Ray Charles

Mid-’60s redemption

In an excerpt from the 1964 film “Ballad In Blue” Ray Charles is featured performing an instant classic.

After achieving the pop hits “Busted” and “Take These Chains From My Heart”, 1964 saw Ray Charles’ popularity on the radio reach it’s zenith, as younger soul singers like Otis Redding and Smokey Robinson moved into the spotlight.

Undaunted, Ray worked with the husband and wife songwriting team Ashford & Simpson, and in 1966 regained popularity with the hit dance song “I Don’t Need No Doctor”, soon after winning a Grammy Award. The following year the ballad “Here We Go Again” became a hit on the top twenty charts.