REMEMBERING AN ARTIST KNOWN ACROSS SACRAMENTO PUNK ROCK AND ART SCENE. CHARLES THOMAS, BEST KNOWN AS GROUND CHUCK, PASSED AWAY THIS WEEKEND. HE WAS A PUNK MUSICIAN AND CHALK ARTIST WELL KNOWN ACROSS MIDTOWN. LAST NIGHT, THE SACRAMENTO CITY COUNCIL TOOK A MOMENT TO HONOR HIM. TO KNOW HIM WAS TO KNOW HIS KINDNESS, HIS WARMTH AND INCLUSIVITY. THE OUTPOURING OF LOVE FROM HIM, FROM STREET PUNKS TO SOME OF SACRAMENTO’S LEGENDARY BANDS, SHOW JUST HOW MUCH GROUND CHUCK MEANT TO THE CITY AND HOW MUCH HE’LL BE MISSED. KCRA 3’S ANDRES VALLE IS LIVE AFTER SPEAKING WITH HIS CLOSE FRIENDS. YEAH, SO GUYS, A LOT OF PEOPLE DESCRIBED HIM AS A POET, A PUNK ROCKER AND A CHALK ARTIST. NOW HIS CHALK ART WAS INFAMOUS AT THE CHALK IT UP FESTIVAL AS WELL. AND TONIGHT, RIGHT BEHIND ME, A LOT OF PEOPLE GATHERED AT AN OPEN MIC IN ORDER TO HONOR HIM. FOR MANY MOONS AND STARS. A POET TO SOME. FOUND NO LIGHT. NO WHERE TO TURN, AND A ROCKER TO OTHERS. I’VE KNOWN HIM SINCE ABOUT 85. WE PLAYED A LOT OF MUSIC TOGETHER. JUST A GREAT GUY. A CHALK ARTIST TO MANY. HE WAS A CHALK ARTIST, AND HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO DO CHALK ART. CHARLES THOMAS, BEST KNOWN AS GROUND CHUCK, HAS PASSED AWAY, SENDING SHOCKWAVES THROUGH SACRAMENTO’S MUSIC AND ART SCENE. IF HE ONLY HAD LIKE $5 IN HIS POCKET, HE’D BE LIKE, HEY, COME HAVE A COME, HAVE A DRINK WITH ME. MY TREAT. THAT’S KIND OF GUY. HE WAS GENEROUS AND KIND AND SILLY. HIS MOST NOTABLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE LOCAL SCENE CREATING CHALK ART. HIS WORK WAS A STAPLE AT THE CITY’S CHALK IT UP FESTIVAL. CHOCOLATE WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR CHALK IT UP. LONGTIME FRIEND MARCO FUSCO, EMOTIONAL OVER HIS PASSING. I SACRAMENTO TO KNOW THAT YOU LOST A SAINT. YOU KNOW SOMEBODY THAT NEVER SAID A BAD WORD ABOUT ANYBODY? YOU LOST SOMEBODY THAT LOOKED OUT FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE AND KIDS, AND THAT PERSON THAT CAME TO THAT BAR THAT WAS TOTALLY DEPRESSED GROUND. CHUCK WOULD COME UP TO THEM AND MAKE AND TALK TO THEM ALL. THE SPECIES. MARCO, SHARING HIS COLLECTION OF VIDEOS OF GROUND CHUCK FROM THE 80S WITH US. WE ARE IN THE YEAR OF 2025. FLUTES WERE OUTLAWED. TEN YEARS AGO, THE MIDTOWN LOCAL HEAVILY INFLUENCED OTHER ARTISTS IN SACRAMENTO. I’M. I’M ON YOUR SIDE. WE’RE WE’RE ALWAYS RIGHT. FELLOW CREATIVES COMING TOGETHER FOR AN OPEN MIC NIGHT AT MATTY GROVES BREWERY IN HIS HONOR. NO SLEEP TONIGHT. I’LL KEEP ON DRIVING. HOPEFULLY THESE KIDS COMING UP WILL CARRY ON THE TRADITION AND KEEP ROCKING AND CHALKING AND ALL THE. ALL THE STUFF CHUCK LOVED. I KNOW I’M GOING TO SEE HIM WHEN I GET THERE, AND IT HURTS, BUT I’M NOT GOING TO SEE HIM WHEN I WALK DOWN P STREET. LOSING GROUND, CHUCK, IS LIKE LOSING A PART OF OUR HISTORY. YEAH. KEEP ROCKING AND SHOCKING. IT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES THAT WE HEARD FROM HIS FRIENDS TONIGHT. NOW THAT OPEN MIC NIGHT JUST WRAPPED UP RIGHT BEHIND ME. BUT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HIS IMPACT, EVEN THE DEFTONES, YOU KNOW, THE FAMOUS ROCK BAND FROM SACRAMENTO POSTED THIS ONLINE ON THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT HIS PASSING AND SAYING, R.I.P. TO A SACRAMENTO LEGEND. REST EASY GROUND, CHUCK. WE’RE LIVE HERE IN MIDTOWN SACRAMENTO,
Sacramento mourns the loss of punk musician and chalk artist ‘Ground Chuck’
Updated: 10:56 PM PDT Sep 17, 2025
Charles Thomas, known as “Ground Chuck,” has passed away, sending shockwaves through Sacramento’s music and art scene.Friends described him as a poet, punk rocker, and chalk artist, with his chalk art being a staple at the Chalk It Up festival. Many gathered at an open mic night at Mattie Groves Brewery in Midtown to honor his memory. “I’ve known him since about ’85. We played a lot of music together. Just a great guy,” said Monte Bateman, a friend.”He was one of the first people to do chalk art,” said Marco Fuoco, highlighting his pioneering contributions to the local scene.”If he only had, like, $5 in his pocket, he’d