leigh8bee@optusnet.com.au
(Leigh_Bee) wrote:

Dear oh dear now a real person has
died, does he get a state funeral?

I second that notion.

The state of Georgia won't forget him. When you cross the state line
from Florida the welcome sign says "We're glad you have Georgia on your
mind."

One of his funniest remarks was what
was the worst part about being blind His
answer "I never know if I am being
watched when I wank!" LB

hanhanh hanh hanh!

That was a good one!

He went to school here in St. Augustine. Here's a little news bit:

http://www.staugustine.com/stories/022503/new_1351077.shtml

Ray Charles is the most famous alumnus of the Florida School for the
Deaf and the Blind. He was a student there from 1937-1945 under his real
name, Ray Charles Robinson (when he launched his music career, he didn't
want to be confused with boxer Sugar Ray Robinson -- whose real name was
Walker Smith -- so he dropped his last name).

While here, he used to perform live music at the historic tabby WFOY
Radio building -- the same place where Billy Graham preached his first
radio sermons.

Michael Lydon's 1998 biography, "Ray Charles: Man and Music" contains
much information about the musician's time in St. Augustine, mentioning
that he was taught to read Braille at age seven by the late Deacon Otis
Knowles (1909-1999) who lived at 86 Duero St. in Lincolnville. The book
reprints Ray Charles' student record card, with the final notation
"Unsatisfactory pupil," after his 1945 expulsion. The story is told that
when he left Florida, Charles had a friend who could see look at a map
of the United States to tell him how far away he could get -- and moved
out to Seattle.

He has never been back to St. Augustine (though he did get as close as
Jacksonville). Richard White, when a city commissioner, proposed that
Charles be invited back to give a concert on the fort green, but he
could not interest the other commissioners in following through.

Perhaps if he had better memories of his time here, Ray Charles might
have had St. Augustine, rather than Georgia, on his mind all these years
to the immeasurable economic benefit of the Ancient City.

Lawdy Leigh.......

Have you seen these in OZ?

They sell them here at a major drug store chain. I thought they were
kind of neat. People will be grabbing them up now.


http://images.misupply.com/products/thumbs/Gifts%20of%20Note/105271.jpg_raycharlesS.jpg