Music legend Ray Charles dies at 73

[911SC Pilot]

Music legend Ray Charles dies at 73


BREAKING NEWS
The Associated Press
Updated: 3:40 p.m. ET June 10, 2004BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Ray Charles, the Grammy-winning crooner who blended gospel and blues in such crowd-pleasers as “What’d I Say” and heartfelt ballads like “Georgia on My Mind,” died Thursday, a spokesman said. He was 73.

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Charles died surrounded by family and friends, said spokesman Jerry Digney.

[singpilot]

That is sad news.

[RickM]

Thanks for the news. He is a legend.

[tabs]

Was he driving his car at the time?

[nostatic]

rip Ray.

From the LA Times:

His first big hit was 1959's "What'd I Say," a song built off a simple piano riff with suggestive moaning from the Raeletts. Some U.S. radio stations banned the song, but Charles was on his way to stardom.

Veteran producer Jerry Wexler, who recorded "What'd I Say," said he has worked with only three geniuses in the music business: Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin and Charles.

"In each case they brought something new to the table," Wexler told the San Jose Mercury News in 1994. Charles "had this blasphemous idea of taking gospel songs and putting the devil's words to them. ... He can take a gem from Tin Pan Alley or cut to the country, but he brings the same root to it, which is black American music."

Charles released "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Volumes 1 and 2" in the early '60s, a big switch from his gospel work. It included "Born to Lose," "Take These Chains From My Heart (And Set Me Free)" and "I Can't Stop Loving You," some of the biggest hits of his career.

He made it a point to explore each medium he took on. Country sides were sometimes pop-oriented, while fiddle, mandolin, banjo and steel guitar were added to "Wish You Were Here Tonight" in the '80s. Jones even wrote a choral and orchestral work for Charles to perform with the Roanoke, Va., symphony.

Charles' last Grammy came in 1993 for "A Song for You," but he never dropped out of the music scene. He continued to tour and long treasured time for chess. He once told the Los Angeles Times: "I'm not Spassky, but I'll make it interesting for you."

"Music's been around a long time, and there's going to be music long after Ray Charles is dead," he told the Washington Post in 1983. "I just want to make my mark, leave something musically good behind. If it's a big record, that's the frosting on the cake, but music's the main meal."

[Moses]

Maybe one of my favorite performers of all time. I saw him a few years ago at the Wente winery. He was magical. He would switch from jazz to blues to gospel them kill you with a redo of a Beatles classic that made you forget the original. Amazing man.

[techweenie]

What a legacy.

Ray Charles is a music immortal.

[Superman]

When Old Glory was touring the states on display, the flag would only appear for a few moments at a time because of its condition and the effect of lights on its ongoing deterioration. But for a few moments, there it was. Old Glory. And the really mean trick that the promoters came up with was the playing of Clarles' "America the Beautiful" during these various unveilings. If you could stand there and look at Old Glory, with Ray Charles singing "America the Beautiful" and not cry, you are either not a human, or not a patriot, or both.

The man had more soul in his armpit hairs than most artists will ever even understand. RIP, Ray. And thank you.

[RickC]

Introduced my smallest kids to his music during dinner last night. Should have done it earlier...... A great man.

[Moses]

Originally posted by Superman
If you could stand there and look at Old Glory, with Ray Charles singing "America the Beautiful" and not cry, you are either not a human, or not a patriot, or both.

Makes me wonder if it's time to change the national anthem.

[Superman]

Sure. How 'bout that ol' Woody Guthrie tune?

[Schuey]

"oh, it's crying time again...your gonna leave me..."

gotta love Ray...