" I was born with music inside me. That's the only explanation I know '
The story I'm about to tell is that of an artist who has made history, one of the biggest artists, the history of music has ever known. One of the pioneers of the Soul, one of those names that everyone has heard at least once. I am speaking of a Genius. Yes, because it is so che lo riconoscono tutti. Mi riferisco ovviamente a Ray Charles.
Giusto per avere idea di che personaggio sia Ray Charles, basti pensare che è stato inserito al 2° posto della classifica dei 100 migliori artisti ogni epoca dell’autorevole Rolling Stone, nel 2008, davanti a mostri sacri della musica come Marvin Gaye, Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Bob Dylan e John Lennon. Secondo “solo” a sua maestà Lady Soul, Aretha Franklin.
Ray Charles Robinson nasce nel 1930 ad Albany in una povera famiglia. Appena nato si trasferisce a Greenville, Florida. Abbandonato da suo padre quando era neonato, a soli 5 anni Ray assiste impotente alla morte del suo fratellino George, annegato in una tinozza piena d’acqua. Evento questo che segnerà per sempre la personalità di Ray che si sente colpevole dell’accaduto. Soffrirà per quasi tutta la vita di allucinazioni e fobie legate all’annegamento del povero George. Sempre in questi anni, il piccolo Ray inizia ad avere problemi con la vista, che lo porteranno alla cecità completa all’età di 7 anni. In realtà nemmeno lo stesso Ray conosce le cause del suo handicap. I medici allora gli diagnosticarono un glaucoma, secondo altri fu un’infezione.
Iniziò quindi a frequentare school for the blind until the death of his mother. He moved later to Jacksonville, where he performed for $ 4 at night in small clubs. Then he played for the Florida Playboys, and this time Ray started wearing dark glasses created by Billy Stickles.
It shows in Seattle, where he moved in 1947. Here his performance attracted the attention of a small record label that offers him a contract, the Downbeat / Swingtime issuing the first ever single by Ray Charles in 1949 that I Love, I Love You (I Will Never Let You Go). In the same year will come Confession Blues, How Long Blues and many more singles until 1951 when he took the first important results Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand. During this time he meets Ahmet Ertegun that makes him sign a contract to Atlantic Records. Under Board of record changes his stage name Ray Charles in order to avoid confusion with boxer Ray Robinson.
Early work with the Atlantic, such as past successes, they are good but lack that touch of originality that would make unique pieces. The musical style reminiscent of Nat "King" Cole and Charles Brown, which would have bored the public given the lack of originality and feeling "heard" that would spread.
Nel 1953 lo stesso Ahmet Ertegün, quindi, gli propone Mess Around, un brano scritto da Lui stesso. Ritmo travolgente e grande energia che fanno del brano una hit assoluta che scala le classifiche! È il primo grande successo del nostro Ray che nel 1954 supererà di gran lunga il successo di Mess Around con la spettacolare e pluricampionata I Got A Woman che spopola letteralmente in tutti gli Stati Uniti. Questo storico pezzo è stato scritto dallo stesso Ray, ispiratosi ad un pezzo dalle sonorità tipiche degli stati del Sud che spesso Ray ascoltava in radio. Ed è insieme a Renald Richard, suo trombettista che scrivono questo pezzo, sulle note di un frenetico gospel e sonorità rhytm and blues. Non mancarono le criticism from religious communities who saw desecrated their sound, typical of sacred songs. Especially since the text mentions women. Already women. One aspect of the life of Ray Charles, who greatly influenced his career and his musical choices. In his life, Ray was married only twice, but he had twelve children by seven different wives.
His story is probably the most important dating back to the most prosperous period of his career, along with Della Beatrice Howard Ray was very helpful in developing his own musical identity. Many, however, were his lovers including Margie Hendricks who was one of three Raelettes , il trio di coriste reclutate da Ray stesso per dare una seconda voce ai suoi pezzi. Scelta che si rivelò azzeccata come non mai dato che qualche anno dopo tutte le radio trasmettevano l’originalissima e per certi versi divertente What’d I Say . Intro di basso unica, quasi rivoluzionaria dato che fu uno dei primi singoli rhytm and blues ad affermarsi nelle classifiche pop ottenendo un successo spropositato. What’d I Say è al decimo posto nella classifica di Rolling Stone delle 500 canzoni più belle di sempre! Il fato volle che questo pezzo non era programmato e non era nemmeno nella testa di chi l’avrebbe suonato quella sera, probabilmente a Brownsville, Pennsylvania. Uno show terminato too soon, and that Ray was forced to improvise and make room for all his musical genius. Among the first bars we find the influence of boogie-woogie, then switch to the blues in 12 measures, a series of riffs followed by percussion, with parts of the gospel Raelettes with Ray on the following famous lines (ooohhhh, Oooohhhh, ....) or in the chorus when, as he improvised, seems to ask: "Tell Me What'd I Say" (Tell me what to say!) and then moans with sexual innuendo, in a question-and-forth between Ray and fast-paced chorus that listening to him, you will hardly stand still!