be like, Hey, come here. Come have a drink with me. My treat. That’s the kind of guy he was. He was generous and kind and silly,” said Desiree Willson, remembering his generosity.His most notable contribution was creating chalk art, which was a staple at the city’s Chalk It Up festival. “Chuck was the inspiration for Chalk It Up,” said Fuoco.KCRA sat down with longtime friend Marco Fuoco, who expressed his emotions over Chuck’s passing. “I want Sacramento to know that you lost a saint, you know, somebody that never said a bad word about anybody. You lost somebody who looked out for homeless people, kids. And that person who came to the bar was totally depressed, Ground Chuck would come up to them and make them talk to him,” Fuoco said.Fuoco shared his collection of videos of Ground Chuck from the 1980s, reminiscing about their time together. He has a collection of videos of Ground Chuck performing poetry, skits, and music.The Midtown local had a profound influence on other artists in Sacramento, with fellow creatives coming together for an open mic night at Mattie Groves Brewery in his honor. “Hopefully, these kids coming up all carry on the tradition and keep rocking and chalking and all. All the stuff Chuck loved,” said Bateman.”I know I’m going to see him when I get there, and it hurts that I’m not going to see him when I walk down P Street,” said Willson, expressing their sorrow.”Losing Ground Chuck, is like losing a part of our history,” said Fuoco.Sacramento rock band Deftones even posted on their social media about Ground Chuck’s passing, writing, “RIP to a Sacramento legend. Rest easy, Ground Chuck.”See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Charles Thomas, known as “Ground Chuck,” has passed away, sending shockwaves through Sacramento’s music and art scene.
Friends described him as a poet, punk rocker, and chalk artist, with his chalk art being a staple at the Chalk It Up festival. Many gathered at an open mic night at Mattie Groves Brewery in Midtown to honor his memory.
“I’ve known him since about ’85. We played a lot of music together. Just a great guy,” said Monte Bateman, a friend.
“He was one of the first people to do chalk art,” said Marco Fuoco, highlighting his pioneering contributions to the local scene.
“If he only had, like, $5 in his pocket, he’d be like, Hey, come here. Come have a drink with me. My treat. That’s the kind of guy he was. He was generous and kind and silly,” said Desiree Willson, remembering his generosity.
His most notable contribution was creating chalk art, which was a staple at the city’s Chalk It Up festival. “Chuck was the inspiration for Chalk It Up,” said Fuoco.
KCRA sat down with longtime friend Marco Fuoco, who expressed his emotions over Chuck’s passing. “I want Sacramento to know that you lost a saint, you know, somebody that never said a bad word about anybody. You lost somebody who looked out for homeless people, kids. And that person who came to the bar was totally depressed, Ground Chuck would come up to them and make them talk to him,” Fuoco said.
Fuoco shared his collection of videos of Ground Chuck from the 1980s, reminiscing about their time together. He has a collection of videos of Ground Chuck performing poetry, skits, and music.
The Midtown local had a profound influence on other artists in Sacramento, with fellow creatives coming together for an open mic night at Mattie Groves Brewery in his honor. “Hopefully, these kids coming up all carry on the tradition and keep rocking and chalking and all. All the stuff Chuck loved,” said Bateman.
“I know I’m going to see him when I get there, and it hurts that I’m not going to see him when I walk down P Street,” said Willson, expressing their sorrow.
“Losing Ground Chuck, is like losing a part of our history,” said Fuoco.
Sacramento rock band Deftones even posted on their social media about Ground Chuck’s passing, writing, “RIP to a Sacramento legend. Rest easy, Ground Chuck.”
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
