Charlie Smalls was born on October 25, 1943, in Queens, New York. A musical prodigy, he began playing music at the age of five and quickly demonstrated his talent by earning a scholarship to the Henry Street Settlement at age six. By age 11, he entered the Juilliard School of Music, where he studied until 1961. Smalls graduated from the High School of Performing Arts in 1961 and subsequently served in the Air Force Band until 1963.

He worked as a musical director at New York clubs such as "Improvisation" and "The Scene" in the mid-1960s and toured with Harry Belafonte in Europe. Smalls also made contributions to film, composing the theme for John Cassavetes's 1968 film "Faces" and writing for Hugh Masekela's 1966 album. He appeared in an episode of "The Monkees" in 1968.

Smalls is best known for composing and writing the lyrics for the Broadway musical "The Wiz," an African-American retelling of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," which premiered in 1974. The show was a critical and commercial success, earning him two Tony Awards and a Drama Desk Award in 1975, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Cast Show Album in 1976. He also composed the score for the 1976 film "Drum" and the 1978 film adaptation of "The Wiz."

In 1981, Smalls won another Grammy Award for "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music On Broadway." At the time of his death, he was working on a new musical, "Miracles," based on H.G. Wells's "The Man Who Could Work Miracles."

Charlie Smalls passed away on August 27, 1987, in Belgium at the age of 43 due to complications from a burst appendix. Despite his untimely death, his contributions to music and theater continue to influence and inspire.