Ray Charles Dies at 73
As Ray Charles played and sang, his stiffly swaying shoulders suggested some invisible tug of war between a devil and an angel. Charles, who died Thursday at age 73, was a musical innovator who combined the rollicking ‘bad boy’ free-spiritedness of rock ‘n’ roll with the pious aching of gospel and soul to create a new style in such hits as ‘What’d I Say,’ ‘Hit the Road Jack,’ ‘Georgia on My Mind’ and ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You.’
A chance viewing of last years CMT: Crossroads special featuring Ray and Travis Tritt was an awesome performance and prompted me to listen to more of Ray’s music… which most of us at one time or another have had stuck inside our heads.