Died On This Date (June 10, 2004) Ray Charles / Pop Music Icon
themusicsover Ray Charles (Born Ray Robinson)
September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004
Ray Charles was one of America’s greatest voices. He was called “the only true genius in the business” by none other than Frank Sinatra. The son of a share cropper, Charles lost his sight at the age of five. While attending a school for the deaf and blind, Charles was taught classical piano, but after his mother died, he left the school and changed his focus to the music he loved and would forever be associated with. By the time he was 17, he was making records for Swing Time Records, scoring his first R&B hit, “Confession Blues” in 1949. In 1951, Ahmet Ertegun signed him to Atlantic Records, starting him down the road that would eventually lead him to the status of American icon. Ray Charles died of liver cancer on June 10, 2004.
What You Should Own
At 105 years old, Huey Long was the last surviving member of Doo Wop legends, the Ink Spots. Long’s career began back in 1925 as a banjoist for one of Houston’s most popular Dixieland bands of the ’20s, Frank Davis’ Louisiana Jazz Band. He later moved to Chicago and switched to the more popular guitar. In 1944, he was asked to join the Ink Spots with whom he stayed for the next 40 years. Long passed away of natural causes on June 10, 2009.
Red Shea was a much respected Canadian guitarist who was closely associated with Gordon Lightfoot. Known for his superb picking style, Shea is often credit for giving Lightfoot his unique sound. Beginning his career in television, Shea was part of the house band on Music Hop, Canada’s answer to American Bandstand. Alex Trebeck was the show’s announcer at the time. In 1965, Shea moved on to work with Lightfoot, with whom he stayed for the next ten years. Shea later went back to Canadian television where he hosted his own variety show. Red Shea died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 70.
Jack Nimitz began playing the saxophone while a teenager in Washington DC. Throughout the ’50s, he played with such jazz greats as Woody Herman, Herbie Mann and