Ray Charles

Говорить траурные банальности не хочется. Его уход ужасен сам по себе. Ужасно и то, что великих людей как он, создавших великую эпоху все меньше...

Полностью согласен с Annabeatles! Все мы когда-нибудь окажемся Там, но далеко не всем удаётся сделать то, что остаётся с нами Здесь, и нам повеэло,что мы были его совремменниками. Мир праху его... Я ставлю его диск...

Полностью согласен с Annabeatles! Все мы когда-нибудь окажемся Там, но далеко не всем удаётся сделать то, что остаётся с нами Здесь, и нам повеэло,что мы были его совремменниками. Мир праху его... Я ставлю его диск... Рэй со мной.

Statement On Behalf Of Ray Charles

The management of Ray Charles today issued the following statement after the death of the singer:

Music legend Ray Charles, 73, a 13-time Grammy® Award winner, known the world over as "The Genius of Soul," died at 11:35 AM (PDT) today at the age of 73, announced his publicist, Jerry Digney, of Solters & Digney.

He was surrounded by family, friends and longtime business associates at his home in Beverly Hills.

"Although he was very successful and owned a home in Beverly Hills, his first home was always his treasured studio, recently named a city landmark," said a saddened Joe Adams, the entertainer's manager for the past 45 years.

Charles' last public appearance was alongside Clint Eastwood on April 30, when the city of Los Angeles designated the singer's studios an historic landmark.

Last summer, it was initially reported that Charles -- born in Albany, GA, on Sept. 30, 1930, as Ray Charles Robinson -- was suffering from "acute hip discomfort."

As doctors began to treat the entertainer in Los Angeles and perform a successful hip replacement procedure, other ailments were diagnosed, and Charles ultimately succumbed from complications due to liver disease.

Prior to his death, Charles finalized a duets album, "Genius Loves Company," for the Concord label, his first new album since 2001 and okayed plans for the building of the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

Norah Jones, BB King, Willie Nelson, Michael McDonald, Bonnie Raitt, Gladys Knight, Johnny Mathis and James Taylor are just a few of the notable artists involved with the project, which is scheduled for release Aug. 31.

"The duets project has been a tremendous experience," he said, at the outset of recording.
"I am working with some of the best artists in the business, as well as some of my dearest friends."

Charles was recently awarded the prestigious "President's Merit Award" from the Grammy® organization by its president, Neil Portnow, just prior to the 2004 Grammy® Awards, and was named a City of Los Angeles "Cultural Treasure" by Mayor James Hahn during "African American Heritage Month" in a February ceremony that he attended.

He also received the NAACP Image Awards' "Hall of Fame Award" on March 6.
An accomplished pianist and songwriter, Charles was considered the creator of the soul music genre, a unique R&B forerunner to rock n' roll and other musical offspring.

During a career that spanned some 58 years, Charles starred on over 250 albums, many of them top sellers in a variety of musical genres.

Blessed with one of the 20th century's most advanced musical minds, Charles became an American cultural icon decades ago.

Among his memorable hits are "What'd I Say," "I Got A Woman," "Georgia," "Born To Lose," "Hit the Road Jack" and "I Can't Stop Loving You."

He also gave the Ray Charles touch to such popular fare as the Beatles' "Eleanor Rugby" and "Yesterday."

Among the singer's most moving and enduring musical recordings is his oft-played rendition of "America The Beautiful."

Charles appeared in movies, such as "The Blues Brothers," and on television, and starred in commercials for Pepsi and California Raisins, among numerous others.

After going blind from glaucoma at the age of seven, Charles was sent to the St. Augustine, Fla., School for the deaf and blind, where he developed his enormous musical gift.

The young pianist eventually made his way to Seattle, Wash., performing as a solo act, first modeling himself after Nat "King" Cole.

While in Seattle, he met a young Quincy Jones and they became lifelong friends.
In the late 1940s, he began establishing a name for himself in clubs around the northwest, evolving his own music and singing style, which later included the famous back up singers, "The Raelettes."

While in Seattle, he dropped the "Robinson" from his name to avoid confusion with the legendary boxer.

