Ray Charles (1930-2004)
十五歲, 痛失母親, 放棄學業, 離開原居城市 Greenville 遠赴東面 Jacksonville, 暫居母親的朋友家中, 在 LaVilla 區内駐名的 Ritz Theater 劇院任樂隊的鋼琴手, 每晚薪金為四美元, 開始以音樂為職業; 及後, 為了容易找到工作, 加入當地的樂師工會, 可以利用工會內的鋼琴練習。
滿以為在 Jacksonville 可以一顯身手, 但進展並不理想, 與多支樂隊合拍演奏亦未見成功。一年後, 走到貧瘠的 Orlando, 當地糧食短缺之外, 亦由於二次大戰剛結束, 再沒有駐營大兵到各娛樂場所消遣, 令樂手更難找到工作, 唯有改變謀生方式, 代一些樂隊編撰歌曲和樂譜的工作。1947年夏天, 應約 Lucky Millinder 和他的十六人大樂隊, 進行鋼琴彈奏試練之後, 卻未能成功獲聘用。
翌年三月, 與朋友 Gossie McKee 商量, 經五天的巴士旅程, 遠赴西岸 Washington 華盛頓州 Seattle 西雅圖, 在一個充滿酒氣煙熏的小鎮, 由於近海灣建有造船廠, 吸引了戰時非裔美國人湧入尋找工作, 在周邊地區有不少夜場會所, 和二十四小時營業的酒吧, 因而成為樂手出沒的熱點, 不過, 要找工作仍競爭激烈。Ray 在那裡遇上衹有十五歲的 Quincy Jones, 認識了他的監護人, 爵士樂隊領班, 作曲和唱片監製 Robert Blackwell; 在日後, Blackwell 對 Quincy 和 Ray 的音樂事業有很大的裨益。這兩個年紀相若的青年, 在樂壇往後的日子除了經常有合作之外, 亦成為一生的摯友。
1948年, Ray Charles 與 Gossie McKee 和 Milton Garret 組成 The Maxin Trio 三人樂隊, 在不同場合演出。1949年, 首張單曲細唱片由 Down Beat Records 公司錄製, A-面 "I Love You, I Love You", B-面 "Confession Blues", 這亦是 Ray Charles 的首張唱片錄音。至1949年為止, 這三人組合共錄製了七張細唱片, 在流行樂壇漸被注目。除了 "Confession Blues" 登上 U.S. R&B Chart 第二位之外, 其他歌曲成績平平而已。
THE MAXIN TRIO
Gossie D. Mckee - GuitarMilton Garret - Bass
Ray Charles - Piano
Confession Blues - 1949 I Love You, I Love You - 1949
1950年, Ray Charles 與結他手 Bradley Rebuchin, 鼓手 Peter Turre 和低音琴手 Thomas Fowler 組成樂隊 "Ray Charles and His Trio", 至1952年共錄製十五張單曲細唱片, 由 Swing Time 唱片公司錄製和發行, 不過仍沒有突破。同年, 以個人在樂壇一闖, 歌曲交由 Atlantic Records 錄製發行, 至1980年共有單曲唱片四十張, 在 U.S. R&B Chart 榜上十名之内有十七首, 登第一位有五首。另外, 在1960年至1973年期間, 亦有單曲細唱片交由 ABC-Paramount 唱片公司錄製發行, 五十多張當中有三首不是他原唱歌曲, 但經他演繹之後而登上 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 榜首位置。
1960 - "Georgia On My Mind" 1961 - "Hit The Road Jack"
U.S.Billboard Hot 100 - No.1 U.S.Billboard Hot 100 - No.1
原唱 Hoagy Carmichael - 1930 原唱 Percy Mayfield - 1960
1962 - "I Can't Stop Loving You"
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 - No.1
U.S. Billboard R&B Singles - No.1
U.S. Adult Contemporary - No.1
U.K. Singles Chart - No.1
Australian Single Charts - No. 1
Norwegian Singles Chart - No. 4
U.S. Billboard R&B Singles - No.1
U.S. Adult Contemporary - No.1
U.K. Singles Chart - No.1
Australian Single Charts - No. 1
Norwegian Singles Chart - No. 4
原唱 Don Gibson - 1957
I CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU
(I can't stop loving you)
I've made up my mind
To live in memory of the lonesome times
(I can't stop wanting you)
It's useless to say
So I'll just live my life in dreams of yesterday
(Dreams of yesterday)
Those happy hours that we once knew
Tho' long ago, they still make me blue
They say that time heals a broken heart
But time has stood still since we've been apart
(I can't stop loving you)
I've made up my mind
To live in memories of the lonesome times
(I can't stop wanting you)
It's useless to say
So I'll just live my life in dreams of yesterday
(Those happy hours)
Those happy hours
(That we once knew)
That we once knew
(Tho' long ago)
Tho' long ago
(Still make me blue)
Still ma-a-a-ake me blue
(They say that time)
They say that time
(Heals a broken heart)
Heals a broken heart
(But time has stood still)
Time has stood still
(Since we've been apart)
Since we've been apart
(I can't stop loving you)
I said I made up my mind
To live in memory of the lonesome times
(Sing a song, children)
(I can't stop wanting you)
It's useless to say
So I'll just live my life of dreams of yesterday
(Of yesterday)
I've made up my mind
To live in memory of the lonesome times
(I can't stop wanting you)
It's useless to say
So I'll just live my life in dreams of yesterday
(Dreams of yesterday)
Those happy hours that we once knew
Tho' long ago, they still make me blue
They say that time heals a broken heart
But time has stood still since we've been apart
(I can't stop loving you)
I've made up my mind
To live in memories of the lonesome times
(I can't stop wanting you)
It's useless to say
So I'll just live my life in dreams of yesterday
(Those happy hours)
Those happy hours
(That we once knew)
That we once knew
(Tho' long ago)
Tho' long ago
(Still make me blue)
Still ma-a-a-ake me blue
(They say that time)
They say that time
(Heals a broken heart)
Heals a broken heart
(But time has stood still)
Time has stood still
(Since we've been apart)
Since we've been apart
(I can't stop loving you)
I said I made up my mind
To live in memory of the lonesome times
(Sing a song, children)
(I can't stop wanting you)
It's useless to say
So I'll just live my life of dreams of yesterday
(Of yesterday)