tour versions as well. In 2016 he was the music director/supervisor for the CMT television adaptation of MDQ called Sun Records working with famed Oscar nominated film director Roland Joffe. In 2021 he became the music producer for the country music film Neon Highway that starred Beau Bridges. Also in 2021, Mead developed the sequel to MDQ called Million Dollar Quartet Christmas.

Since 2019, Chuck has hosted his own radio show once a month on WSM Radio (650 AM home of the Grand Ole Opry) called Face the Music with Chuck Mead where he interviews interesting music industry people and plays their favorite records.

In 2024 Chuck formed a group with BR5-49 bassist “Smilin'” Jay McDowell, and Joey Simeone, and Chris Sensat of the Bellfuries called The $100 Quartet. In 2026 The Quartet released a single on 45rpm vinyl only called “Givin' the Devil A Try” B/W “Don't Make Me Go Down There.”

Chuck is currently working on new theater productions and a new solo album and can usually been seen the third Thursday of every month at the famed Lower Broadway Honky Tonk Robert's Western World where BR5-49 got their start, or rolling down the road somewhere in the world headed for the next joint.