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Damn it.
Ray was one of those people that I always wanted to see in concert but just never thought enough about it when the time came around. He even was scheduled to appear in NYC at BB King's Club sometime this summer, but it turned out that the shows were cancelled anyway due to failing health.
I'm at a loss for words. It's impossible to overemphasize what an influence Ray Charles has been in the music world. His unbelievable piano playing, that unmistakable voice, those unforgettable songs. I know that whenever I think of "America The Beautiful," it's his voice that comes to mind. After 9/11, they played his version on the radio, all across the nation, at the very same moment. I tend to think that patriotic songs err on the cheesy side. But not when Ray's voice was behind it. Every note, every ad-lib - from when he sang "God done shed his grace on thee" to when he answered the line "and crown thy good" with "he told me he would!" I get chills just thinking about it.
Think about "(Night Time Is) The Right Time." You may not think you know this song, but you probably do. The Cosby family sang it at the end of one of their seasons, doing the skit on the staircase for the grandparents. Rudy sang the female "BABY!" part.
Think about "Hallelujah I Love Her So." I plan on having that played during my wedding. The joy in his voice is infectious. Or the exquisite "Georgia On My Mind." Ray made every single note count, and his heart and soul was behind every breath he took.
He enjoyed a renaissance (not that he ever really went away) with the Diet Pepsi "You got the right one baby, uh huh" commercials in the early '90s. Those commercials were insufferable, but even when Ray was hawking soda, you knew he was diggin' it.
My absolute favorite Ray song, although it's hard to pick just one, is "One Mint Julip." Seek it out. It's an instrumental and it's a smokin' piece of jazz/soul.
Even as his health was failing, he vowed to get back on the stage. He showed up at a recent event at the end of April in a wheelchair. Speaking softly into the microphone, he said, "I'm a little weak now, but I'm gonna get stronger." I believed him 100%. And even now, I think the only reason he left us is because he was ready to go.
Rest in Peace, Ray Charles. The music flowed from your heart into the world, and we are so lucky to have been there to accept it. You will never - ever - be forgotten.
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You have to laugh at yourself...because you'd cry your eyes out if you didn't. - Emily Saliers
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