"Always remember your promise to me." "Never let nobody or nothing turn you into no cripple." "All right!" "Rest stop, 45 minutes." "Come on, folks." "We gotta move." "We leave at 2:45 p. m." "on the dot." "Can't be late." "Hot meals and bathrooms inside." "All right, uh, there's a window out back for y'all to buy sandwiches." "And I suggest you make good use of them outhouses." "Ain't nothing but bushes for you in the Carolinas." "Sir." "Can I help you, sir?" "Yes, sir." "Seattle?" "Who you riding with?" "Nobody." "Just me." "Boy, I can't take responsibility for some blind nigger traveling 3,500 miles alone." "I" " I-I paid for this here ticket, and it says that you have to take me to Seattle." "Don't you be smarting off to me, boy." "With all due respect, sir, I earned the right." "I may have left my eyes on Omaha Beach, but I ain't asking no charity from Uncle Sam." "I got a job waiting for me in Seattle." "You were in Normandy?" "Shuttling troopers to the beach." "We took a direct hit." "I'm sorry, son." "I'll keep an eye on you myself." "Come on." "Take a seat in the back." "Til, what the hell do you think you're doin'?" "Billy, don't get your feathers all ruffled now." "I met this ol' boy over at the O.C. at Clarkfield, and well, he plays a mean jazz piano." "I don't care if he whistles Dixie out his ass." "He ain't gonna do it here." "Sir." "Boy, are you blind?" "Yes, sir." "Since I was seven." "Well, let me help you out then." "This is a country band." "We don't play no boogie-woogie." "Uh, yes, I understand." "I love country music." "All right, go on." "Tell me." "What is it you love about country music?" "I" " I love the stories." "Uh, you know, about fallin' in love and having love knock you around and then the pressures of the world on you so tough." "It-It makes you feel small." "You want to give your soul to God." "You might as well." "Your ass belongs to Him." "Boy, are you sure you blind?" "Last time I checked." "Okay." "Come on in." "Billy, I think you're outvoted." "Til, one hint of trouble, and your blind nigra's out of here." "Damn!" "Here." "I'm gonna have to put some glasses before he scares somebody half to death." "Seattle, Washington, folks." "Change bus here for all points north:" "Bellingham, Mount Vernon." "Vancouver, Canada." "Uh, that's Diz." "Emanon." "Yeah." "But what's it spell backwards?" "Ah-ah-ah, come on, man." "Why don't you give me something difficult?" ""No Name. "" "Say, daddy-o, what ax you play?" "Uh, piano." "Just blew in from Tampa, Florida." "Me and my partner, Gossie McGee, came here, you know, want to fatten up our style." "Cop some licks from some more experienced cats." "You dig?" "You know what?" "Why don't you let me take you inside?" "You know, show you around." "All right." "Perfect gentleman." "Yeah." "This is just like my place." "So, what's your name?" "Ray Robinson." "I'm Quincy Jones." "Quincy Jones." "Hey, Gerry!" "This here's my man, Ray." "He's here to see his friend, Gossie McGee." "So I figured I'll show him inside" "Don't mess with me, Q. He can come in, but not you." "Vice is on my ass for letting you underage kids in." "Get out of here, Q." "Can't you see- Get out of here, Q." "He's blind!" "I gotta show him in." "Get out." "Jive-ass." "What?" "Hey, Ray Robinson, when am I gonna hear you play, baby?" "Uh, well, that may cost you." "Welcome, all you cool cats and fine felines." "You've come to the place where the sophisti-cats and hipsters hang their bebop hats." "So snuggle up and come near for tonight is Talent Night at The Rocking Chair." "Let's hear it for Dancin' Al!" "Gossie's been cattin' around with one of my waitresses since he got here." "He never told me that his partner was a blind 'Bama boy." "Marlene, Demurs just called." "Thurmond's sick." "What about Sassy?" "Flat tire." "Okay, 'Bama." "Why don't you get on up there and show me what you got?" "Well, I-I'm not prepared to do my thing right now, tonight" "This is the only audition you're going to get, puddin'." "So either get on up there, or you and Gossie can haul your asses back down South." "Here." "Smoke some of this." "This ain't no tobacco, man." "No, hold it in, it'll calm you down." "All right, Oberon." "Get on up there and introduce him." "Yes, ma'am." "Okay, 'Bama." "Let's go." "Yeah." "Now, I got something special for all you satin dolls." "And I don't mean Oberon's big thunder." "Now that's for another show." "Now we got some new blood for ya." "Yeah, straight off the bus from Florida," "I give you Ray "Don't Call Me Sugar" Robinson!" "How y'all doing tonight?" "Better than you!" "Relax, Ray." "Relax." "I got it." "Uh-uh, what do y'all want to hear?" "How about a little Nat King Cole?" "Y'all like Nat King Cole?" "'Bama ain't bad." "Yeah, I'd say he saved our asses." "What the hell is Ray doin' up there?" "Auditioning for you, Gossie." "He ain't no good without me." "How'd you and the 'Bama like to do a week here at the Chair?" "I know a good bass player." "A nice jazz trio could score big with the right manager." "Manager?" "Come on now, Gossie, don't be so small-minded." "You know you've got to give to get." "Now what exactly do I have to give?" "25 percent." "But I'll be gettin' you other gigs." "All right, next question:" "What do I get?" "What do you need?" "Double scale as leader, plus 10 percent." "What about the 'Bama?" "He's about as green as a blade of grass." "I can handle him." "Yeah, he's green." "So, Gossie, you don't need to worry about a hotel room for the 'Bama." "He can flop at my place." "Hey, y'all never change." "Ray, you coming back to bed?" "I'm getting some water." "I can see that, but mama ain't finished yet." "For the first time anywhere, let's hear it for The McSon Trio!" "Ray, when you coming out?" "In a minute." "Mama's got some more blackberry cobbler for