Ray Charles RIP

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 9:38 pm

Very sad news. Ray Charles was a very fine singer and musician who was hugely important to the way I play and think about music, whatever the style. He wasn't the first to bring gospel music to the dance halls but he was the first to build a career out of that. As a child, his LP Yes Indeed was one of the first I ever bought.

I can't give a favourite tune. Of his later songs, 'Georgia on My Mind' stands out as the definitive version of that song. Of his earlier Atlantics I'd have to mention 'Mess Around', 'Greenbacks', 'Lonely Avenue', 'Drown in My Own Tears', 'Get on the Right Track' and 'I Believe to My Soul.'

Before he found his own voice with Atlantic, he made a lot of records in the late '40s and early '50's as one of the countless Nat King Cole imitators around at the time. These are perfectly decent records which would be more collectible if he hadn't found a different and more appealing voice later. I don't know if it's still around but there was a 3 CD box set of his Atlantic R&B sides which is just stunning.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 10:43 pm

Ray Charles was that rare individual who successfully transcended modern popular music's lines of "genre" and had very solid music on various charts. In that, he was a genius.

Darwin · Post by **Darwin** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 11:47 pm

One of my favorites was "(Night Time is) the Right Time", the original version on Atlantic, with Margie Hendricks and the Raylettes singing backup. They did a very neat lip-sync to that version on the Crosby show.

I think he played sax on "Frenesi" on the same album. Some other great ones that haven't been mentioned yet are "God Bless the Child" ("Them That's Got"), "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town", "How Long Blues", "Baby Please Don't Go", and "Ruby".

He helped Stevie Wonder get started, too, back in the early '60s.

The first time I ever ran across the term sui generis, it was being applied to Ray Charles.

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 4:13 am

It gives me goose bumps to hear him sing the phrase "God shed his grace on thee."

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 5:48 am

Ray Charles left a legacy of music for the present and future generations of music lovers. He brought happiness to hearts and shook a lot of legs. Thanks, Mr. Charles.
Mike

Eamonn · Post by **Eamonn** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 10:54 am

I'll miss you Ray. The music you left for us will be cherished- shake 'em up in heaven.

Pat Cannady · Post by **Pat Cannady** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 1:00 pm

fancypiper wrote:
Did Mozart do drugs?

I wouldn't be surprised, he drank like a fish, took snuff and Vienna would have been exposed to such delights as opium (in the form of laudanum), coca, and hashish. The boomers didn't invent it, folks.

Anyway my favorite memory of Ray is his entire cameo in The Blues Brothers with the big "Shake a Tail Feather" number. Awesome stuff. He was having such a blast.

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 1:17 pm

Hah! I had forgotten about laudanum.

That reminds me. They outlawed paragoric (extract of opium, I think that was) when my second son was born, so I had to listen to a lot of crying when his teeth came in.

A drop on your finger, rub gum where tooth was about to erupt and it was instant relief for my eldest.

It was the best stuff I ever saw to ease dihrheaah (what?? the scours, we called it when the cows got it) cramps. 1 TBS would do it for me, at least.

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 1:19 pm

Pat Cannady wrote:Anyway my favorite memory of Ray is his entire cameo in The Blues Brothers with the big "Shake a Tail Feather" number. Awesome stuff. He was having such a blast.

Yeah. "Ain't nothing wrong with the action on this piano, boy!"

Awesome. The guy could play an acoustic piano, Rhodes, Hammond organ, all with the same competence. And he could take any old song and make it something special.

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 3:50 pm

What kind of whistle did he play?

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 5:04 pm

Its really too bad that Ray Charles' passing was almost lost in the Reagan State Funeral Games. For me, his passing was more of a loss than that of a 16-year-gone former president and he should have had more of a chance to be properly mourned.

Its hard to think of another musician in the last century who influenced so many musical genres and through them touched so many different people around the World.

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 5:14 pm

More great musicians with lots of influence off the top of my head:
Coletrain (SP?)? Hendrix? Benny Goodman? Elvis? Sachmo? Paddy Moloney? Davy Spillaine? Rufus Hartley?

docrrnmwp · Post by **docrrnmwp** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 8:48 pm

My wife & I were fortunate to have seen & heard Ray at an outdoor concert at the Masson Vineyards in Saratoga, CA about 20 years ago. What a talent! He did "Georgia On My Mind" as an encore & there was thunderous applause, as there should have been.

Since then, "Georgia" has been on of my all-time favorites by him. (A.T.B. is the other.) I heard today that in 4/2004 Ray recorded a duet album with Willie Nelson. I hope to buy it when the CD comes out.

Dan ("docrrnmwp")

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 8:19 am

FJohnSharp wrote:What kind of whistle did he play?

Fender

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 9:53 am

[quote="fancypiper"]More great musicians with lots of influence off the top of my head:
Coletrain (SP?)? Hendrix? Benny Goodman? Elvis? Sachmo? Paddy Mol
oney? Davy Spillaine? Rufus Hartley?[/quote

OK, I Have a funny feeling that I am about to walk right into it here but who is Rufus Hartley?

In passing, I think that one of the many things we owe Ray Charles is that he showed the world that Country music has a whole lot of soul and slow burning passion ( Your Cheatin' Heart). Who would have thought that such a sensual track started out as a typical tearjerkin'cowboy song?
Slan,
D.

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Ray Charles RIP

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