A recording career began in earnest in 1949 and Charles soon started a musical experiment, which included mixing genres.

The experiments manifested themselves in 1955 with the successful release of "I Got a Woman."

It's reported that in devising the song, Charles reworded the gospel tune, "Jesus is all the World to Me," adding deep church inflections to the secular rhythms of the nightclubs.
"I Got A Woman" is popularly credited as the first true "soul" record.

The renowned entertainer, who had not missed a tour in 53 consecutive years of concert travels, had cancelled his remaining 2003 tour, beginning last August.

"It breaks my heart to withdraw from these shows," he said at the time.

"All my life, I've been touring and performing. It's what I do. But the doctors insist I stay put and mend for awhile, so I'll heed their advice."

While remaining in Los Angeles, Charles continued a light work load at his studios and offices, overseeing production of new releases for his own record label, Crossover Records, mixing a long-planned gospel CD and beginning work on the duets album.

A feature film based on his life story, "Unchain My Heart, The Ray Charles Story," starring Jamie Foxx as the entertainer, completed principal filming early last summer.

Charles' last public performance of his career was on July 20, 2003, in Alexandria, VA.
"Ray Charles was a true original, a musical genius and a friend and brother to me," said Adams, the entertainer's longtime manager and business partner.

"He pioneered a new style and opened the door for many young performers to follow. Some of his biggest fans were the young music stars of today, who loved and admired his talent and independent spirit."

In addition to multiple Grammy® Awards, including one for Lifetime Achievement, Charles is also one of the original inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Presidential Medal for the Arts, France's Legion of Honor and the Kennedy Center Honors.

He has also been inducted into numerous other music Halls of Fame, including those for Jazz and Rhythm and Blues, a testament to his enormous influence.

"You can't run away from yourself," Charles once said.

"I was raised in the church and was around blues and would hear all these musicians on the jukeboxes and then I would go to revival meetings on Sunday morning. So I would get both sides of music. A lot of people at the time thought it was sacrilegious but all I was doing was singing the way I felt."

Last May, he headlined the White House Correspondents Dinner in Wash., DC, at which President and Mrs. Bush, Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice, were in attendance, and he also starred with Vince Gill, George Jones and Glen Campbell in a Nashville television special saluting country music's top 100 hits.

Charles' performance of "Behind Closed Doors" on the TV special garnered the evening's biggest standing ovation.

In 2002, Charles celebrated the 40th anniversary of his first country hit, "I Can't Stop Loving You," which became a number one chart topper and expanded the scope of the entertainer's career to the industry's astonishment.

Last year, the press-shy Charles sat for interviews in Los Angeles with film star Clint Eastwood, who conversed with the music pioneer about the blues for a documentary, "Piano Blues," seen on PBS, and also reunited with his longtime friend and early record industry patron, Ahmet Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records, for a television profile on the record label legend.

Early last summer, he performed his 10,000th career concert at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.

In May, 2003, he also received his fifth doctorate from Dillard University in New Orleans.

In 2002, Charles and Adams endowed both Morehouse College and Albany State Univ., in Charles' birthplace of Albany, GA, with substantial contributions, exceeding $1 million each.

Sixteen years ago, Charles established the Ray Charles Robinson Foundation for the hearing impaired.

Since its creation, the foundation, with Charles' encouragement and generous, on-going funding, has blazed a trail of discovery in auditory physiology and hearing implantation.
Each such implant procedure costs upwards of $40,000, which the Foundation pays to have done.

Of some 145-celebrity charities, the Ray Charles Foundation is rated by non-profit experts as one of the top five most efficient with zero administrative overhead.
Recently, a series of slot machines were designed in Charles' name for the visually handicapped and the legendary performer was also named a "living legend" by the Library of Congress in 2002.

He also starred in a concert in May, 2002, at the Colosseum in Rome, the first musical performance there in 2,000 years.

Charles once told an interviewer from USA Today, "Music to me is just like breathing. I have to have it. It's part of me."

Despite recent health challenges, Charles was planning to again start touring in mid-June and the sudden setback in his recovery was a great shock to all.