you, baby." "Damn." "Marlene, if you're gonna send us out on tour, we're gonna need more than $5 a day." "How come we can't get paid after each gig?" "Because you boys will spend everything you make." "The club sends the checks to me, so as I can bank them." "I just want to see my own checks, that's all." "You don't see, Ray." "You're blind, baby." "Or did you forget?" "Now, you want to go out on your own and see how well you do?" "Ray!" "Hey, Marlene, where's Ray?" "He's in the back bedroom." "And wipe your feet." "Ray, uh, six-nine, where you at?" "Six-nine." "Six-nine." "Lionel Hampton just asked me to go on the road with him, man!" "Lionel Hampton, man!" "Sure he did." "Then why you still here?" "And dig this:" "His wife, she kicked me off the tour bus." "Told me to come back when I started shaving." "You believe that?" "Uh-uh, Seven-oh, could you do me a favor, man, and close that bag for me?" "What's wrong?" "You got two hands." "You can close it yourself." "I got two feet, too." "Could you close it?" "I got it." "Excuse me, sir!" "Man, we're gonna be late." "I got to get my own place, Gossie." "Why?" "I mean, you got free rent right now." "Like hell it's free rent." "Oh, come on, Ray." "Why you gonna mess with a good thing?" "All I'm saying is you keep laying' that pipe with Marlene, and I bet you she's gonna make us all rich." "Hey, sir, excuse me!" "Just back from their triumphant tour of the Yakima Valley, The McSon Trio!" "They'll be back right here, same time, same place, next week." "Hey, baby, you sound more like Nat than the King himself." "What's your name?" "Ray Robinson." "Ray Robinson?" "I'm Jack Lauderdale, Swing Time Records." "Oh, hey-hey, hey, Jack!" "How you doing, man?" "Good." "Oh, good." "How about us makin' a record together?" "Oh, yeah, yeah." "Hell, yeah!" "Let's do that." "Can I help you?" "I don't think so." "We're just talking a little business." "Then you need to talk to me, 'cause I'm his manager." "Whichever way the wind blows." "It's blowing." "Jack Lauderdale, Swing Time Records." "Marlene Andres." "Marlene?" "Gossie McGee." "Gossie McGee." "Great set, baby." "We're going to talk with Mr. Lauderdale here." "Come on, Jack." "I'm buying." "I'm coming in, uh, to talk to him." "You are doing a fabulous job!" "Yes, man." "Eh, look, let's talk to him about this record." "Hey, no, no, we're gonna let Marlene handle that." "You get Oberon to call you a cab, all right." "Great set, Ray." "Goss!" "Hey, daddy-o, want a smoke?" "I got some gage, fresh off the boat." "It's clean and seedless." "So that's how it is, huh?" "You keep me high while they talk the business?" "I ain't the one playing you, man." "Oberon, listen..." "You know, Marlene and Gossie are the ones running the game on you, Ray." "What?" "They sliced up the pie the first night you played." "35 percent off the top." "Plus Gossie's double scale as leader." "Leader?" "If anybody's leading the band," "I'm the one that's the leader." "Forget the bo' humps." "You know what?" "I" " I'm-I'm gonna go my own way." "Who's gonna book your gigs?" "Marlene's got you locked up." "And she ain't gonna give up her golden goose." "Hey, Ray Robinson, you are fantastic." "There you go." "Give me some skin." "What's that?" "Jack's card." "I got his number at the hotel." "Come on, Q. It's not that complicated." "Now let's just play it again." "That's a B flat, C 7, scale it up, and triple it off the back end." "Yeah, nigger!" "Yeah, that's it." "Ray, what did I tell you about cookin' in the dark?" "Are you tryin' to burn the house down?" "Think about it, Marlene." "Uh-uh, What do I need the light for?" "Well, you don't need to be cookin' anyway." "We brought you takeout from Oscar's." "Well, get your money back." "I got fried chicken right here." "Come on, Seven-oh, try this." "Yeah!" "About time." "Hey, that's home-cooked, right there." "Mmm, no, thank you." "This chicken is the mostest, huh." "Just needs a little hot sauce and it'll be perfect." "Yeah." "So, what did Jack Lauderdale have to say?" "Oh, I clocked him comin' out the gate." "He's a two-bit hustler." "Oh, I see." "Yeah, turns out the only hit that Swing Time ever had was Open the Door, Richard, which was a joke record." "Uh-uh-uh, what about him recording' me?" "Oh, he'll record you, if we pay the freight." "Scratch a liar, find a thief." "What's that supposed to mean?" "This." "You see I saw Jack Lauderdale tonight, and he gave me a $500 advance on my record." "He also said he'll put me on the road with Lowell Fulson and pay me three times what you pay." "Now, that's a lie!" "Hey, no way he's not gonna put some blind man on the road." "Think about it." "I mean, you-you need watching' out for." "And he ain't got the time to look after you the way I do." "Is that what you've been doing, Gossie?" "Watchin' out for me?" "Is that why you get paid double what I do?" "Who told you that?" "It's true, ain't it?" "You two have been gaming me since I got here." "Ray, baby, listen- I ain't listening to you!" "Ray, I've-I've been meaning to talk to you about that." "Then why aren't you talkin'?" "Um, look, Ray, Ray, let's not do nothin' stupid." "I might be blind, but I ain't stupid!" "Q., get my bag from upstairs." "What?" "Get it!" "Wha- right now?" "Now." "Ray, man, we done been through a whole lot." "Ray, now wait a minute." "I can explain everything." "Think about what you're doing." "Ray, Ray, now you're makin' a big mistake." "That clown is spoutin' promises that he can't keep." "You'd be a fool to follow him." "Ray, Ray, we'll make a new deal!" "Whatever makes you happy!" "The deal is you can lay the pipe now." "You'll break your neck going down these stairs by yourself." "Hang on." "Oh, man." "Ray, I ain't never seen you do nothing like that, man." "Never." "That ain't nothing, Seven-oh." "Stop