The former James Brown impersonator, nicknamed "the screaming eagle of soul" released his first album No Time for Dreaming in 2011, aged 62.
He had recently returned to live performance after receiving treatment for stomach cancer late last year.
His death come just two weeks after the remainder of his 2017 tour dates were cancelled due to illness.
Charles Bradley spent much of his life working odd jobs as a handyman - and some of it living on the streets, sleeping in subway cars in New York City.
