Ray Charles was the man...
 

What a devastating version of this song

YouTube - Ray Charles - Live Paris -1968 -Yesterday

And 31 years later

YouTube - yesterday - Ray Charles live in Milano

Yes sir, was and still is!!!!

I was never a fan of Ray Charles's music because I was always so frustrated. There are moments when he lets his playing and his extraordinary voice shine through the accoutrements, but I'm often put off by the the horns, the Raylettes, and his lyric improvisation. To me they cover up the real genius. So the 1968 version didn't do much for me. But the first 4 minutes of the Milan performance - wow. Clear, clean, just his voice and his piano. Just ... wow.
I would LOVE to find a version of Ray singing "You Don't Know Me" that was just his voice and his piano.
While I'm on the subject, why couldn't Keely Smith have recorded Stormy Weather without all the strings and crap behind her? What a voice, what a song. sorry - just rambling.

In 1980 I was working on the line in the main kitchen of the Arizona Biltmore. Ray Charles was performing in the Conference Center . Either before or after his performance he was being escorted the backway thru the kitchen by an aide. I didnt know he was performing and was just startled when I saw him. I knew who he was right away. I turned to the other cooks on the line and blurted out " Hey its Ray charles!" he kept walking, looked around, laughed and said " Yes it is! ".

Thanks. Everything's all blurry.

I hate this. I have a YouTube addiction and this thread just knocked me off the wagon. I started with Ray Charles, went to Keely Smith, Jo Stafford, Dusty Springfield, Solomon Burke, Leslie Gore, The Ronettes, The Pozo Seco Singers, Phil Oches, Gordon Lightfoot, Cowboy Junkies, Lighnin' Hopkins, it's three hours later and I'm listening to Townes Van Zant singing Pancho and Lefty and I don't know why - and those are just the ones I remember AND I CAN'T STOP! I need an intervention.

My brother is named for Ray.

Used to go see him live with my father.

A true genius.

His rendition of America the Beautiful should be our official national anthem.

Let it be.

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I can't think of anything the Beatles did that was better recorded by another artist except for "Yesterday" and "Let it Be". Ray Charles has done a breathtaking job on both!

Thats why they gave Jamie Fox the Oscar for portraying him in "Ray". He was... as we all are... a complex and ever evolving man and yet Jamie still nailed it. Man no disrespect, but Jamie actually became Ray for an instant in that movie.

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And one of my favorites..
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And living in the south, this one is close to home...
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Well yeah..... and you just discovered this? One of my favorite Ray stories is that he always demanded to be paid in singles so he knew just how much was there. Smart man, but like all us musicians he has had his demons. Seems to come with the turf.