cheating, Ray." "George, you can't catch me." "Come on." "Aretha!" "Come on, George." "Aretha Robinson, have you lost your mind?" "Eula, you promised to split every wash basket with me, fair and square!" "And I did!" "Hell, you did!" "You charge white folks one thing and pay me another." "Now who's gonna wash these?" "You can." "Now pay me my money!" "Okay, I'm a-giving you your two little dollars." "But don't you be expectin' no more work out of me!" "I got all I need out of you." "Ray and George, come on!" "That's right." "Get out of my yard and don't y'all never come back!" "Y'all got to learn to read and write real good, so you never have to work for people like that." "Scratch a liar, find a thief." "Understand?" "Yes, Mama." "Smell that, Ray." "Smell the success." "We're in LA, man, the place where the Negro comes to spread his wings." "You-you know, man, I know my ears ain't deceiving' me." "Is that Art Tatum?" "It sure is, baby." "You want to meet him?" "I" " I can't meet him." "A" " Art Tatum is the most." "So, Ray, we got to talk about your name, man:" "Robinson." "Sugar Ray got the Robinson franchise all sewed up." "So I'm thinkin' we go with your middle name, Charles." "As in, Ray Charles." "I don't care what you call me, man, just as long as my name's on the record." "But we're gonna toast to that." "Hey, what's the haps, Jack?" "Oh, my goodness." "Give me some skin." "What's up, baby?" "How you doin'?" "Lowell Fulson, meet your new piano player:" "Ray Charles." "Ray Charles, the blind sensation." "Ow!" "Damn!" "I'm gonna use that on the album cover." "He's really the sensation." "I" " I love your music, Mr. Fulson." "Uh, the man's got taste." "Hey, and the man ain't been on the road with a band before, so now you take care of him." "Like my own brother." "Ray." "I'm gonna be right back." "All right." "Yeah, you got the one on the left." "Look here, let me do the talking." "Don't go inside that place." "You know what Mama said." "Go home and don't tell Mama nothin'." "Go, George." "George, get out of here!" "Hey, boy, who let you in?" "You must be Aretha's son, huh?" "Yes, sir." "Ray Charles Robinson." "I've been seeing you sneakin' around here." "You like the piano, huh?" "Come on, you want to learn how to play?" "Come on over here." "Let me show you how to play." "Come on." "I'm gonna teach you how to play." "What we'll do, I'm gonna teach you three notes, right?" "This is the first note, right here." "Play that." "And here's the second note, right here." "Play that." "Here's the third note." "Now, here's the way it goes." "Listen." "Listen closely, now." "Play that." "Good!" "Try the other notes." "Every club we hit, it's your responsibility to rehearse the band." "These are some lazy-ass bastards, so you gotta make sure that they don't slough off." "You gotta be ready and dressed to open the show." "Now, Lowell likes to take a nap before he goes on." "You just do your thing until he feels like comin' out." "And when Lowell's playin', you keep the band sharp." "Uh-uh, just one thing." "What?" "Did Jack tell you that I have to be paid in singles?" "You just do your job, you're gonna get your money." "How'd you get the name Fathead anyway?" "Why do they call me Fathead?" "Nah, you don't want to hear." "But this is what I really want to know." "Do any of you fine young ladies know where we can get a nice steak this time of night?" "You mean something big, thick, and juicy?" "Oh, yeah, that's just what I mean." "Fathead, where you guys headed, man?" "I ain't babysittin' no blind cat." "Uh, I'm sorry, Ray, but, uh, the law says there's only six to a cab." "Come on, ladies, let's get out of here." "Pay up, baby!" "Yeah, that's all right." "I been shootin' craps since I was 12 years old." "Don't never shoot craps on a white woman's grave." "Why not?" "It's bad luck." "That's for being late to the bus." "Wilbur, you a low-down piece" "You better move on." "Ah, Mr. One-dollar Bill." "$5, $10, $15, $20" "Now, you like to start counting that again?" "All right, damn you." "$284, $285..." "Listen, man, I ain't no damn seeing'- eye dog." "Fathead, open up." "Open up." "I got to take a leak." "Hey, what you doing, man?" "Close the door, Fat!" "Say, Ray, we'll be in here for a little while." "Use the women's can, down there on your right." "I don't want to use the women's can." "This way." "Oh, God!" "Say, Ray, you all right?" "Yeah, I must have slipped on the wet." "There's a pipe broke." "There's water everywhere." "You see it?" "Let's go, man." "Close the door." "All right, quit playing, Ray." "We'll be in here a while." "Now go on now!" "Where you from, Ray?" "North Florida." "Oh, North Florida boy." "Your people still down there?" "No." "All right." "Hey, uh, pardon me for askin', but how do you get around so good without a cane or a dog?" "How do you get around so good without a cane or dog?" "I'm sorry." "I didn't mean to pry." "My ears got to be my eyes, man." "Its" "Everything sounds different." "You know that's why I wear hard-soled shoes, so I can hear my footsteps echo off the wall." "So when I pass by an open doorway, the sound changes." "Wow." "That's cool." "You know you got to learn pretty quick if you want to get around on your own." "Yeah." "You know, during the war, there was a whole lot" "I had to learn fast, or I wouldn't be here." "Seein' that much death ain't natural." "Yeah, seein' death ain't natural." "Boys, get from 'round that still." "Y'all know better than that." "Come on, catch me." "Stay from 'round this fire and get clean." "Dinner will be ready soon." "Hear me, Ray?" "I got you." "I got you." "No, you didn't." "You missed me." "Stop cheating', Ray." "Okay, you got me." "But I got you back." "I'm not playin' no more." "Sissy!" "Come on, Ray." "Let's go swimmin'." "Let's go swim in Mama's