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Thursday, June 10, 2004
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BROTHER RAY 1930-2004
One of my heroes died today. As much as I admire politics and those who practice it, if I had a choice between being the King, Queen and Jack of everyone in politics and having the voice of Ray Charles, I'd take the voice.
I saw Ray Charles in 1992 at the old Ontario Place Forum and I thought, that for two hours, that I was in the same room as the Voice of God. Ray Charles possessed the only voice that has ever brought tears to my eyes.
He was the most beautiful singer I've ever heard and, from everything I've heard, he was a beautiful man.
If you don't love Ray Charles, then you've never heard You Don't Know Me, Drown In My Own Tears, Georgia On My Mind or his magnificent version of America The Beautiful.
If you can listen to any of those songs and not fall in love with Ray Charles, you were born wrong.
To me, Ray Charles embodies everything that is great about America. He was born in the 1930's in the viciously segregated South. He was blinded at the age of 7 and orphaned at the age of 15. But by the virtue of his unbelievably incredible talent, Ray became wealthy beyond his own dreams and sang for presidents. You can hear the gratitude in his voice on God Bless America.
If there is a God, I hope that he holds Brother Ray close right now.
Ray Charles Robinson 1930-2004
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