Eleven children, 20 grandchildren and five great grandchildren survive Charles, who will be remembered late next week at a memorial service at the FAME Church in central Los Angeles with interment at Inglewood Cemetery in Inglewood, Calif.

Source: Solters & Digney on behalf of Ray Charles

Remembering Ray Charles

Ray Charles is being remembered for his musical talents and his friendship in the wake of his death yesterday (June 10) of complications from liver disease at age 73. Statements issued by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson and James Brown recall a consummate musician and, as described by Aretha Franklin, a "fabulous man."

A private funeral will be held June 18 at the FAME Church in Los Angeles, and Charles will be interred at Inglewood (Calif.) Cemetery. At deadline, details of a planned memorial service were still pending.

• • •

"I truly have no words to express the deep sadness that I have today," Quincy Jones said. "Ray Charles was my oldest friend, my brother in every sense of the word and bigger than life -- a musical genius that made every song he performed his own. There will never be another musician who did as much to break down the perceived walls of musical genres as much as Ray Charles did."

• • •

Aretha Franklin described Charles as "the voice of a lifetime."

"He was a fabulous man, full of humor and wit," she said. "A giant of an artist, and of course, he introduced the world to secular soul singing."

• • •

"Ray Charles was a man we particularly admired both as a friend and as an artist," Clint Eastwood said. "We had a great time recently reminiscing together, and we will all miss him very much."

The actor/director/musician was with Charles April 30 on the occasion of his last public appearance, when the city of Los Angeles designated his recording studio a historic landmark.

• • •

"I lost one of my best friends, and I will miss him a lot," Willie Nelson said. "Ray could kick my ass any day in a chess game. He gloated over that. Last month or so, we got together and recorded 'It Was a Very Good Year,' by Frank Sinatra. It was great hanging out with him for a day."

The duet will be among many on a guest-filled disc scheduled for release on Aug. 31 via Concord Records. In the months before his death, Charles also collaborated on recordings with Norah Jones, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt and James Taylor, among others.

• • •

Michael Jackson called Charles "American treasure."

"His music is timeless, his contribution to the music industry unequalled, unparalleled. He paved the way for so many of us, and I will forever remember him in my heart."

• • •

Stevie Wonder called Charles an "incredible musician, singer, writer and a great man" whose life should be celebrated, in a statement reported by the BBC.

"He was just incredible because he was a great musician, he was a genius in the true meaning of the word genius. He was able to bring various genres of music together."

• • •

"He was just a sweet and gorgeous and wonderful person," James Brown recalled. "He was a role model for all people that got to know him and his music. I respected the genius. What set him apart? He was Ray Charles -- just that!"

• • •

"The death of Ray Charles is an incredible loss for the world of music," Elton John said. "He inspired so many people and his music will live forever."

• • •

"Ray Charles was a true American original," Billy Joel said. "Ray Charles defined rhythm & blues, soul, and authentic rock 'n' roll."

• • •

"Ray Charles taught all of us how to sing with emotion, passion, and heart," Kenny Chesney said. "To me, he's the very definition of soul."

• • •

"When I hear Ray Charles sing Georgia, I understood what it meant to have someone reach inside and literally pull your heart from your chest," Terri Clark gushed. "Few vocalists could hot wire emotions the way Ray Charles did, but it sets the standard, anyone who sings should aspire to."

• • •

"I was never fortunate enough to meet the man, but Ray Charles is a true icon of contemporary American music," Brooks & Dunn's Kix Brooks said. "No matter where you look, no matter what you listen to, Ray Charles touched that genre of music. Just look at the impact he had on country. From modern sounds and country and western music to all those Willie Nelson duets, nobody did it like Ray Charles. He will be missed."

• • •

"Obviously the influence he had on me and my music from as far back as I can remember was monumental," fellow Georgian Travis Tritt said. "The opportunity came last year when I taped and recorded a 'CMT Crossroads' special with him, and I count that as a high point in my life. As an added bonus, I not only had the chance to witness his overwhelming talent first hand while sharing the stage with him, but I also found a new and true friend."