washtub." "Ray, come on, Ray, play with me." "You better get down before Mama sees you." "I'm a giant!" "Some giant." "Come on, George." "I ain't playin' this game." "That ain't funny." "Boys, I got some field peas and rice cooking." "And there's that smothered corn left from yesterday." "And if you're real good, I might have two pieces of peach cobbler." "Ray, didn't I tell you to get in this house?" "Dear God, no!" "That's Aretha's boy!" "Breathe, baby, breathe." "Just breathe, baby, breathe." "Let it out!" "Let it out, please!" "Breathe for your mama, now." "Come on, George." "Why didn't you do somethin'?" "Why didn't you call me?" "Help us, Lord!" "The Lord done took him home." "All right." "Food and piss stop." "Open it up." "The food is hot." "You've got 45 minutes." "I could eat a horse." "Where's it?" "Follow your nose." "Right over there." "Wilbur." "What?" "45 minutes ain't enough time." "We need more than that, Jack." "Not to eat, you don't." "Now if you got other business, you better choose, because this bus is rollin' on time." "Come on, Mercedes got a washroom in the back." "And you, you can smell it." "Jeff." "Yes, sir?" "Uh, could you help me in there?" "Sure thing, Ray." "Hey, Mercedes." "Hey, baby." "I hope you wiped your feet before you came in here." "There you go." "Come on." "Take that." "The bathroom's right there in front of you." "Okay." "You want me to fix you a plate?" "Uh, no, I'm-I'm fine." "All right." "Sweet potato pie it is." "Whoo, let's go, man." "That was a long bus ride, wasn't it?" "Oh, come on, man." "Hey, man!" "The can's down the hall." "I know where the can is." "What y'all doing?" "Do yourself a favor and leave." "I'll leave when I'm gettin' ready to leave." "Come on, Fathead, I want in." "This ain't no weed, Ray." "And we ain't snorting no bitch." "This is boy." "Boy'll make your ass null and void." "So get on out of here, man." "Null and void, just like my life." "I'll be right at home." "Look, I ain't gonna wait all night." "Hell, it's his funeral, man." "Ray, let's go get something to eat." "I'll leave when I get a taste." "Ray, what you gonna do, man?" "This train's pullin' out, brother." "I ain't having nothin' to do with this." "I warned you, Ray." "Come on, man." "I been warned." "Sit down, Ray." "Right there." "I'm gonna take you on a little ride." "It'll cost you, though." "You got some cash?" "Will this do?" "That'll do." "Where you been?" "Where them other fools?" "Come on, get it while it's hot!" "You're going to feel a little pinch." "I ain't givin' up on you, boy." "Feel it, baby?" "Just take the ride." "It's better than sex." "There ain't nothin' better than sex." "Ray, come on, let me put this salve on I got from Dr. McLeod." "No, I don't like it." "It stings." "Boy, get up here." "I paid a whole dollar for it." "It better work." "Now hold up your head, like the doctor says." "This is gonna make you feel better." "Ray, come on in for dinner." "And stop rubbing' those eyes." "Ray, I won't beat around the bush with you." "You're goin' blind." "The doctor's sayin' there's nothing they can do, so we got to do it ourselves." "Yes, ma'am, I know, but" "Stop it." "Stop it right now." "We ain't got no time for no tears." "Ain't nobody gonna have no pity on you just 'cause you're goin' blind." "Now wipe them eyes." "Yes, ma'am." "Okay, I'll show you how to do something once." "I'll help you if you mess up twice." "But the third time, you're on your own, 'cause that's the way it is in the world." "All right, now get up." "Remember, you goin' blind, but you ain't stupid." "Remember how many stairs there were?" "Four." "Good." "You're gonna have to learn how to use your memory." "Now turn around." "I want you to hold out your hands, and use them as your eyes, and find the door." "Good." "That's real good, baby." "Hi." "This fool makes one record, and you'd think he's the star of the band." "Well, he's got somethin', ain't he?" "His wax won't even hit the charts." "You're still the man." "She wasn't that fine." "There's somethin' wrong with you." "No, man, she's fine." "She's fine." "You leave her alone." "Look at Ray." "You see that?" "He feels her wrist 'cause he figures that's the way to tell if she's good-looking or not." "You know I had my eye on you all night long." "Oh, he right this time." "See what a little fame does to Null and Void?" "Anybody see that fine-looking gal in the yellow dress?" "You hear this man?" "You snooze, you lose." "We gonna dock your pay, man." "That's $2 off of your busride." "All right, who's next?" "It's a shame, Jimmy." "You're just gonna piss this right up your arm." "You don't tell me what to do with my money." "All right, come on." "Step up." "The $1 sensation." "You wanna keep counting?" "What's the matter with you, boy?" "$50 ain't good enough for you?" "That ain't $50." "Keep counting." "I guess you want charity, since that record of yours ain't selling." "Get him off my back!" "Break it up!" "What the hell's going on in here?" "The blind sensation don't like the money I'm trying to pay him!" "He's cheating me!" "I quit!" "Oh, you lying son of a bitch!" "Don't be fighting nobody that can see!" "Listen, I ain't runnning' around lookin' for singles for this chump!" "There's $50 here, Ray." "You see that, fool?" "Shut up, Wilbur!" "Ray, from now on, I'll handle your pay myself." "I'm tired of this!" "I'll tell Jack to find you somebody else!" "You sure?" "It's cold out there." "Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself." "Ray!" "Damn it, Wilbur!" "Let him go!" "What we gonna do now?" ""After the death of Moses, the Lord spake unto Joshua saying:" ""'Moses my servant is dead." ""'Now therefore arise." "Go over to Jordan." ""'Be not afraid, for the Lord thy God is with thee. "'" "Mr. Charles." "Who is it?" "Mr. Charles, my name is Ahmet