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Ray Charles.
23 Sept 1930 - 11 June 2004
Think of Ray Charles and very likely the first thing you think of are those trademark dark glasses, a bandage for the eyes that lost their sight from glaucoma at a very young age. Even with the darkened glass, it was evident to anyone who saw, or heard, the music of Ray Charles, that they were in the presence of greatness and that his songs were, in the truest sense, the music of his soul.
The second thing you noticed about Ray Charles was the way he seemed to be a man of perpetual motion, ducking and weaving his head as he performed, as he sat behind a concert piano, or as he conducted an interview. In a way, it seemed like an affectation, a device he'd developed, but I prefer to think of it more as a way for the man to express his sheer joy and his untrammeled enthusiasm for life. He genuinely seemed to enjoy every moment of his time, as a performer, as a pioneer in soul and gospel music as it grew from the secular.
Ray Charles, possibly more than any other performer I care to
think of (well, maybe Sam Cooke excepted) epitomised a spirit
of exploration in contemporary music which is rarely seen. His
style - and it was his own utterly unique style - straddled
so many boundaries that coming up with descriptions for his
music seemed somewhat superfluous. To hear his gravelly but
mellifluous voice told much of his story - the poverty, the
orphan, the dispossessed, the love... as his voice remained
anchored in the simple earthy truth of I Can't Stop Loving
You (his first hit, in 1954) the gospel choir soared in
the refrain, providing a totally compelling argument for the
genius in his music. His compositions were both simple and sophisticated,
complex and yet direct, and as saccharine sweet as they were
biblically inspired. With a forthcoming album of duets, the
music and legacy of Ray Charles will be with us for many years
to come, even though the man himself has departed. Hit the road
Jack...
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