Doc Williamson - Blues Crew

In Loving Memory and Tribute To

BROTHER RAY CHARLES

September 23.1930 - June 10, 2004

RAY CHARLES AND ME

I have always loved music and was given toy pianos, trumpets, saxophones and drum sets for birthdays and Christmas as a child. I wanted to play piano and begged my parents for a real one from about age four until I finally got my wish at six when my parents purchased a used Baldwin Acrosonic. I took about 1 1/2 years of piano lessons until my parents told me they could no longer afford the 25 cents for my weekly piano lesson. We just didn't have much money when I was growing up.

In the winter of 1959 I first heard Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" on the radio. It was a revelation to this eight year old boy's ears, mind, heart and soul and I knew that was the way I wanted to play piano. I shoveled snow from sidewalks for 10 cents each to make the 99 cents the 45 RPM record cost and it is the first record I bought with my own money. I took it home and placed our Motorola record player on the piano and learned the song by ear and it took all day, I learn three chord songs much more quickly now. But, at the time I thought I had invented something, I thought you had to read music to play a song because I had never heard of playing by ear. I wrote the lyrics down to "What'd I Say" and then played the opening piano riff and started singing in my eight year old white boy's most soulful voice, "Hey Mama don't you treat me wrong. Come and love your Daddy all night long." My Mother came running out of the kitchen and told me, "Stop singing like that or you'll ruin your voice for the rest of your life." But I continue to "sing like that" to this day.

Ray Charles continued to be my inspiration for playing. I bought his albums or asked for them as gifts and studied and learned the piano parts. Years later, around 1980 I read Ray Charles' autobiography, "Brother Ray." I soaked up the words of this great man who had brought so much joy with his music not only to me but to millions of others. One passage that struck me was Brother Ray wrote that he had met and talked with presidents and kings, Hollywood stars and great musicians but the one person that he met that made him feel tongue tied and felt he had nothing to offer was his major influence the jazz piano great Art Tatum.

In August 1992 I was in Seattle, Washington. I read in the newspaper that Ray Charles would be appearing at Parker's, a large supper club. I have seen Ray Charles perform many times and bought seats as close as I could get to him or stood against the fence as close as I could get to the stage to watch him at festivals. Parker's was different, I arrived for the show about an hour early and was able to get a table about 15 feet away from him on stage. I saw his band come in and hang around in the hallway and talk and I talked to many of his band members. There was also a Parker's employee who was a bouncer standing next to the stage. I gave him $20 and told him I just had to meet Ray Charles. The bouncer told me where to be when the show was over and he and Brother Ray's valet would be escorting him out and I could shake his hand.

Tears of joy ran down my cheeks as I watched my piano hero perform. The great show is over and I go to the spot the bouncer told me to be. The hallway was packed with other people wanting to see or talk to Ray Charles. After waiting about 1/2 an hour Brother Ray emerged from his dressing room with his valet and the bouncer. In 1992 a series of Diet Pepsi commercials ran on television featuring Ray Charles as their spokesman and Ray's key line was, "You got the right one baby!" People were yelling this to him as he walked and he was so gracious and smiled at them. As they walked by me the bouncer told the valet and Brother Ray, "This man here just has to meet you." Ray turned toward me and offered his hand and said, "I'm Ray Charles." I shook his hand and told him, "If you remember how you felt when you met Art Tatum, that is how I feel meeting you now." He said, "Thank you," paused for a moment and then jumped a few inches, shook his whole body, laughed and then did that patented Ray Charles move of hugging himself and had that special Brother Ray smile on his face and said to me, "Yea, you know what I'm talking about." I said, "Yes sir, I do." Though meeting Ray Charles was important to me, being able to make this great man smile and laugh is the memory I most cherish of the meeting.

In my shows I always play some Ray Charles' songs. I usually introduce the first Brother Ray song by saying, "This is a song by the only man I would kiss on the mouth, Brother Ray Charles." I love him that much.