Ertegun." "May I have a moment of your time?" "What do you want, man?" "I'm at church." "I'm sorry." "I'll come back later." "You're here now." "What do you want?" "My company, Atlantic Records, has acquired your contract from Swing Time." "I'd like to discuss your future." "Hold on." "Don't jive me now." "I ain't for sale." "May I sit down?" "You see, Mr. Charles," "Jack Lauderdale has found himself, shall we say, a little overextended, and has had to unload some of his talent." "When your name came up, I jumped at the chance to work with you." "I'm a big fan." "What if I want to go to another company?" "There's a guy out there right now that is willing to pay me seven cents a record." "Can you do that?" "Man, I could promise you 15 cents a record, but you won't get it any more than he'll pay you seven." "What I will do is promise you five cents a record and pay you five cents a record." "If you think pennies, Mr. Charles, you get pennies." "You think dollars, you get dollars." "I like how you put things together, man." "Ahem, you know what?" "Omelet, you're all right with me." "Ahmet." "Ahmet." "What kind of name is that?" "I'm Turkish." "Well, you know what?" "I guess Jack Lauderdale's bad luck is my good fortune." "I knew that Atlantic Records was bigger than Swing Time." "You guys do good music." "I dig Atlantic." "You could have fooled me." "Well, you know, I gotta keep my eye on you city boys." "Down home, we call it "country dumb. "" "Hey, man, it ain't Turkish." "What do you think?" "Man, nobody wants another Nat King Cole." "Ahmet, it's just like Charles Brown." "Okay, I'll talk to him." "All right, fellas, that's a cut." "That's a cut, fellas." "Fellas!" "Band can take five." "He just don't get it." "You either sound original, or you got nothin'." "Ahmet, what'd you think of that?" "Ray, I want to tell you something, and I don't want you to take it wrong." "Then give it to me right." "I signed you because I sensed something special in you not because you sound like Nat Cole or Charles Brown." "I thought you like what I do." "We-we love the timbre of your voice, we like your virtuosity, your energy" "But not my music." "Come on, man, I didn't say that." "Ahmet, this is what I do, man." "I gotta make a living." "This is what the people want." "I don't know no other way." "We got to help you find one." "Look, let's try a little change of pace, okay?" "You're familiar with stride piano?" "You kidding me, man?" "The man who I learned the piano from is a stride player." "Okay, I got a song." "It's called The Mess Around." "The Mess Around." "Cute title." "Who wrote it?" "I did." "Ah, you wrote it." "Yeah." "Well, sing it to me, man." "Sing it?" "Yeah." "It ain't like I can read the lyrics." "Okay." "Well, it's the key of G." "Okay." "Key of G." "Uh-huh." "Yeah." "Yeah, but it's a kind of Pete Johnson thing." "Pete Johnson." "Yeah, yeah, that's it." "You like that?" "Here we go." "Two, three, four." "All right, that's good." "Let me take it from here." "Now we got something!" "That's all right there." "What do you think, Ahmet?" "Great, Ray!" "Unbelievable!" "Who's that?" "Ray, I want you to meet my new partner, Jerry." "Mr. Ray Charles, Jerry Wexler." "Hey." "Don't worry, Ray." "I'm going to step back, I'm gonna watch," "I'm gonna learn how to produce a record." "I'm in awe." "That was out of sight." "That's some running and riffing, man!" "Well, this'll make you shout, man." "We're listening to that new recording, Mess Around by Atlantic recording artist, Ray Charles." "And we have the gentleman live here in the KCOH studios." "So, Ray, when you're not making your own music, what do you listen to?" "You know what, the fact is, King Bee, I really and truly love gospel." "One of my favorite groups is from right here in Houston:" "the Cecil Shaw Singers." "You heard it:" "Ray Charles endorses Houston's own Cecil Shaw." "We'll be playing gospel all day Sunday but right now, let's hear some more of that Mess Around by Ray Charles." "K.B., line 1." "King Bee." "Mmm-hmm." "Yeah, he's right here." "Miss Della Antwine of the Cecil Shaw Singers." "Hello, Miss Antwine." "You sung tenor in Jesus Is My Shepherd, right?" "Yes." "How did you pick me out?" "Actually, I" " I hear like you see." "Like that hummingbird outside the window, for instance." "I can't hear her." "You have to listen." "Yes." "Yeah." "Yes, you can." "OH-OH." "You hear that?" "What?" "Her heart just skipped a beat." "Oh, did you like my record?" "The one that King Bee was playin'?" "It was very nice." "Different than the others." "I've heard a lot of your music." "Was it very nice, too?" "Look, Miss Antwine, if you don't really like the record, you ain't got to beat around the bush with me." "I mean, my mama never did." "It's not that I don't enjoy your music." "It's just that I feel I've heard it before." "I keep wondering what the real Ray Charles sound like." "Ray Charles?" "Who's he?" "Nobody, if you don't know." "Huh?" "Sorry." "I should have kept my mouth shut." "Oh, no, no." "Then you wouldn't be you." "You know, it's not like I haven't heard that before." "I guess I just, uh, never really listened, that's all." "Ain't nobody ever put it that sweet, I guess." "You know what, Miss Della Bea Antwine?" "You really are a country girl." "You know that?" "Yes." "How'd you know?" "I could tell by the way you ordered." ""Let me get molasses with my cornbread. "" "Were you raised on a farm?" "My mother did a little sharecropping in Florida." "Is she still there?" "God bless her heart, she passed away when I went to school." "Ray, I'm sorry." "She never was real healthy." "She just worked herself to death, poor thing." "That's why she didn't want me carrying around no tin cup." "The kids I went to school with, they were doing basket-weavin' and wickerwork." "But not