• • •

"When he started singing, that was it. Everyone else was playing for second," Bruce Hornsby said.

• • •

Composer Neil Sedaka called Charles "an inspiration to the black world, the white world, the entire world," at last night's Songwriter's Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York, where he received this year's Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award. Charles received the honor in 1993.

• • •

"I'm broken hearted," veteran soul singer Candi Staton, who first performed with Charles in 1976, opening for him at Las Vegas' Aladdin Hotel, said. "I'm just shocked. He was my favorite singer of all time. I used to listen to him when I was a teenager and it was a dream come true, to share a stage with him when I became an artist myself. His soul is my prayers."

"The world has lost a one of a kind singer and a one of a kind man," Staton added. "Nobody can replace Ray Charles. His absence leaves a huge hole in the music business."

• • •

"I first learned about Ray Charles' amazing music sitting on the piano bench with my Mom as we sang along to his songs such as 'Georgia on My Mind' and 'Hit the Road Jack,'" Billy Ray Cyrus said. "To say Ray Charles was one of my major influences is an understatement. I will miss him very much along with musicians and music fans all around the world."

• • •

"The world is a quieter place today as we mourn the passing of 12-time Grammy winner Ray Charles," Recording Academy president Neil Portnow said. "The Academy has lost a dear friend, and the world has lost a musical legend."

Интервью Рэя Чарльза журналу Rolling Stone 73 года. Откровенно о музыке, расовой принадлежности и героине...
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story...d=1087036957860&has-player=true&version=6.0.7.529

"The only thing he didn't like was bad music ... music that was played incorrectly," Charles' manager, Joe Adams, said at a news conference on Thursday. Charles' personal favourites included the Beatles, Johnny Cash and B.B. King, Adams said.

Только что узнал. Нет слов.. Таких авторитетов почти не осталось. Жаль, что ОНИ уходят..

IF THEY EVER CARVED a Mount Rushmore for the great icons of black America — from Carver to Robeson to Ali to King — there would surely be a place for Ray Charles, the man who sang "God Bless America" like nobody before him (or since), and who put "Georgia" on everybody’s minds — to cite just two examples of his enduring legacy. In Rolling Stone magazine’s recent cover story on the towering immortals of rock ’n’ roll’s first 50 years, Charles astoundingly finished in the Top 10 — ahead of Buddy Holly, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, The Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder, U2 and Bruce Springsteen.

With Charles’ health shaky at press time, anticipation was running extra high for his new album, Genius Loves Company, due at the far end of summer — August 31 — from Concord Records/Starbucks’ Hear Music.

Recorded in configurations ranging from orchestral to big band to trios, the album has been a year in the making. The complete track list (not in order) has Charles confessing "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" with Elton John, shouting "Hey Girl" with Michael McDonald, kneeling with B.B. King on "Sinner’s Prayer," reminiscing with Nelson on "It Was a Very Good Year," enjoying some "Sweet Potato Pie" with James Taylor, challenging Krall on "You Don’t Know Me," praying with Gladys Knight on "Heaven Help Us," sighing "Here We Go Again" with Norah Jones, asking Bonnie Raitt "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind," trying to tame a "Fever" with Natalie Cole, gazing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" with Johnny Mathis and sharing some "Crazy Love" with Van Morrison, one of Charles’ biggest fans in the world.

Family To Farewell Ray Charles Privately

Three funeral services have been arranged to farewell music legend Ray Charles and the first will be a private service on Wednesday for his family.

The private service will be held at the West Los Angeles Church of God in Christ in South Central Los Angeles for family members only. Charles had a large family and was the father of eleven children ranging from 52 year old Evelyn down to 16 year old Corey.

One member told Undercover news "Mr. Charles always kept up to date with his youngest son, Corey Robinson's den Bok's grades, and even visited his teachers, and spoke to Corey's class".

Following the private service, fans will be allowed to pay their respects at the LA Convention Center on Thursday. The VIP memorial service will then be held on Friday at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The Friday service will be a major televised event with Stevie Wonder, BB King and Willie Nelson set to perform a musical tribute to the legendary Charles.

