Ray Charles, 1930-2004: He Created a Sound That Had a Huge Influence on Popular Music
VOICE ONE:
This is Faith Lapidus.
VOICE TWO:
And this is Doug Johnson with People In America in VOA Special English.
(MUSIC)
VOICE ONE:
Last week, we began the story of a blind musician who had a huge influence on American popular music. He was famous for his recordings of jazz, rock-and-roll, blues and country music. His name was Ray Charles Robinson. But the world knew him better as Ray Charles.
(MUSIC: "Let''s Go Get Stoned")
VOICE TWO:
The name of that song is "Let's Go Get Stoned." It is an example of Ray Charles' own kind of music—his own sound. He worked hard for several years to create that sound. No one ever tried it before. He mixed black church music, blues and rock-and-roll. The sound was extremely successful. In the nineteen fifties, his records began to sell millions of copies.
At the same time, Ray Charles recorded jazz music. Those records sold well, too. Critics said they were new and exciting. Listen to his jazz song, "Sweet Sixteen Bars."
(MUSIC)
VOICE ONE:
Ray Charles became famous because he could play blues, rock and jazz. He also liked other kinds of music. He told record company officials that he wanted to record an album of country-and-western music.
The president of the record company told him it would be a mistake. He said Ray's fans would not buy the album. Charles disagreed. He said he believed he would gain many new fans to replace the few he might lose. He produced the album and it was an immediate success.
The album was called "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music." Many of the songs were major hits. One of the most popular was "I Can't Stop Loving You." It is a country-and-western song with Ray Charles' sound of blues and black church music.
(MUSIC)
VOICE TWO:
Ray Charles lived in a world of sound. For six months each year he traveled with his orchestra, performing in theaters. For the other six months, he worked in his recording studio in Los Angles, California. He did much of the recording work to produce his own albums.
Ray Charles would often say that sound and music were his life's blood. In fact, he said many times that he would not trade his musical ability for the ability to see again.
You begin to understand what sound meant to Ray Charles when you learn that he helped create and support the Robinson Foundation for Hearing Disorders. This organization helps people deal with the loss of their hearing.
You might think Ray Charles would have given his time and money to help the blind. He did not. He once said: "Being blind is my handicap. But ears are my opportunity." He said losing his hearing would have ended his life.
VOICE ONE:
Ray Charles lived a long life that included his share of problems. There was a time when he used illegal drugs. He was married and divorced several times. Yet the Ray Charles sound, and his success, continued.
He received twelve Grammy Awards from the recording industry. He was one of the first musicians to be elected to the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame. Several universities honored him. So did the French and American governments. His home state of Georgia made his recording of "Georgia on My Mind" the official state song.
Several years ago, Ray Charles was asked to sing at a political convention. He performed the song "America the Beautiful." Many people thought his recording was the best ever made.
(MUSIC)
VOICE TWO:
Ray Charles always said he owed most of his success to his mother. He said when he was a boy, she taught him a valuable lesson. She told him: "You can do anything you want to do. You cannot use your eyes. But you can work hard and use your brain."
Ray Charles died June tenth, two thousand four at the age of seventy-three. Music experts say he did more than anyone in the twentieth century to change American popular music.
VOICE ONE:
More than one hundred years ago, Alice Cary wrote a poem that could have been written for Ray Charles. She wrote:
My soul is full of whispered song, --
My blindness is my sight;
The shadows that I feared so long
Are full of life and light.
(MUSIC: "Seven Spanish Angels")
VOICE TWO:
This program was written by Paul Thompson. It was produced by Lawan Davis. This is Doug Johnson.
VOICE ONE:
And this is Faith Lapidus. Join us again next week for another PEOPLE IN AMERICA program in VOA Special English.
知识补充：雷·查尔斯资料
●1930年出生于美国乔治亚州；
●1936年目睹弟弟意外身亡后不久即因患青光眼导致终生失明；
●1954年灌唱的歌曲《IGotAWoman》被音乐界视为首支灵魂乐作品；
●1979年灌唱的老歌《GeorgiaOnMyMind》被选为老家乔治亚州的州歌；
●1986年入选摇滚名人堂；
●1988年获颁格莱美奖终身成就奖；
●2004年6月10日因肝病并发症病逝于美国加州，享年73岁。同年，洛杉矶宣布将其录音室规划为该城历史地标。
1930年，雷·查尔斯出生于美国乔治亚州。从6岁开始，雷的眼睛出了问题，视力愈来愈弱，7岁时便已完全失明。雷的母亲对他非常严格，在他失明后，还教他洗衣、升火烧水。他说：“旁人都认为她十分残忍，可我母亲一直认为，我必须要学会这一切，眼睛看不见并不代表我比别人笨。”母亲送他到佛罗里达圣奥古斯丁的一家残疾学校读书，在那里，他用布莱叶盲文学乐谱，创作音乐，并先后学会了弹钢琴、风琴，吹喇叭和奏萨克斯管。
15岁离开学校后，年幼且目盲的查尔斯开始独自追求他的音乐梦想，他开始在夜总会表演。1948年查尔斯来到西雅图，开始组成第一个三重唱，接下来几年乐团编制不断加大。50年代，雷·查尔斯开始在黑人节奏蓝调榜上多有斩获，之后他成功地突破黑白界线、打入流行市场，整个20世纪60年代到90年代都是他的黄金时期，近35年里几乎每年都有录音作品问世，他的声音频频出现在电视、电影。
73岁逝世 无数歌迷热泪盈眶
临终之前，雷推出了他的第1万场音乐会，并与B.B.金、诺拉·琼斯、威利·内尔森、詹姆斯·泰勒等12位知名歌手合录了最后一张对唱专辑《真情奉献》（GeniusLovesCompany）。这位传奇音乐人最后一次公开露面是在去年4月30日，当时他坐着轮椅参加了在洛杉矶的录音棚为他而举行的一次庆典。2004年6月10日，雷·查尔斯因肝病在加州的家中去世，享年73岁。雷去世的第二天，刚好是美国前总统罗纳德·里根下葬的日子，所以葬礼那天，许多电台都放着雷在1985年里根就职典礼上令人难忘的表演——他演唱的《美丽的美国》。它曾让无数歌迷热泪盈眶。
13次获奖 涉足音乐每一领域
查尔斯对流行音乐的最大贡献在于他把自己早年在黑人教堂里所学的福音音乐的精神，与曲调忧郁的布鲁斯音乐有机结合在一起，创立了全新的音乐流派：“灵乐”——他因此被尊称为美国“灵乐之父”。1950年与美国大西洋唱片公司签约后，雷·查尔斯推出的第一首轰动性歌曲《我有一个女人》被称为第一首真正的美国黑人歌曲。雷·查尔斯一生共13次获得代表美国流行音乐最高荣誉的格莱美奖，于1986年荣登“摇滚名人殿堂”之列，早在1987年他就获得了格莱美终身成就奖。第77届奥斯卡金像奖颁奖典礼中，以“灵魂乐之父”雷?查尔斯的故事为题材的影片《灵魂歌王》获得最佳男主角和最佳音响效果奖。
《GeniusLovesCompany》（《真情伙伴》）是雷?查尔斯生前灌录的最后一张专辑。专辑中12首歌曲都是合作作品，与雷合作的艺术家包括有布鲁斯之父B．B．King、爵士公主诺拉?琼斯、爵士天后黛安娜?克瑞尔等顶级人物，所有人加起来总计赢得过79座格莱美奖。
