phatman Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 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.Charles died at his Beverly Hills home surrounded by family and friends, said spokesman Jerry Digney.Charles' last public appearance was alongside Clint Eastwood on April 30, when the city of Los Angeles designated the singer's studios, built 40 years ago in central Los Angeles, as a historic landmark.Blind by age 7 and an orphan at 15, Charles spent his life shattering any notion of musical boundaries and defying easy definition. A gifted pianist and saxophonist, he dabbled in country, jazz, big band and blues, and put his stamp on it all with a deep, warm voice roughened by heartbreak from a hardscrabble childhood in the segregated South."His sound was stunning -- it was the blues, it was R&B, it was gospel, it was swing -- it was all the stuff I was listening to before that but rolled into one amazing, soulful thing," singer Van Morrison told Rolling Stone magazine in April.Charles won nine of his 12 Grammy Awards between 1960 and 1966, including the best R&B recording three consecutive years ("Hit the Road Jack," "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "Busted").His versions of other songs are also well known, including "Makin' Whoopee" and a stirring "America the Beautiful." Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell wrote "Georgia on My Mind" in 1931 but it didn't become Georgia's official state song until 1979, long after Charles turned it into an American standard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solbeam Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funks0ul Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 aww Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahn Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatman Posted June 10 Author Report Share Posted June 10 ...maybe now we can get monday off too....jk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahn Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 ...maybe now we can get monday off too....I'd rather have a day off in remembrance of Ray Charles than Ronald Reagan.......just my opinion........................ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatman Posted June 10 Author Report Share Posted June 10 ...and i would agree..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyshady Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 I feel so young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funks0ul Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 I'd rather have a day off in remembrance of Ray Charles than Ronald Reagan.......just my opinion........................ditto... one of my favorites man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgym Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 I'd rather have a day off in remembrance of Ray Charles than Ronald Reagan.......just my opinion........................i concur Damn, this sucks. I always liked Ray Charles.I know this may not be appropriate, but right away i thought of that picture that dg posted a while back. hey, Ray wouldn't want us to be too somber. May you enjoy the next life and those to come, Ray!!! You're in a better place now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahn Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 I feel so young.aren't you?or is it that I'm too old....heh....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghhhhhost Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 i bet ray and red fox r smokin a phat one up in heaven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystify Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 I feel so dumb -- This girl at work goes "Ray Charles died" and like all sad..I'm all "who the heck is Ray Charles?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fliptoniaaa Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 now today we have truly lost a legend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! mr charles was truly an ambassador of good times!!!!!!!!! he took what was given to him in this world, and not only triumphed gracefully, but in the process he managed to entertain million do in what just came naturally to him!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my condolenses to his family, and may he rest in peace!!!!!!!!!!!!!his music still lives on...i think i will rock his music for the rest of the day just in comemoration!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgmodel Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 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.Charles died at his Beverly Hills home surrounded by family and friends, said spokesman Jerry Digney.Charles' last public appearance was alongside Clint Eastwood on April 30, when the city of Los Angeles designated the singer's studios, built 40 years ago in central Los Angeles, as a historic landmark.Blind by age 7 and an orphan at 15, Charles spent his life shattering any notion of musical boundaries and defying easy definition. A gifted pianist and saxophonist, he dabbled in country, jazz, big band and blues, and put his stamp on it all with a deep, warm voice roughened by heartbreak from a hardscrabble childhood in the segregated South."His sound was stunning -- it was the blues, it was R&B, it was gospel, it was swing -- it was all the stuff I was listening to before that but rolled into one amazing, soulful thing," singer Van Morrison told Rolling Stone magazine in April.Charles won nine of his 12 Grammy Awards between 1960 and 1966, including the best R&B recording three consecutive years ("Hit the Road Jack," "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "Busted").His versions of other songs are also well known, including "Makin' Whoopee" and a stirring "America the Beautiful." Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell wrote "Georgia on My Mind" in 1931 but it didn't become Georgia's official state song until 1979, long after Charles turned it into an American standard.damn, no ray charles memorabilia... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainpec Posted June 11 Report Share Posted June 11 Shit I didn't see this in the news today...Wait, pardon the pun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reeni Posted June 11 Report Share Posted June 11 Shit I didn't see this in the news today...Wait, pardon the pun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgmodel Posted June 11 Report Share Posted June 11 I feel so dumb -- This girl at work goes "Ray Charles died" and like all sad..I'm all "who the heck is Ray Charles?" lmao... my friend was at some restaurant and the waiter goes thats john mayers brother... (or something like that) and my friend goes "who the fuck is john mayer~!?" lmao... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamsamurai Posted June 11 Report Share Posted June 11 Sad how people dont know who Ray Charles is, guy was great and an inspiration. Modern day beethoven me thinks.I remember first time I saw him and heard him was in the original Blues Brothers movie, he was great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepspell Posted June 11 Report Share Posted June 11 wasnt he a big heroin addict back in the day? anywhoo....god rest his soulr.i.p. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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