May 07, 2009 @ 8:15 pm
VIBE 365: May 7, 1955, Ray Charles Hits #1
Remembering yesterday, one day at a time...
On May 7, 1955 the legendary singer/pianist/composer Ray Charles reached the top of the US R&B charts for the first time with his seminal single “I Got A Woman” (Atlantic). Recorded in 1954, the track broke ground in several ways. It was the first secular song to reference a gospel tune (“Jesus Is The World To Me”), a mix that was considered blasphemous during that era of music. “I Got A Woman” was also considered the template for modern R&B, as Charles single-handedly created a new style of African-American expression.
For the next four decades, Charles would enjoy chart success recording in a diverse range of genres that included soul, jazz, pop and country. A testament to keyboardist’s brilliance, “I Got A Woman” found new life in 2005 on Kanye West’s No. 1 Billboard 200 hit “Gold Digger” (Def Jam/Roc-A-Fella) a hip hop smash that featured a sample Charles’ landmark work as well as a vocal interpretation by Jamie Foxx, whose portrayal of Charles in the 2004 film Ray (Anvil Films) won him the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture.
Article tags: Jamie Foxx, Kanye West, Ray Charles
Page printed from:
http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2009/05/vibe_365_may_7_1955_ray_charles_hits_1/
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