Charles “Chilly” Petrus was born in St. Croix U.S.V.I and began drumming at the age of 4. It was clear at an early age that he had inborn rhythm and musical talent. Over his youth, he embraced the bass guitar and ultimately, the keyboards became his instrument of choice.
Upon landing in Minneapolis, Chilly was embraced and incorporated in the local Caribbean music scene. He played and toured with many locally based and international reggae acts including Innocent, Les Exodus, Shangoya and Ipso Facto. He also plays the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago, the Steel Pan in a group with Lance Pollonais called “Pan Dimensions”
Above and beyond his live performances, Chilly runs a recording studio and production company known as “Pepper Productions”. His production credits are numerous and they include a body of work by Ed Robinson entitled “Innocent Man” as well as a jazz tribute to Billie Holiday, “If Only….Billie Unsung”, a project by renowned vocalist Thomasina Petrus.