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Home , Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles

10 'Section 5 Tribune, Thursday, June 27, 1985 C ,Tempo . ,Charles still feeling the musIc By Steve Dale erry Christmas,'1 says , bubo . bling over with enthusiasm. "I know it's summer, but I'm in the holiday mood. I M, just recorded my first Christmas album ever. I'm thrilled." 'Ji'heLP, which will include traditional songs for the mOst part, features a version of "Rudolph the Red No~ed Reindeer" that the 54-year-old Charles calls "snocking." ''.It's not Prince," he says. "I just mean, it's in my own style. I think I'll send a copy." then without prodding, Charles, who performs at the Vic [Belmont and Sheffield Avenues] for two shows on July 5, explains how his participation in the "USA for Mrica" session came about as a result of

his longtimefriendshipwith producer QuincyJones. ' '~If Quincy needs me, I'm there for him. It doesn't matter what the project is about. I had no idea that so many different performers would be involved. This typ,eof thing usually doesn't work out, too many egos. This time, no one had an attitude." Even after 40 years in the business, Charles says " that he still learns from his peers, even from today's rock and rollers. "I get a kick out of the one with all tha~ clanging jewelry," he says, referring to Cyndi Lauper. "They tell me she has the strangest colored hair. " It;laddition to Lauper, the "" group included and , both of whom Charles met for the first time at the January session. "What a great pleasure. I've ad- mIred their work for so long. ",Of course, I've known Michael [Jackson] for years. I still haven't met Prince [who didn't partici- Ray Charles: "I just recorded my first Christmas J pate in the recording]. I guess he's great for the album ever." young people. However, musically I'm too old for him. I can't relate to it. "Michael is a completely different story. He per- followed with a string of classics including "What'd I forms with more feeling, real soul, from the . Say," " on My Mind" and "Hit the Road When I hear Micheal sing 'She's Out of My Life,' I Jack." want to cry." In 1962,Charles decided to revive an obscure By now, you might figure that Charles-who knows country and western tune called "I Can't Stop Loving a bit about singing from the soul himself-has run out You." Although the critics labeled the song pure fluff, of tears, but by all appearances, he's a remarkably it soared to NO.1 on the charts. He earned a Grammy upoeat person. Award for Best Rhythm and Recording and Ray Charles Robinson was born in Albany, Ga. His captured honors for the Award's Best parents struggled day to day at odd jobs, scraping up Performance of the Year. ' just enough money to feed the family. Charles was 4 Charles now records country music almost exclu- years old when he helplessly watched his younger sively. His latest LP "Friendship" features such stars brother drown in a freak accident. as and . Does this mean, as Only two years later, he began to lose his vision to some longtime fans and critics claim, that he's sold what doctors think was glaucoma, a condition that out his soul for a more saccharine, commercial possibly could have been corrected if his family had appeal? been able to afford proper care. He went on to learn "Oh no,' man. I enjoy all kinds of music," he says. Braille, type and play the . By the time he was "Music is no different than any other business. There 15,both of his parents had died. . are generalists and specialists. For instance, B.B. "It wasn't easy," he says softly. "I'm not a quitter, King specializes in . He's the blues doctor. I guess. You must keep on going. I'm not sure That's his thing and no one does it better. I'm a misfortune has made me a better person, but I sure general doctor. The old-fashioned kind that does a do appreciate my success." little bit of everything." It was who unknowingly inspired It's also true that general practitioners are a dying Charles. "He did exactly what I wanted to do; he breed. "I know, and I suppose I am," he continues. "I played the piano and sang. I tried to look like him, haven't ever talked about this publicly, but I've sound like him, real~y be him." survived a lot of my friends. It's sad that I never had The teenaged Charles began to do as he thought his the chance to perform with many of them. idol Cole would by plunging into the tour circuit in "I've watched a lot of people die. I'd like to record Florida and Georgia. He obtained his musicians' a spinoff of the 'Friendship' album but with union card by lying about his age. Unfortunately, his people. I'm talking about , Milt Jack- a~t needed work, and the jobs were few and far son and . That would be a dream come \;Ietween. . true. I'm gonna make it happen, you know that, don't In a last-ditch effort to find steady jobs, he moved you?" !is far away from the South as possible, to . His Charles added that another fantasy is singing with odd gamble paid off. A more seasoned performer, he on a similar project. kept busy appearing in local clubs. Soon he accompa- "Soul is an overused term, but that's where I sing nied artists all over the country. ' from. I just feel it. And I intend to keep on singing By 1954,he had a record contract and three years and feeling for a long time to come. Life goes on, you later his first hit single, "I Got a ." He know what I mean?"