*On June 10, 2004, I was at a golf course in Florida when I heard the news on the radio that the late great Ray Charles had passed away. I knew through his family that he’d been ill, and as the news sunk in, I reflected on the privileged times I shared with him.
I first met Mr. Charles in 1985 at his daughter Raenee’s wedding, and it was through the family that I submitted some of my songs which resulted in a personal phone call from him inquiring about one in particular.
I had recently signed a songwriter’s contract with Motown Records, but it was amazing that I was having a one-on-one phone conversation with a musical genius! I was so energized by the fact that he was interested in my song!
And so began the saga of direct or indirect communications with him.
He even called me one day at work concerning one of my songs that he wanted to record with Gladys Knight. Since I was at work, he said he’d call me at 7pm that night to go into further details. At 7pm on the dot, he called and we must have talked for 30 minutes about songwriting, and how (in his words) “a song has to be saying something!” Now, this was Wednesday night and before we hung up, he said “I’ll need a third verse by Saturday.”
When Saturday came, I had written five additional verses for him to choose from. Though there are no releases as far as I know of the songs I submitted, I was told by a reliable source that he worked on them. I hope they surface someday.
In 1997, as we were preparing a celebration of my Grandmother Martha Porties’ 90th birthday, I asked if he would record a Happy Birthday message for her. Mr. Charles sent back a piano/vocal recording of him singing “Georgia On My Mind” that segued into “Happy Birthday Ms. Martha.”
My Grandmother and family were surprised and overjoyed when they heard it!
In the early 2000s, I was invited to see Mr. Charles performing at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood. It was an electrifying show and afterward, I had access to his dressing room. When I entered, I started singing one of his songs “Anybody With The Blues Knows” and he joined me in singing “Whiskey and walls don’t talk, anybody with the blues knows.” That was a moment for me – singing backstage with Ray Charles!
On the day he passed – which was during the same week President Reagan passed – as we were leaving the golf course in Jacksonville, I noticed signs pointing to St. Augustine where Mr. Charles attended the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind reportedly from 1937 – 1945.
Shortly after his passing, I wrote a tribute song for him titled “Ray Of Sun (Tribute To Ray Charles).” Following is a wonderful review by Andre Avanessian of my final version which is on iTunes, Number 1 Music, and Radio Airplay (Click Here to Listen)
Song: Ray Of Sun (Tribute To Ray Charles)
Overall Impression:
Boasting a staggering amount of feel and filled to the brim with that quintessential soul-infused R&B swagger, Larry Buford’s excellent “Ray Of Sun” serves as a touching tribute to the legend that is Ray Charles and manages to honor him with both the utmost respect and sincerity. With its fitting laid-back sense of groove and impassioned performances, “Ray Of Sun” is a delightfully pleasant listening experience that warmly invites its listeners into its charming world of sleek melodic expressiveness and tonally warm textures.
Strongest Point(s):
Larry gives a tremendously endearing vocal performance that blends tonally rich characteristics with a graceful sense of charisma, ensuring the equally engaging lyrics are conveyed in the most gentle and soothing way possible. Speaking of the lyrics, they serve as a touching appreciation of one of the most respected and influential figures in popular music, and the way Larry expresses his deep reverence for Ray and both the joy and inspiration he brought to many people is a true delight to experience. The fantastic performances are delicately situated in a wonderfully detailed arrangement that is certainly not short of plenty of engaging melodic concepts, from the tasteful lead guitar moments that intersperse the song to the sultry sound of the melody-infused chordal playing of the Hammond organ, and we mustn’t forget the superb melodic interplay between the lead and backing vocals, every element of “Ray Of Sun” has been lovingly arranged and layered to ensure there’s plenty of melodic and rhythmic variety throughout to keep listeners firmly hooked from start to finish.
Target Audience Appeal:
Lovers of classic R&B and soul will undoubtedly connect strongly with this Ray Charles-inspired number.
Artist (style) target suggestions:
Curtis Mayfield, Ray Charles, Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, Marvin Gaye, George Benson, Joe Sample, Al Jarreau, Fourplay, George Duke, Smokey Robinson, Billy Paul, Tyrone Davis
About The Reviewer:
Andre Avanessian is a freelance session musician, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K. Having studied music production and composition at a degree level, he has taken his passion for all things audio-related to a level that has allowed him to become both a competent musician and performer. Being a self-confessed “Guitar Nerd” Andre has been continually studying the guitar, as well as teaching it, helping students both learn the instrument, develop their songwriting, and how to become proficient in-home recording.
Vocals: Strength
Lyrics: Strength
Instrumental Performance/Execution: Strength
Melody/Rhythm: Strength
Arrangement/Flow: Strength
Recording Quality/Overall Mix: Strength
Larry Buford is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer. Author of “Things Are Gettin’ Outta Hand,” and “Book To The Future” (Both available at Amazon). E-mail lbuford8101@hotmail.com
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