Charles Kernaghan nasceu o 2 de abril de 1948 em Brooklyn, Nova York, Nova Iorque, EUA. Morreu o 1 de junho de 2022 em Manhattan, Nova York, Nova Iorque, EUA.
He thought about becoming a priest, but instead studied psychology, receiving a bachelor's degree from Loyola University Chicago and a master's degree from the New School for Social Research in New York.