you." "Because of your gift." "Because of my ears." "See, I can mimic damn near anybody, and I-I-I-I make a pretty decent living at it." "It's just, if I change my style up and people really don't dig it," "I mean, what am I left with, you know?" "I mean, when you're blind, Miss Antwine, you ain't got that many choices." "Seem to me like you got all the choices in the world." "God gave you the gift to sound like anybody you please, even yourself." "We're here." "This is where I live." "Well, you think the preacher'd let me in?" "I mean, uh, I'm a sinner, but I need a little prayer." "His wife don't like me having male company." "Well, tell him there's a soul out here that needs saving'." "You know what, Miss Antwine, you really got me thinkin'." "About what?" "About my life." "About my music." "About everything." "Ray, don't-don't you think we're movin' a little fast?" "Listen, I'm-I'm gonna go to New York for a couple of weeks, and when I get back, you can take it as slow as you want." "All right, Mr. Charles." "All right, Miss Antwine." "I'll see you in a couple of weeks." "Well, hold on, now." "Let me call you a cab." "I got it." "Three blocks up, left for two, right for one." "Fifteen giant steps, and I'm at the Crystal White Hotel." "Hello." "Mess Around was a positive step for us, Ray." "We're making progress." "Oh, come on, Ahmet." "Now, you've been nice to me." "But I haven't given you guys any hits." "Atlantic Records has been good to me, but if you want me to do something special," "I'm gonna need my own band." "Oh, man." "Taking a band out on the road costs a mint, Ray." "I mean, even Joe Morris is struggling." "His band's had a hit record." "But, Ahmet, listen, I'm not Joe Morris." "Man, you told me if I think pennies, I get pennies." "I'm thinking dollars, man." "Ruth Brown's got a tour booked in Georgia." "She needs a band." "I" " I'll take it." "I could write the charts for her, I-I could do backup, and also be an openin' act." "Okay." "But you're going to be financially responsible." "You're gonna have to make it work, Ray." "Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna make it do what it do, baby." "Yeah." "Ray!" "Miss Antwine, it's been two weeks." "It's been three." "Now, where's the preacher at?" "And the wife?" "They in Dallas till Monday." "Well, hallelujah!" "Della Bea." "Kind of like a honey bee, right?" "Can I call you Bea?" "Yeah, I'd like that." "There's only been two cats that I ever really trusted in my life." "There's Jeff Brown, he's going to be my tour manager," "Fathead Newman, my tenor man and now you." "But you gotta do me a favor." "Bea, you gotta always tell me the truth." "Oh, yeah." "Just like you did before." "Don't feel sorry for me just 'cause I'm blind." "How could I pity someone I admire?" "Can I play something for you?" "Now?" "Yeah." "No, Ray." "Yeah, right now." "Right now." "I'm gonna..." "Ray!" "It's right there." "You got it." "Okay." "Yeah, yeah, this will work." "Now you go ahead and play." "I'm gonna close these drapes." "All right." "I don't want no neighbors looking in." "Ray." "Ray!" "Ray." "Ray, that's sacrilegious." "What-what?" "It's a gospel song." "I know what it is." "I wrote it." "I mean, you told me to find my own voice." "Well, Bea, this is it." "But it-it ain't" " It ain't right to be changing gospel music into this." "Into what?" "Is it- Is it devil music?" "Evil music?" "Do you think- Do you think I'm evil, Bea?" "Look, I've been performing gospel and blues all my life." "It's who I am." "And if I'm gonna do my own thing, I" " I gotta be natural, right?" "I'm singing about my feelings for you." "About how I love you." "What could be more natural than that?" "Huh, Bea?" "Tell me." "More natural than me and you." "Ray." "So we bite the bullet, we cancel the tour dates." "But what the hell are we gonna tell Ray?" "We just have to tell him the truth:" "Ruth Brown's pregnant, so there's no tour." "What about LaVern Baker?" "Get LaVern Baker to take the tour." "She doesn't have a record." "There's nothing to promote." "You and Jesse get up there, write a couple of songs, let's get her in the studio." "It's gonna take a month to do that" "What are we gonna do?" "We got to do somethin'." "Ray's got a whole new band up there." "How the hell did he put together a band so fast?" "Boss!" "Boss, they're here." "Come on." "Let's get together so we can show 'em this." "...break this to Ray." "Oh, you're gonna let me break it to Ray?" "Why me?" "Because Ruth Brown was your idea." "Ruth Brown is a good idea, Ruth Brown was a good idea, and still is a good idea." "Shh!" "Ahmet." "Yeah." "We gotta get this on wax." "Oh, yeah." "Hear that, New York?" "The sound is huge!" "But there's only seven cats on this record." "This is the new Ray Charles, baby, and there's nothing out there like it!" "And you heard it first on The Moondog Show!" "The Shaw Agency's the best booker on the Chitlin' Circuit, that's my opinion." "Milt Shaw, meet Ray Charles." "Ray, It was Milt's dad, Billy, who first drew my attention to a certain blind pianist when he was booking Lowell Fulson." "Ray Charles." "We believe in your talent." "We wanna be in the Ray Charles business." "We've already got you booked on a 10-city tour with Roy Milton's Solid Senders" "Oh, Roy Milton, I love him." "...and Tangula the Exotic Shake Dancer." "She is gorgeous." "Ray, I gotta tell you, we think you're onto something very big here." "Nobody's ever combined RB and gospel before." "I've Got A Woman is a smash." "You better start thinking about a follow-up, my friend." "Right now." "You know, this sounds good." "I gotta run to Texas and take care of some business, and, I'll be right back." "Well, make it fast." "I'm ready to sell, sell, sell." "A- a-as long as you book me in front of Tangula." "Della, hold on!" "Let