Ray Charles died on Thursday, June 10 of liver cancer. He was 73.

Ray Charles To Make Final Visit To Studio

Ray Charles was be farewelled in Los Angeles on Friday with a public procession going past his beloved studio at 2107 Washington Blvd.

The funeral procession, with a 26 member motorcycle escort, paused in front of the studio for one minute of remembrance. The studio was granted historical significance in April. "I love this place," Charles said when Mayor Hahn gave him the historical landmark plaque. "It's the only home I've truly had for most of my professional career and I would never leave it".

More than 1500 dignitaries from all over the world attended the service on Friday at 10am at First AME Church on Harvard Blvd., in Los Angeles.

Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Clint Eastwood, Stevie Wonder, Glen Campbell, Cicely Tyson, Billy Preston and Rev. Jesse Jackson were among the entertainer's friends and associates who honored him during the two-hour ceremony.

The family of Ray Charles held a private memorial today for the singer at the West Los Angeles Church of God in Christ in South-Central LA.

Fans could attend a public memorial and viewing tomorrow (June 17) in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center between midday and 8pm.

Charles biopic still beats for fall bow

Universal is going ahead with plans to open "Ray," a biopic about the late singer Ray Charles, on Oct. 29.

Studio acquired the rights to the project in March when it was named "Unchain My Heart: The Ray Charles Story," 16 years after the project first went into development. Taylor Hackford, who directed and is a producer on the film, issued a statement about Charles on Friday.

"Although the term 'genius' has been overused, it is the only description that truly fits the greatness of Ray Charles," he said. "For the past 15 years, I've had the privilege of collaborating with Ray on a feature film about his life. It didn't take us that long to make the film, only to find the financing."

The now-dissolved Crusader Entertainment announced it had acquired life rights in 2001, back when Charles was still playing more than 200 sold-out dates per year. Crusader, owned by Phillip Anschutz, was recently re-named Bristol Bay as part of a restructuring.

Production on the pic, starring Jamie Foxx, wrapped in July 2003.

"Heart" centers on the personal and professional hardships and triumphs of Charles, who was born in the segregated South in 1930 and went blind at age 7 from glaucoma.

Fans bid farewell to Ray Charles

Ray Charles had an army of fans around the world

The body of musician Ray Charles, who died last week aged 73, has gone on public display to allow thousands of his fans to pay their respects.
Charles lies in repose in an open coffin adjacent to a black grand piano at the Los Angeles Convention Centre.

Charles' publicist Eric Raymond said the star's family had requested he be put on display as a final tribute to his fans.

More than 1,200 people are expected to attend his funeral later on Friday.

'Magical' Charles

Fans filed slowly by the coffin that stood on a catafalque - a raised platform - inside the Convention Centre, many of them stopping to sign the condolence book or write a message on a huge poster of Charles in performance.

One of the star's trademark black and silver jackets sat on the empty seat of the piano.

"The man is magical. He was one of the great musicians of all time... It was like he was God-sent," said Evelyn Alexander, 61, from Inglewood.

"I love Ray Charles. I love his music absolutely. He was a virtuoso, he played everything," said 70-year-old Berta Morley, choking back tears.

"There is no one else who can sing a song with the deep feeling he had," she added.

Reverand Charles Peters, 71, brought with him a mechanic Ray Charles doll, that sings "America the Beautiful" and "What I'd Say", while playing a miniature piano.

"He made a lot of people happy," said Rev Peters.

"I'm here to pay my respects."

Tributes and cortege

People who are expected to be at Charles' funeral include Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood, veteran politician Reverend Jesse Jackson, former US president Bill Clinton, actress Cicely Tyson and country music star Glen Campbell.

Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson and BB King will perform musical tributes at the service, which will take place at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles.

Recorded tributes from producer Quincy Jones, and comedian Bill Cosby are also expected to be played at the funeral.

After the funeral, Charles' cortege will pass in front of his Los Angeles recording studio and pause for a minute's silence, before travelling to Inglewood, California, for a private burial.

Charles, considered a pioneer of soul music, died of acute liver disease, which was diagnosed after he had hip replacement surgery in December.

