Ray Charles and Country Music

Larry Miller · Post by **Larry Miller** » 5 Jul 2002 2:29 pm

I like what he did!

[This message was edited by Larry Miller on 05 July 2002 at 04:07 PM.]

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 5 Jul 2002 3:52 pm

Larry: You should move to Georgia. Every night when PBS signs off, Ray sings his version of Georgia on my mind ! I have listened to it for years and have felt I was home at last.

When I got my first D-12 and had the low end of E9th as 1-3-5-b7-8, I finally had the correct pattern for his What'd I Say. It goes 1-5-b7-8 first in the I chord and then repeats in the IV and V positions. I felt proud to finally be able to play something exactly as Ray did.

Thank you for bringing up a subject I Like to talk about. I don't have a lot of info on him but I know I like what he does and what he did for country when country wasn't cool.

Beats worrying about WWBP !

Regards, Paul

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 6 Jul 2002 7:04 am

Well, Larry. Looks like it just me and you !! I could have sworn he sold more records than just our two.......

Regards, Paul

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 6 Jul 2002 9:32 am

Ray is gathering material for a new country CD as we speak.Last week I played on a song demo for his producer w/the understanding that if Ray uses the tune,I get to play on the real track.I can't tell you how many times in my "career" I've been promised things like that but I've got a good feeling about this one. Hey - even a blind squirrel finds a few acorns.... -MJ-

Chris Forbes · Post by **Chris Forbes** » 6 Jul 2002 9:33 am

make it three

Chris Forbes · Post by **Chris Forbes** » 6 Jul 2002 9:34 am

oops!! maybe four?

Larry Miller · Post by **Larry Miller** » 6 Jul 2002 9:50 am

Michael, Good Luck to you, I hope you get the studio gig!! Paul, Ray singing "I Can't Stop Loving You" is pretty righteous! At the time, on a worldwide basis, how many were drawn in to the country sound?

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 6 Jul 2002 10:07 am

Very cool Michael.

Ray is genre of his own. Just like I don't think of Willie as country (or whatever project he may be working at any given time), it's just Willie---same with Ray. Ain't R&B, ain't soul, ain't country. Just Ray. Oh yeah!

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 6 Jul 2002 4:09 pm

Jon - Take a listen to the Offenders Reunion CD(w/Jimmy Day) and Country Favorites, Willie Nelson Style, with the Texas Troubadours (circa Charlton/Rhodes), and I'll bet you change your mind about how 'country' Willie 'isn't'!

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 6 Jul 2002 5:36 pm

Yo Steve. Point taken, for sure, but I hope my post isn't taken wrong. Of course Willie does country. But no matter what he is doing, if someone asks me "what would you call that?" my answer is "Willie". And the same goes for Ray. An original. An American treasure. Anyone else else that creates his own category?

John Steele (deceased) · Post by **John Steele (deceased)** » 7 Jul 2002 12:28 am

Jon, my friend,
It's taken me several years of waiting, but I've finally come across a Jon Light quotation I can't agree with.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
ain't soul
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ha ! Depends on your definitions, I guess.
-John

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 7 Jul 2002 4:38 am

Yeah, Jon do say some stoopid stuff. Meant to say "isn't soul". :>)

(<: Actually, to nail this down, meant to say "ain't Soul" with a capital S (as in 'category' in the record bin.) It's Ray with a capital R. But yeah, what's the common factor in guys like these?

<marquee behavior="alternate" scrolldelay="100">SOUL</marquee>

[This message was edited by Jon Light on 07 July 2002 at 05:42 AM.]

Gary Carriger · Post by **Gary Carriger** » 7 Jul 2002 8:02 am

One of my favorite musical memories - several years back I saw a TV show that had Ray Charles and Barbra Streisand on. They did a duet of "Crying Time Again". Wonderful. Ray is a favorite of mine - and so is she.
Gary

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 7 Jul 2002 8:16 am

been listening to Ray all morning...
y'know there's a 4-cd boxset of all his country material.

others that fit in the "category of their own" category?

Dylan
Gram
Jerry
Buddy
Curly
Vassar
Steely Dan?

[This message was edited by scott murray on 07 July 2002 at 09:18 AM.]

scott murray · Post by **scott murray** » 7 Jul 2002 2:01 pm

RC & BE