me get my camera." "Let me get one picture." "Y'all, y'all, stay right there!" "Ray!" "Della, let me get one picture!" "Come on." "One picture, Della!" "Come on, now." "Be careful, Ray." "These are your last steps of freedom, man." "Don't open that door." "Ray, you gotta carry her over the threshold." "To the right, Ray!" "To the right, now!" "Ray, you need some help?" "You sure you know what you're doing?" "Ray." "Ray." "Can I come in?" "H" " H-Hold on." "What's goin' on, Ray?" "Open this door." "Why are you locking doors on me, Ray?" "You know the place is small." "We gotta have a little privacy." "Uh, what we need is a little more room." "You know, we're gonna need some space while we start a family." "Well, Bea, you know I'm gonna be on the road for most of the year." "Ray." "I'm just thinking, what if I'm not a good father?" "My daddy was never around." "And he had three different families." "Well, you are gonna have one, starting right now." "Right now?" "Mmm-hmm." "Well, what do you think?" "That's all is what I know." "Stop it!" "Y'all done lost your minds!" "Stop all this stuff!" "You need to be saved!" "I can't take it no more." "Stop it!" "I can't take it!" "Hold on." "Now, wait a minute, man." "Take your hands off me!" "This ain't right!" "Just let the people hear the music." "Y'all sitting here, listenin' to this devil!" "You're just givin' your money to Satan, that's what you're doin'." "Hold on, y- you got a problem?" "Yeah, I got a problem!" "That's gospel you're singin'!" "You're turning God's music into sex." "You're making money off the Lord!" "Don't y'all smile at me!" "All of y'all are in it, too!" "All of y'all are going straight to hell!" "She's right." "No, this here's wrong." "The whole thing's wrong." "It's okay." "It's okay." "Let-let him go." "You got a right to believe in what you believe." "You can go to hell by yourself!" "Boss, you want to cancel the show?" "Uh, no." "I'm not gonna cancel the show." "Just find me a bari player by tomorrow." "I just want to ask the folks right now:" "If all of y'all want me to keep playing, let me hear you say "Amen. "" "Amen!" "And while you're at it, find me a girl with church-training that can sing but without the church attitude." "All right." "Let's go, y'all." "Keep it going, here we go.." "Come on." "Ray, you got your watch?" "Yeah." "Good." "All right, baby, your blue shirts are on top, the pants in between, and the white shirts are on the bottom." "Here's your glasses." "There you go." "Bea." "Why don't you come, go on the road with us?" "Look, baby, what would I do on the road?" "You'd do what I say you do, that's what you're gonna do." "I've been trying to get a female voice in the band, anyway." "Can't you just picture me wobbling around on that stage, big as a house?" "Well, I can't picture you, you know that." "But I know what I can do." "Come on, now." "Don't start nothing you can't finish." "Jeff is waiting." "You know I can't go on the road with you, not with your baby inside me." "Mmm-hmm." "I'm gonna get your shaving kit." "Uh, Bea, I" " I got it." "Bea, hold-hold on." "Bea, let me get it." "How long you been hiding this from me?" "Ray!" "I'm your wife!" "Bea, I-I was just so excited to see you." "I forgot to leave it back there with the band, that's all." "Let me- Let me get it." "Oh, it's just a little medicine, that's all, baby." "That ain't medicine to nobody, Ray." "Don't be lyin' to yourself." "It ain't like I'm dealing it, baby." "I just use it to get a little taste." "You don't taste poison, Ray." "It kills you." "Now, you got to stop." "I ain't got to do a goddamn thing!" "What about me?" "What about your baby?" "Bea." "It ain't like I'm new to this." "If I felt like this was jeopardizing my music, or you, or providing for that baby," "I would stop in a minute." "But I know it won't." "How do you know that, Ray?" "How do" " How do you know that?" "You know what?" "You can talk till you're blue in the face, it don't matter." "I'm not gonna stop." "Then I'm comin' with you." "No, no." "Well, Ray, you just said" "No." "No." "You know what it is, Bea." "I" " I think it's like you said." "I don't think that the road is a place for you and the baby." "What are you saying to me, Ray?" "What I'm sayin' is that when I get home," "I hope that you're here at my house." "Your house?" "Jeff, come get this bag." "All right, Ray." "Hey, Della Bea." "You all right?" "That's good, thank you." "How does she look?" "Very pretty." "Brown skin." "Yeah, yeah." "Uh, oh, yeah, that's great." "I really dig your sound." "Uh, what was your name again, sweetheart?" "Oh, Mary Ann." "Mary Ann Fisher." "Mary Ann Fisher." "Uh, Mary Ann, how would you feel if I asked you to sing a torch song with a gospel feel to it?" "Well, Gospel's all about love anyway, isn't it?" "Oh, yeah." "Would it make you feel like a sinner?" "Well, Mr. Charles, I love the Lord, the Lord loves me." "But I ain't no hypocrite." "Hello." "You know what?" "It's hard to fool me, but it's impossible to fool the Almighty, ain't it?" "Why don't we rehearse the song a little bit?" "Okay." "Boss, we got to go." "Go ahead." "I'll be with you in a minute." "I just really feel your- feel your spirit." "Boss, are you sure?" "Let's go." "You're amazing." "So are you, baby." "Uh, come sit next to me." "So, what do you think?" "Ray, telephone." "Take a message." "It's Della Bea." "Damn it." "Uh, tell her I'm busy." "Come on, man, I ain't lying to Bea." "Uh-oh." "Is that the wife?" "Shut up." "I" " I'll be there in a second." "Don't mess with this junk, all right?" "All it'll do is make you sick." "Does he have all his fingers and toes?" "Yes, he does." "Can he, uh..." "Can he see?" "Yes." "You want to hold him?" "No, I can't." "Come on, Ray." "I wouldn't know what to do it right." "That's what you came here