Charles, who went blind aged six, kept a largely low profile during his recent ill health - but still managed to collaborate with other musicians.

The singer, who had made standards of songs such as Georgia on My Mind, Hit the Road Jack and I Can't Stop Loving You, had played 10,000 concerts during a 58-year career.

He had planned to tour again this summer.

Friends Sing Praises Of Ray Charles

Friends of Ray Charles sent the late singer off on a high note today (June 18) in Los Angeles. B.B. King, Glen Campbell, Stevie Wonder and Wynton Marsalis performed musical tributes to the artist, who died last week at 73, during a joyous funeral service at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The event was attended not only by fellow performers but by Los Angeles city luminaries including Mayor James Hahn, Police Chief William Bratton and Councilman Bernard Parks.

Charles' son, the Rev. Robert Robinson Sr., started the service with a rousing tone, clapping his hands throughout a reading from the Old Testament. Then the Rev. Jesse Jackson added a New Testament reading threaded with his own inspirational message to Charles.

"Now heaven has a maestro," Jackson said. "Ray, when you first get there, before you meet Count [Basie], before you meet Duke [Ellington], before you meet family and friends, there's a man over there, across the river who is giving sight to the blind!"

Willie Nelson performed a tearful rendition of Charles' signature hit, "Georgia on My Mind," but wasn't allowed to leave the pulpit on a sad note -- Charles' longtime manager, Joe Adams, teased him about always losing chess games to Charles. Nelson joked that after his last loss to the sightless performer, he asked him, "Next time we play, can we turn the lights on?"

King, who played a mournful ballad on his guitar, held back tears as he paid tribute to Charles. "He's a genius," King said. "One of the greatest musicians I ever met."

Wonder, who is also blind, said that when he first heard recordings of Charles he didn't know they shared a disability. "Long before I knew we had so much in common, I knew him as a man and a voice that touched my heart," Wonder said, his fingers trailing over piano keys. "His voice made me feel like I wanted to love deeper, to care more and reach out and touch the world."

The funeral ended with the opening of Charles' casket and the playing of his recording of "Over the Rainbow" with Johnny Mathis, as hundreds of mourners passed by. The funeral motorcade was to pass by his recording studio, designated a historic landmark last month, en route to Inglewood Park Cemetery.

Yesterday, more than 5,000 people attended the public viewing for Charles at the Los Angeles Convention Center. His initials were spelled out in an arrangement made from white chrysanthemums and carnations, and one of his colorful jackets rested on the empty piano bench.

Charles' Studio A Testament To His 'Genius'

The legacy of Ray Charles is manifested in his Los Angeles recording studio, RPM International. Despite his passing, the studio, which became a historic cultural landmark at an April 30 dedication ceremony, will likely live on as testament to the artist's genius.

Charles' swan song, "Genius Loves Company," a collection of duets due Aug. 31 on Artemis, was recorded primarily at RPM, according to the artist's longtime personal producer/engineer, Terry Howard.

"I tried to do as much as I could there," Howard says. As Charles' health deteriorated, he adds, "I knew the best thing for Ray to be comfortable was for him to be home. I did my best so that when artists came in to be with Ray, they had a one-on-one experience with him, [being] next to him when he sang.

"I kept the isolation to a minimum -- to me, the experience was more important than capturing 'a perfect sound,'" Howard adds. "We still kept the isolation correct so we could get a good recording, but having the contact -- like Willie Nelson being able to put his hand on Ray's shoulder and talk to him as they worked on the song -- was great."

RPM's history mirrors that of modern recording. When it was built in 1960, Howard explains, RPM featured a console built by recording pioneer Bill Putnam, founder of Universal Audio and Universal Recording. In the late '60s, Howard says, Atlantic/freelance engineer/producer Tom Dowd built a console for RPM.

"In the '70s, it got changed again to a 24-track tape machine and 24-track-style board," Howard says. "In '92, we had the biggest renovation, when we changed to 48-track digital. That's how the studio is today, but we still have some of the original microphones from 1960.

