Farewell To Ray Charles in L.A.

[Truth]

Fellow artists Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson and BB King
performed musical tributes at the First African Methodist
Episcopal Church service.

Hundreds of floral tributes, including a huge wreath of
chrysanthemums spelling out the letters RC, surrounded the
church.

Many of the congregation had to queue for two hours due to
tight security. Streets around the church were closed off, and
police helicopters monitored the situation from above.
Recorded tributes from producer Quincy Jones, and comedian
Bill Cosby were played during the service.
After the funeral, Charles' cortege was due to 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.
On Thursday, Charles' body went on public display at the
Los Angeles Convention Centre to allow thousands of fans to
pay their respects.

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

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.

Thanks for the music Ray
Thanks for the Ten thousand concerts
Thanks for Georgia on My Mind
Hit the Road Jack
I Can't Stop Loving You

That great night on Austin City Limits
Your wonderful work in Blues Brothers
" Baby It's cold outside" in " When Harry Met Sally"
All the help and money you gave behind the scenes for civil rights
and The Laboratory For Auditory Research


It'll be difficult to hear your music for a while without tears
The world has lost a genius that can never be replaced.


You the Man Ray

 

[Truth]

 

[grinningghost]

Ray Charles will be missed greatly.

 

[Truth]

Billy Joel said many artists had tried to emulate Charles, "among
them myself, Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker, Steve Winwood and
countless others. Ray Charles defined rhythm and blues, soul, and
authentic rock 'n' roll."

 

[LScot]

RIP, Ray Charles.

 

[Truth]

May 12, Singer Ray Charles and sitar master Ravi Shankar received the Polar Music
Prize from King Carl Gustav XVI in Sweden. The award was established by Stig
Anderson, manager of the Abba pop group.

 

[Truth]

"I lost one of my best friends and I will miss him a lot," country
legend Willie Nelson said in a statement. "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."

 

[grinningghost]

Heard a great Ray Charles quote yesterday - paraphrased, it went "Soul music is when you can tell the person actually went through the experience they're singing about".

 

[Philharmagik]

Ray Charles was a legend and will be missed. RIP

 

[mum4jenn]

Our town had our very own celebration on Friday also. He was born here(Albany,GA). I was out of town and unable to attend but the news report said it went very well.

 

[Truth]

New York, Artists and composers at the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Awards ceremony on Thursday remembered Ray Charles as a great
musician whose mix of blues, folk and country deeply influenced them.

An emotional Stevie Wonder called Charles a "blessing."
"It is a bittersweet night," said Wonder, who accepted the
Johnny Mercer Award. "The cure for hate is love.
And Ray Charles bought us a lot of love."

Later, before performing, Wonder told a crowded Manhattan
ballroom that Charles "changed the world" with his hit songs
"I Can't Stop Loving You" and "Georgia."

 

[N.Bailey]

Originally posted by grinningghost
Heard a great Ray Charles quote yesterday - paraphrased, it went "Soul music is when you can tell the person actually went through the experience they're singing about".

I really like this quote. You can definitely tell he lived through the time. What a loss to us all. RIP Ray, God speed!

 

[Serena]

He was so full of life, it's hard to imagine that gone.

Rest in Peace Ray, knowing you made the world a better place. You will be missed.

 

[Truth]

Ray performed at the Songwriters Hall of Fame's award show last
year with singer Van Morrison and received its
Sammy Cahn Lifetime Acheivement Award in 1993.