Im sorry Ray Charles died..
sorrier still that it happened during all the Ronald Reagan huplah
I almost didn't even know the great Charles had died..it so took a back step to the presidential funeral
and if ever a man deserved to have the full attention of the world when he died it was Ray Charles..
I'm not a music historian
so I can't tell you the details of the life and times of Ray Charles
but I can tell you about how this man entered and thrilled my own life

I had the pleasure of seeing Ray Charles in concert at The Beacon Theatre in NYC
oh about 20 years
he performed with a backdrop of ladies he called "The Rayettes"
and honey
he did rock the house

i was aware that night..
just as I'd been aware when I saw Ella Fitzgerald in one of her last concerts
that I was watching a slice of American history an immortal figure
weeve and bob and shimmy right before my eyes

speaking of eyes
it was hard to believe the man was blind
except for the helper who walked him on the stage
because the way he weaved and rocked off that piano bench
it was like he was fearless
and he was

one of the first non-rock pieces of music i ever purchased
was a tape tailor made for me
by a jazz collector in the soho
it was a full hour of
Ray Charles and Betty Carter Live...
and honey did that rock
when those two sang to each other
"Baby it's cold outside"
I thought I would lose my mind

I was young
just coming off my pink hair
and safety pins faze
and finding myself satiated by a kind of music that did not entail
screaming or the smashing of guitars was a relavation

in my kitchen on Friday while i was cranking out
the sauces, dips and marinades
for a wedding reception of 139 guests
we found a local station that was playing Charles all day
and honey there is more then enough of Charles to play Charles all day
and all night too
it was the perfect beat to my soft and long-ful heart

Dear Ray...
you will be missed..
I hope wherever you are today you can see
see us all so clearly
and see the millions of smiles
you helped create
Rest In Peace

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