Ray Charles, dead and gone.

[Tommy BOO]

Yeah, the blues legend Ray Charles died earlier today at his home in the USA. He was only 73. His family and some of his closest friends were there with him when he died, so at least he didn't have to leave this world all alone.
Blues and jazz aren't really my cup of tea, but Ray actually made some good songs as well, some of you probably know the stunningly beautiful 'Georgia On My Mind' for example. I like that song, and now it has a new special meaning.
If you've seen the Blues Brothers you probably remember Ray from there - he was the blind guy (He got blind as a little kid) selling those instruments for the band. I just saw this classic film less than two weeks ago.

Now there's one less great voice, a brilliant piano player and a fine person in this world. Sad, very sad.

Rest in peace, Ray.


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"Tommy Boo has played a pivotal role in my life. I've looked up to him since I was a kid and he has inspired every note of music I have ever written. The man is a fucking genius" -BC

[Tommy BOO]

I wonder if this guy was always smiling.
He looks almost like the same in all the photos I've seen of him, that's quite unbelievable really! Smiling persons like that should live forever, it's a shame that Ray left us so early.
Well, I hope that he died with that smile on his face as well.

So long, and thanks for all the... blues.


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"Tommy Boo has played a pivotal role in my life. I've looked up to him since I was a kid and he has inspired every note of music I have ever written. The man is a fucking genius" -BC

[bravecaptain]

I love Ray Charles ('You Don't Know Me' is my favourite song').

He was a corporate shill at the end of the day tho'. He was a spokesman for Pepsi and would play private parties for rich people on yachts.

He was a fantastic singer and pianist, he was jailed for heroin in 1965 adn when he was got out he released 'Let's go get stoned'. Coooool.

Mx

[Monkey Boy]

Shame about him selling out. I'll remember the good times - and that voice.

[PrincessPunkRock]

not to mention he was also an avid supporter of ronnie reagan and the republicans...

still... hell of a voice. hard to argue with "what'd i say" or "mess around".

x

[Daisy Fentone]

[Tommy BOO]

Well, you shouldn't forget that Ray Charles was born long before any of us. Back in the days when there were no television and politics were much different and not so open to the public, and the whole world wasn't anything like this, all that makes Ray's political views quite understandable to me. Besides, he fought for human rights and was friends with Martin Luther King. In South Africa he even refused to play in front of racially segregated audiences, which is quite a cool thing actually.

And about playing at private parties for rich people on yachts... Well, if I could play well enough and those people would pay me, I probably would do the same. I can't see anything wrong with that actually - if someone paid a lot of money for me, I would sing Barbara Streisand's songs for rich people on a yacht. Ray Charles didn't probably really need all that money though...
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"Tommy Boo has played a pivotal role in my life. I've looked up to him since I was a kid and he has inspired every note of music I have ever written. The man is a fucking genius" -BC

[John Mc]

Lets all chip in and get Tommy to sing Barbara Streisand songs for us.

As for that article on heroin, my Dad is from Birkenhead and it has become a horrible, run down, depressing place.

There was a quote from the Health Secretary John Reid a couple of days ago saying that the middle classes should shut up about wanting smoking banned because poor people's lives are crap and smoking is one of the only things that makes life worthwhile for them. Surely its the job of the government to make poor peoples lives better by making them less poor.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3789591.stm

[Kris]

Surely they'd be a little less poor if they quit smoking?

Before everyone jumps on me can I just say I used to smoke 20 a day, which a few years ago cost me more than £100 quid a month. That's a fuckload of money for someone in my position.

What John Reid should actually say to the middle classes is, "shut up about smoking, if everyone quit tomorrow the NHS would be dead in a month".
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"fashioned by the blade of a world that doesn't care,
feeling so removed, drifting thru stealing air then...
pause and think about it, try to move and shift the pain, but it's there you feel it kicking and you scream and feel alive."

[Setareh Juventina]

" Besides, he fought for human rights and was friends with Martin Luther King. In South Africa he even refused to play in front of racially segregated audiences, which is quite a cool thing actually."

So did Charlton Heston. People can start out well but change for the worse. Humans aren't reliable, they change, which can be good and bad. L&P
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Man is the only animal clever enough to build The Empire State Building and stupid enough to jump from it.