June 10, 2004

Ray Charles, 1930 - 2004

In case you haven't heard, we just lost one of thegreatest of the greats.

Few artists have been so tragically underappreciated as Ray Charles.. he did so much amazing work and had such massive influence on American popular music, but so many of us in the hip-hop generation only know him for the somewhat softer stuff we've been exposed to in his later years (including the Diet Pepsi "Uh Huh" song that Prince wrote for him), and view him as someone might view Stevie if they only knew "I Just Called To Say I Love You," and had never borne witness to the Holy Grail he bestowed upon us from '72 to '77.

Apparently some people are taking tomorrow off to remember some other dude, but I for one will be setting the day aside to honor Ray Charles, one of the 20th century's foremost American heroes.

Here are some links with more about the man:

AP Obituary
AMG Biography - some good insight into his influence.

Please pass on other good links if you come by them, or your own thoughts of course.

Posted by jsmooth995 at June 10, 2004 8:07 PM

Comments

Everybody knows what I'll be doing tomorrow.

Posted by: Bol at June 10, 2004 8:47 PM

Jay i too will do my best to my respects to the late great Ray Charles as opposed to the other republican people may be remembering.

Posted by: Vilens at June 11, 2004 9:51 AM

Yeah man. Ray will be missed. I definitely took a 'punch' when I read that on yahoo yesterday. To bad it'll be overshadowed in the media by news of the Gipper's demise. Ray is definitely under appreciated by those who don't go back. I have one of his records from the early 50's where he alternately plays piano, alto sax, guitar, drums & sings! So versatile. Ray's love and mastery of country music is under the radar as well. what i say.

Posted by: Jesse at June 11, 2004 11:58 AM

I can't wait to be generating money again, as the resident turntable is dead and I can't afford to fix it. I have a few of my mom's Ray Charles' records on vinyl that I'd love to hear right now. One of my favorite childhood memories is traveling with my mom and siblings while listening to Mr. Charles' music. He was an underappreciated national treasure.

Posted by: Eve L. at June 11, 2004 3:32 PM

I'm having my own little Rayfest, keeping the TV off. Just a shame, too young, so great, such a loss...

Posted by: gwen at June 11, 2004 7:36 PM

singers and music composers, like Ray and Frank
Sinatra, were good at their art, very hard workers, and hired many backing musicans.

but, i think they were a little fucked up in
the head, or money went to their head and they
acted like asses sometimes, or all the time?
not sure, but in 1981, both Ray and RAY-GUN,
aka, Reagan the dead prez., were assholes.

"When Ray Charles went in 1981 he was forced to cancel his performance in the black township of Soweto because of strong opposition from the community. US performers who have defied the boycott have come home to criticism and picket lines."

"Artists going to Sun City justify themselves by claiming on the one hand that they are not political and on the other that they are not performing in South Africa but in an independent country. They choose to ignore the fact that Bophuthatswana's in- dependence is entirely unrecognized outside South Africa and is rejected by the majority of South Africans."
http://richardknight.homestead.com/bophuthatswana.html

Posted by: Reagan liked SA.... at June 12, 2004 6:17 PM

I'm pretty sure there is a God... granted grace to the Red Sox to put the screws to the Yankees the way they did, making baseball history and going on to win a World Series!! Gave Boston their greatest win!!! PRETTY SURE THERE IS A GOD... TALK ABOUT AN ANSWERED PRAYER FOR THE TRIED AND TRUE GENERATIONS OF RED SOX FANS!!!

Thank you, God, for this year in baseball that us Red Sox fans (and players) will never forget!!!

I hope none of us never forgets who Daddy really is! (God, of course).