for." "Use this hand to hold his head." "Okay." "Right there." "That's your daddy." "Yeah." "He ain't no bigger than a loaf of bread." "Thank you." "He's not my gift to you, Ray." "He's your son." "You know I'm gonna take care of both of you." "You know that, right?" "I love you." "I love you, too, Ray." "But there's something I got to say." "I know you're a musician, a working musician, but don't bring the road into our home again." "The home I'm making for you and our children." "Bea, I-I promise I won't do that." "It-It's just there's some things" "No." "Now, don't say no more." "I ain't no fool." "You know, you're the only woman I'll ever love." "Mama!" "Mama, help!" "Mama, help!" "Mama, help, please!" "I need you!" "Mama, help!" "Mama!" "I hear you, too, Mama." "You're right there." "Yeah, yes, I am." "Why are you crying, Mama?" "'Cause I'm happy." "Hey, it's Uncle Jeff!" "Got my camera!" "Sarah!" "Sarah!" "Come on in." "Put the flowers right there behind them." "All right, big smiles, everybody." "Big smiles." "Hi, Junior." "Come on, Ray, let's get this boy home so he can get something to eat." "I have those cookies you like." "Boss, we try to make it through these cracker speed traps, we gonna be a little late." "Yeah, just stay within the limits." "All right." "Why don't we get that spot in Memphis, huh?" "We could have our own place." "Baby, I'm not leaving Houston." "I bet she don't do this." "Oh, baby, hold on." "Goodbye don't mean gone, okay?" "I'm not gonna leave my family." "Okay, baby, okay." "No need to get sore." "How about we give me a little more to do in the show, huh?" "How about a solo?" "You just don't stop, do you?" "Look, I'm going up to New York to do some publicity." "You take a week off and stay here, find some material, and when I get back, we can talk about it." "Okay." "Okay." "Okay." "Ah, you know what, I dig New York, man." "It's like everybody here's making their own sound." "They loved it." "Ray, they loved you." "We're gonna get the cover of Billboard." "You know what, I want to do a session while I'm here." "How about tomorrow?" "What, you got the band here?" "Yeah." "I've got the band here Step down." "Everybody except Mary Ann, because I need a different background." "You know what I'm sayin', I've been hearing this thing in my head, kind of like a dance between a man and three women." "Sounds fun." "Can I watch?" "It's a dance of voices, Ahmet." "W" " What do you have in mind?" "Like three Mary Anns?" "Oh, no, no, no." "That's too smooth." "I need somethin' that-that's more raw." "The Cookies." "What about The Cookies?" "Yeah-yeah, Cookies are sweet." "Jesus, he's on fire, huh?" "Maybe we should sign these girls up." "If I know Ray, we won't get a chance." "It doesn't get any better than that, Ray." "Yeah, you know what, I love it!" "We gonna put it out just like that." "You know, I never got a record in one take before!" "You Cookies sound sweet." "Mmm-hmm." "When it's happening, baby, I mean, it just feels right." "I know what you mean." "I got the shivers in this studio tonight." "That's 'cause they ain't paid the heating bill." "I have a question for all of you:" "How would you like to go on the road with me?" "Wait-wait." "How, um, how much you gonna pay us?" "You know, Ahmet takes care of all of that." "Oh, what, you mean he don't listen to you?" "Yeah, you better know he does." "Look, don't worry about it." "Brother Ray'll take care of all of you." "Well, my mama taught me to take care of myself, honey." "Is your mother here?" "No, she's not, but I speak for us." "No, you don't." "Okay, Speak for Us, how about, uh, ahem, $20 a week?" "$20 a week is good." "We'll take $40." "Each." "$40 each?" "You heard me." "No, no, no." "Uh, how about $25?" "We'll take $30." "I better say yeah before you talk me out of my drawers." "$30 a week!" "Uh, deal?" "Oh!" "Yeah." "Oh!" "Margie, right?" "Yeah." "Well, look, Margie, from now on, you guys are going to be called The Raelettes." "Raelettes?" "Does that mean we have to "Let Ray"?" "Oh, Lord!" "What am I going to do with you?" "I'm sure you'll think of somethin'." "$30 a week!" "We're going to be The Raelettes!" "Fathead, come on, you're on the clock." "Come on, Bob, you're late." "All right, hold on, Jeff." "Listen up." "From now on, we're gonna sing, uh, four-part harmony." "Ethel, I want you to sing, uh, uh, alto." "Margie, you sing tenor." "Pat, soprano, and Mary Ann, bass." "I ain't no bass." "I'm a soprano." "I'll sing bass." "I mean, where we come from, we can sing anything." "Mmm-hmm." "We're talking about singing, sugar, not hog calling." "What?" "Oh, that's cold." "Who are you calling a hog?" "Well, if the corncob fits..." "You better shut your mouth before you get" "Wait a minute!" "You stop now!" "Hey, hey, hey!" "What is all the cackling for?" "Mary Ann, sweetheart, I wrote something special for you: a solo." "A solo?" "Yeah." "C-Come on down here, let me play it for you." "Ethel!" "Ethel!" "Come here and see this new piano Ray got." "It's called a- a-a Wurlitzer." "A what?" "You got to see this thing." "It's out of sight." "Baby, I got your drink here for you." "Don't play that." "Oh, she-she want me to play something else." "Oh!" "Oh!" "Oh!" "We got some hell going on, gentlemen!" "Now, this is a car." "This is a car!" "Looks like a damn Wieniemobile!" "Lookie here!" "Come on, let's take it for a spin!" "Since I'm the boss, you got to let me drive." "Don't hit nothing, Ray." "Ooh!" "You okay?" "Yeah." "What room are you in?" "69." "Ooh, honey, you are so nasty." "That's what I love about you." "No, seriously, what room are you in?" "Uh, I'm in 626." "624." "Yeah." "Baby, I can't wait till we get to your room!" "Here's 626." "Right here." "Where's the key?" "You have to get it." "I have to find it?" "Is that it?" "It might be."