Ray Charles died today in Beverly Hills.
It's nearly impossible to say how much of an influence Ray Charles was on music. He was one of the earliest founders of soul, combining the blues with the gospel of his youth. Later he proved the connection between black soul and white country with Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, one of the seminal albums of 20th Century. Oddly enough, for someone as indebted to the Deep South as Ray Charles was, he choose Seattle to launch his career, figuring he should be as far away from his birthplace of Albany, Georgia as he could be.
He will be missed.
Posted by Frinklin at June 10, 2004 11:07 PM