Posted by: Jes at October 31, 2004 4:27 AM


June 10, 2004 Ray Charles, 1930 - 2004 In case you haven't heard, we just lost one of thegreatest of the greats. Few artists have been so tragically underappreciated as Ray Charles.. he did so much amazing work and had such massive influence on American popular music, but so many of us in the hip-hop generation only know him for the somewhat softer stuff we've been exposed to in his later years (including the Diet Pepsi "Uh Huh" song that Prince wrote for him), and view him as someone might view Stevie if they only knew "I Just Called To Say I Love You," and had never borne witness to the Holy Grail he bestowed upon us from '72 to '77. Apparently some people are taking tomorrow off to remember some other dude, but I for one will be setting the day aside to honor Ray Charles, one of the 20th century's foremost American heroes. Here are some links with more about the man: AP Obituary AMG Biography - some good insight into his influence. Please pass on other good links if you come by them, or your own thoughts of course. Posted by jsmooth995 at June 10, 2004 8:07 PM Comments Everybody knows what I'll be doing tomorrow. Posted by: Bol at June 10, 2004 8:47 PM Jay i too will do my best to my respects to the late great Ray Charles as opposed to the other republican people may be remembering. Posted by: Vilens at June 11, 2004 9:51 AM Yeah man. Ray will be missed. I definitely took a 'punch' when I read that on yahoo yesterday. To bad it'll be overshadowed in the media by news of the Gipper's demise. Ray is definitely under appreciated by those who don't go back. I have one of his records from the early 50's where he alternately plays piano, alto sax, guitar, drums & sings! So versatile. Ray's love and mastery of country music is under the radar as well. what i say. Posted by: Jesse at June 11, 2004 11:58 AM I can't wait to be generating money again, as the resident turntable is dead and I can't afford to fix it. I have a few of my mom's Ray Charles' records on vinyl that I'd love to hear right now. One of my favorite childhood memories is traveling with my mom and siblings while listening to Mr. Charles' music. He was an underappreciated national treasure. Posted by: Eve L. at June 11, 2004 3:32 PM I'm having my own little Rayfest, keeping the TV off. Just a shame, too young, so great, such a loss... Posted by: gwen at June 11, 2004 7:36 PM singers and music composers, like Ray and Frank Sinatra, were good at their art, very hard workers, and hired many backing musicans. but, i think they were a little fucked up in the head, or money went to their head and they acted like asses sometimes, or all the time? not sure, but in 1981, both Ray and RAY-GUN, aka, Reagan the dead prez., were assholes. "When Ray Charles went in 1981 he was forced to cancel his performance in the black township of Soweto because of strong opposition from the community. US performers who have defied the boycott have come home to criticism and picket lines." "Artists going to Sun City justify themselves by claiming on the one hand that they are not political and on the other that they are not performing in South Africa but in an independent country. They choose to ignore the fact that Bophuthatswana's in- dependence is entirely unrecognized outside South Africa and is rejected by the majority of South Africans." http://richardknight.homestead.com/bophuthatswana.html Posted by: Reagan liked SA.... at June 12, 2004 6:17 PM I'm pretty sure there is a God... granted grace to the Red Sox to put the screws to the Yankees the way they did, making baseball history and going on to win a World Series!! Gave Boston their greatest win!!! PRETTY SURE THERE IS A GOD... TALK ABOUT AN ANSWERED PRAYER FOR THE TRIED AND TRUE GENERATIONS OF RED SOX FANS!!! Thank you, God, for this year in baseball that us Red Sox fans (and players) will never forget!!! I hope none of us never forgets who Daddy really is! (God, of course). Posted by: Jes at October 31, 2004 4:27 AM			Recent Entries Join Us On the Radio Tonight ---------------------------------------- Barack Obama on the O'Reilly Factor (VIDEO) ---------------------------------------- On the GOP Dissing Community Organizers ---------------------------------------- Vlogging is Stupid ---------------------------------------- Michelle Obama DNC Convention Speech (Video & Transcript) ---------------------------------------- TI "Swagger Like Us" w/ Kanye/Jay-Z/Lil Wayne - full song, lyrics ---------------------------------------- Q Tip Twitter-Ethers Spin Magazine ---------------------------------------- Paul Mawhinney - World's Biggest Record Collection (video) ---------------------------------------- Jay-Z "Jockin Jay-Z" - Full Song & Lyrics ---------------------------------------- TI Speaking to the Kids ---------------------------------------- Invincible "Sledgehammer" Video ---------------------------------------- Invincible "Sledgehammer" Video ---------------------------------------- Blog Love for Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes ---------------------------------------- Killer Mike & Big Boi Squash Beef ---------------------------------------- Ludacris Obama Rap "Politics", Lyrics & Video ---------------------------------------- Search Weblog Hip-Hop Pontification Facing Hip-Hop Love Addiction Politics, Dentistry, and Why Hip-Hop Matters The Big Lie of Political Hip-Hop The Real History of The Source, Part One Audio and Interviews The World's First Blog Dis Record My PE/Kanye/Coltrane Double Mashup Easy Mo Bee's Favorite Breaks A Conversation With Just Blaze A Conversation With Ty Evil Dee on the Demise of Rawkus Photos March for Women's Lives, 4/25/04 Anti-War Protest, NYC 3/20/04 The Last Days of D&D Bobbito's Farewell Show, 10/17/02 United for Peace 3/22/03 Montreal Graffiti Vol. 1 Montreal Graffiti Vol. 2 Montreal Graffiti Vol. 3 Other Favorites Long Geeky Prince Concert Review Ghostface Killah vs. Random Spam Text Chuck D vs. Kanye, Satchmo vs. Dizzy A Baadasssss Evening with Mario and Melvin Van Peebles My Brush With Biggie Smalls Haiku-Blogging the Oscars Return of the King and Respect for the Drum A Letter to Ralph Nader Exclusive Scoop on Tom Cruise's Next Film ALBUM REVIEW: Jay-Z's Black Album "B-Boy" is a Verb Why Red Sox Fans Should Be Happy What is Hip-Hop Activism? It's Cool to Buy Nothing, But You Need to Do Something Race Theory According to Anticon Regarding Hip-Hop Blasphemy Rumors of Our Death Why Jack White is Wrong Government-Funded Wack Emcees Malcolm X, 5/19/25 - 2/21/65 My 9/11 Story The First Time I Heard Run-DMC Weblog Archives September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 Blogville and beyond wbai.org democracy now said the gramophone benn loxo du tàccu 1115 hardly art hip-hop blogs that good good tofu hut the quarterwit cocaine blunts p6 dip dip dive hipster detritus glutter aye train aww damn pop culture guide inane asylum paper thin philosophies loosie talking points memo atrios wiretap youth zine uppity-negro negro please lynne d johnson stinkzone beats and rants aaron wherry netweed wood-tang lingosphere sleepnotwork the hip-hop libertarian different kitchen aeki tuesday complicated fun o-dub jeff chang sasha frere-jones julianne shepherd abstract dynamics sam chennault m matos useful noise funk digital dong resin whatevs anil dash okayplayer trickology soulstrut old school live wax poetics prince paul dj spinna dj qool marv j-notes ilm Syndicate this site (XML) Powered by Movable Type 3.34