What'd I Say fu il primo brano rhytm and blues a sfondare nelle charts pop e questo segnò la diffusione del soul in un pubblico più universale. Quasi come un puzzle, la missione di the Genius si stava compiendo: aveva tastato il terreno con I Got A Woman , “ profanando il gospel ” e ora con What’d I Say aveva cambiato le carte in tavola ottenendo un disco d’oro e influenzando tutta la storia del blues, e del rock and roll.
La sua fama è ormai alle stelle e arriva il momento per i cambiamenti. Firma infatti un contratto con la ABC Records . We are in 1959. They begin the golden years for Ray dominating the charts R & B United States and abroad! These are the years of Georgia On My Mind , sounding country / blues. An ode to his country of origin, the same state that in 1961 sent him away forever, when he refused to play for an audience, to Augusta, Georgia purely racist. These are the years of racial segregation and Ray with his gesture from a blow to the rights movement of African Americans.
Also in 61, new single, new success! Hit The Road Jack , written by Percy Mayfield, on top of the charts thanks to Ray and Raelettes that " dialogue" here beautifully in this piece. In subsequent years there will be Unchain My Heart, You Do not Know Me, You Are My Sunshine, Do not Set Me Free and many other successes.
1962, released " Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music" album country as one intuits from the title that became one of the best selling of all States! With this album also entered the country music charts in the national! Ray Charles was always very fond of this genre of music having grown up in the rural south, often listening to songs like e. It was not that Ray loved country music, as the stories told, stories about love tormented, broken hearts and feeling misunderstood. In subsequent years, other works published country met with good success.
Like all geniuses, Ray Charles also had problems. I am not referring to his blindness, but heroin use, since the days of Seattle. Over the years it became more and more dominated by drugs until he was first arrested in Indianapolis, then to Boston and in serious danger of going to jail. At this point he began to detox in a clinic at St. Francis of recovery. Ray came out regenerated.
On March 7, 1979, the General Assembly of Georgia apologized to Ray Charles post-conflict civil rights and in April of that year Georgia On My Mind became the official state song.
In the 80's musical production of Ray Charles is so intense as in previous years, but unfortunately are not up to the production of the 60 and 70. To re-launch and have also appreciated by a younger audience, plays the part of Ray-old seller of musical instruments in the movie The Blues Brothers (1980), and performs in Shake Your Tailfeather. In 1985 invece partecipa al progetto USA for Africa cantando una parte importante nella We Are The World con Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie e soci.
Non vi ho parlato della discografia di Ray Charles. Ho preferito focalizzare i singoli successi anche perché la produzione discografica di Ray è davvero infinita, conta ben 62 album di cui 7 live dai quali sono stati estratti 127 singoli! Gli ultimi album di Ray da vivo sono datati 2004 e sono “ Live @ The Olimpia ”, registrato nel 2000; “ Ray Charles Celebrates a Gospel Christmas With the Voices of Jubilation”, Christmas album and "Genius Loves Company" album featuring with major artists such as Elton John, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, BB King, and many others that brings Ray topped the charts, much to win as many as 8 on grammy 10 nominations, including album of the year! " Genius Loves Company" was released August 31, 2004, two months after the death of our genius. In fact, Ray died June 10 at his home in Beverly Hills, surrounded by his family and his closest friends. To kill him with liver cancer. He was 73 years.
October of that year came "Ray" biopic about the life of Ray Charles, very introspective and deep. The spectacular and perfect interpretation of Jamie Foxx in the role of Ray Charles won him the Oscar for Best Actor. A must see!
Very few artists can boast a production similar to that of Ray Charles, not so much the number of albums, but the milestones that we got from the late 50 and the mid-70s. A unique voice, warm and passionate. Unmistakable. His movements and his way of playing the piano like no another made it an icon, one of the greatest ever exponents of soul music and beyond. Ray was a model and inspiration for many young musicians who have followed the winds of innovation brought by the same Ray giving us a priceless musical heritage that deserves to be handed down to all generations.
Yayo
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