"With it being a landmark, it should endure and hopefully be something the public will be able to enjoy," he says. "Just like Motown in Detroit, this building is a significant landmark, not just to the community but to the music industry itself."

Ray Charles Given A Regal Send-Off

Ray Charles covered Leon Russell's 'A Song For You' on his 1993 album 'My World'. The lyrics go "and when my life is over, remember when we were together, we were alone and I was singing my song to you". On Friday, he was farewelled by old friends who sang their songs for him.

The most touching of the tributes came from one of Ray's closest friends Willie Nelson. Nelson sang a song that became a signature tune for both of them, 'Georgia On My Mind'.

Mourners included members of ZZ Top, BB King, Glen Campbell, Stevie Wonder and Little Richard.

Clint Eastwood spoke at the service saying about Ray "anything he touched turned to gold".

The service featured familiar faces to many people around the world. The Rev Jess Jackson, Johnny Mathis, Motown founder Berry Gordy, actor Steven Seagal.

As mourners left the church, the Ray Charles/Johnny Mathis duet 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' played over the loudspeaker. Ray completed the album 'Genius Loves Company' shortly before his death. It will be released later this year and feature songs with Bonnie Raitt, BB King, James Taylor, Norah Jones and Michael McDonald. The album will be released in August.

The tracklisting for Genius Loves Company is:

1. Here We Go Again - Features Norah Jones
2. Sweet Potato Pie - Features James Taylor
3. You Don't Know Me - Features Diana Krall
4. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word - Features Elton John
5. Fever - Features Natalie Cole
6. Do I Ever Cross Your Mind - Features Bonnie Raitt
7. It Was A Very Good Year - Features Willie Nelson
8. Hey Girl - Features Michael McDonald
9. Sinner's Prayer - Features B.B. King
10. Heaven Help Us All - Features Gladys Knight
11. Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Features Johnny Mathis
12. Crazy Love - Features Van Morrison

Ray Charles farewelled with cheers and songs
Los Angeles
June 20, 2004

Ray Charles took centre stage one last time on Friday as more than 1500 people, including Stevie Wonder, Clint Eastwood and B. B. King, celebrated the life of the late "genius of soul" with claps, cheers and shouts of joy.

Charles, who died of liver disease last Thursday week, aged 73, was sent off with a two-hour service - more joyful than mournful - at which Wonder and King performed, as well as saxophone player David "Fathead" Newman, country icons Glen Campbell and Willie Nelson and jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.

"We're here to celebrate today, so it's all right if you just clap your hands, stomp your feet and get down with the Lord," the Reverend Robert Robinson, one of Charles' 12 children, said at the outset.

"If you would do something for my family today, why don't you stand on your feet and give God your praise! We're here to celebrate God today!"

Others in the audience at the invitation-only First AME Church service near central Los Angeles included singers Little Richard and Johnny Mathis, Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, and actor Steven Seagal.

Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson was one of several speakers, saying, "Heaven wanted some music and God sent for Ray Charles. Ray, we can't stop loving you - we choose not to - and we'll see you in the morning."

The word "genius" was mentioned eight times, twice by Eastwood, who said Charles could more accurately be described as a "perfectionist" with an unparalleled work ethic.

"He taught us all about rhythm and blues, he taught us about country music, he reinstilled our interest in patriotic songs. Anything he touched was just brilliant."

Willie Nelson's performance of Georgia on My Mind, one of Charles's best-known tunes, brought the audience to its feet. Laughter also broke out when Nelson was described as a longtime chess adversary of Charles. After being beaten yet again, Nelson finally realised Charles's secret, and he recalled asking him, "Next time we play, can we turn the lights on?"

The subject of Charles' blindness - believed to be caused by undiagnosed glaucoma when he was a child - was also mentioned by actress Cicely Tyson, who said, "Through his darkness, he enlightened and brightened our lives."

Wonder recalled that he did not initially know Charles was also blind.

The service ended with a final viewing of Charles's body, in a dark suit with his trademark dark glasses, as Somewhere Over the Rainbow, his recently recorded duet with Johnny Mathis, played on a loop.

- Reuters

Фото: Преподобный Джесси Джеймс и Вилли Нельсон