Music legend Ray Charles is getting another accolade. The United States Postal Service is honoring the late singer with a commemorative stamp to be released on Monday, as part of its Music Icons series that had previously honored Tejano music singer/guitarist Lydia Mendoza and country legend Johnny Cash.
On that day – which is also Charles' birthday – two events for the stamp will take place: one at Morehouse College's Ray Charles Performing Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia – the state where Charles was born – and the other at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Ashanti will perform as part of the Atlanta event and Chaka Khan will be singing at the Grammy Museum.
The artwork for the stamp is based on a photograph by Yves Carrère. Designer Neal Ashby, who with art director Ethel Kessler was involved in the search for just the right photo, told the USPS publication Beyond the Perf that it was hard to find an iconic image, given Charles' long career. "I was looking for that smile, that slight cock of the head – that almost rapturous expression he had when he performed," he said. Eventually, a photograph that was used on the album The Best of Ray Charles was selected. "It’s Ray soaking in the applause and the pure joy of the moment," Kessler told Beyond the Perf. "I loved the color in his shirt and the diagonal of the photo. It’s clean and graphic, which I knew would work well at stamp size."
The release of the Charles postage stamp also coincides with a new compilation album, Ray Charles Forever, which is due out on Tuesday, September 24th. It features recordings by Charles of standards including "America the Beautiful" and "Ring of Fire," as well a previously-unreleased recording of "They Can't Take That Away From Me," which Charles often performed in his live shows.
I like this song & video.. I thought Mr.Charles was
going to fall off that bench..he had some leg moves..
CoolMoeDee
That's just the thing. That was one of Ray's trademark moves. If he wasn't on the edge of falling off, he wasn't FEELING it. And he knew his balance. That guy was ultra talented lol
For Ray Charles' Birthday a New CD/DVD and a Postage Stamp
Katherine Cole
September 27, 2013
This week, marking what would have been Ray Charles 83rd birthday, the U.S. Postal Service honored the singer with a new postage stamp. And, there’s also a new CD and DVD collection featuring great Ray Charles performances.
“Ray Charles Forever” opens with a newly remastered version of fellow piano man Leon Russell’s “A Song For You.” It's one of a dozen tunes on the CD in the collection.
For Ray Charles' Birthday, New CD/DVD and a Postage Stamp
President of the Ray Charles Foundation Valerie Ervin says that while fans of the singer and pianist may already have most of this music, there are extras that make this set special.
“We released some DVD footage, some of that has never been seen or put out in many, many years," she said. "Some of it was shot over in Europe, it was a live show, so we are releasing that to DVD. That will be bonus footage for everyone to enjoy. And a lot of the tracks were remastered, so the sound comes up to today’s quality of sound, if you will.”
But there is one never-before-released recording on “Ray Charles Forever.”
“They Can’t Take That Away From Me” is a song that Ray always performed in his live shows, but it’s never been put out on record," Ervin said. "So, a lot of people are going to get this track for the very first time and hear it for the very first time.”
We often think of Charles as a great Rhythm and Blues singer, so hearing a swinging version of a George and Ira Gershwin classic - or his country songs - is a good reminder that he sang all kinds of American popular music.
Valerie Ervin explains that Charles believed singing was another form of storytelling.
“It heals people, it helps people, no matter what genre you’re singing," she said. "So, for him to take an old gospel song and sing it and bring it to life, everyone gravitates to it. You go ‘I never heard that song before.’ But when he puts his stamp on it, you thought that it really happened to him. And that’s what music is all about.”
The 20-minute DVD portion of the package includes songs recorded during some mid-1990s festivals and interviews from the 1980s. A music-only version of “Ray Charles Forever” is available for download, as well.
My Mom is a postal worker & she called me from her break the other day to tell me how she had these two early-20-somethings at her window that had no idea who Ray Charles was. I think one of em said something like -Oh was he the one in that Great Balls Of Fire movie? My Mom absolutely couldn't believe it. She even said to me: They were Black & they didn't even know who Ray Charles was!
"Hyperactive when I was small, Hyperactive now I'm grown, Hyperactive 'till I'm dead and gone"
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ___
My Mom is a postal worker & she called me from her break the other day to tell me how she had these two early-20-somethings at her window that had no idea who Ray Charles was. I think one of em said something like -Oh was he the one in that Great Balls Of Fire movie? My Mom absolutely couldn't believe it. She even said to me: They were Black & they didn't even know who Ray Charles was!
You can bet their parents don't know who he is either or if they did have an idea failed to teach their kids who he was.
For Ray Charles' Birthday a New CD/DVD and a Postage Stamp
Katherine Cole
September 27, 2013
This week, marking what would have been Ray Charles 83rd birthday, the U.S. Postal Service honored the singer with a new postage stamp. And, there’s also a new CD and DVD collection featuring great Ray Charles performances.
“Ray Charles Forever” opens with a newly remastered version of fellow piano man Leon Russell’s “A Song For You.” It's one of a dozen tunes on the CD in the collection.
For Ray Charles' Birthday, New CD/DVD and a Postage Stamp
President of the Ray Charles Foundation Valerie Ervin says that while fans of the singer and pianist may already have most of this music, there are extras that make this set special.
“We released some DVD footage, some of that has never been seen or put out in many, many years," she said. "Some of it was shot over in Europe, it was a live show, so we are releasing that to DVD. That will be bonus footage for everyone to enjoy. And a lot of the tracks were remastered, so the sound comes up to today’s quality of sound, if you will.”
But there is one never-before-released recording on “Ray Charles Forever.”
“They Can’t Take That Away From Me” is a song that Ray always performed in his live shows, but it’s never been put out on record," Ervin said. "So, a lot of people are going to get this track for the very first time and hear it for the very first time.”
We often think of Charles as a great Rhythm and Blues singer, so hearing a swinging version of a George and Ira Gershwin classic - or his country songs - is a good reminder that he sang all kinds of American popular music.
Valerie Ervin explains that Charles believed singing was another form of storytelling.
“It heals people, it helps people, no matter what genre you’re singing," she said. "So, for him to take an old gospel song and sing it and bring it to life, everyone gravitates to it. You go ‘I never heard that song before.’ But when he puts his stamp on it, you thought that it really happened to him. And that’s what music is all about.”
The 20-minute DVD portion of the package includes songs recorded during some mid-1990s festivals and interviews from the 1980s. A music-only version of “Ray Charles Forever” is available for download, as well.
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