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RAY CHARLES, 1930-2004

"And how about a cat named Ray Charles? Hmmm? For my money, he's more important than Elvis Presley, and much more important than the Stones. He was able to seamlessly blend adult pop, gospel, country and western, jazz, big band, rock & roll, you name it!-with apparent ease. He would write, play piano, lead a big band, sing like a monster and he was real cool looking, too! He cut a very sharp figure! Well, he was churning out hit after hit at this "dire" time, stuff that appealed to a wide audience despite its eclecticism and emotional content."

-J. D. King,
BLACK TO COMM #25