In Memory of Ray Charles Robinson

For what's it worth, I think that Ray Charles was the all time best musical artist ever, anywhere in any time. His 1963 Grammy winner for best rhythm and blues was the album Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul and had a song on it called “Busted”. One of my favorite songs, and I believe the song that probably started me on a journey into the world of Blues, Muddy Waters, Louis Armstrong, , to name just a few of the best.

I didn’t know until a short time ago that the song had originally been recorded by Johnny Cash and I have a hard time believing he could have done it justice like Ray does (Ray and I are on a first name basis-course if we were I would be calling him “RC” which is what his real friends called him).

Some facts: Ray Charles’ last name was really Robinson (Ray was his first name and Charles his middle). I find it sad that he had so many things go terribly wrong when he was young but I think his Mother sounded like a brilliant woman once telling Ray “You’re blind, not stupid.” And she spoke the truth. Even after being busted for Heroin 3 times and addicted for 20 years, he managed to quit cold turkey and stay straight - not many addicts can say that.

Most people don't realize that Ray made most of his hits on other people's songs. He quit writing his own lyrics fairly early on. Considering his life, married twice, lots of girlfriends, 12 children, 20 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, I'm not surprised he didn't have time to write.

He said the most exciting time of his life was when he was hired for a car commercial, and he actually drove the car without any assistance in the Death Valley desert. I would have loved to see that commerical - or better yet, been in the car with him!!

I think my favorite thing I ever saw him do though; with the exception of every single time he ever sang “America” and the hair stands up on my neck and arms, was the Blues Brother Movie where they did “Shake a Tail Feather”. Classic. I leave you with these words:

My bills are all due dnd the baby needs shoes
And I'm busted
Cotton is down to a quarter a pound
But I'm busted

I got a cow that went dry and a hen that won't lay
A big stack of bills that gets bigger each day
The county's gonna haul my belongings away
Cause I'm busted

I went to my brother to ask for a loan
Cause I was busted
I hate to beg like a dog without his bone
But I'm busted
My brother said "There ain't a thing I can do,
my wife and my kids Are all down with the flu,
and I was just thinking about calling on you
Cause I'm busted"

Well, I am no thief but a man can go wrong
When he's busted
The food that we canned last summer is gone
And I'm busted
The fields are all bare and the cotton won't grow,
Me and my family got to pack up and go
But I'll make a living just where I don't know
Cause I'm busted.

I'm broke ... No bread ... I mean like Nothing, Forget it...
Yep, know how that feels.