Ray

When Ray Charles, the godfather of soul and R&B, died last year, the music world mourned him like a god, since he changed the way people listened to black music as a whole. After his death, Ray Charles' final CD was released to Grammy buzz and a critically acclaimed movie about his life starring Jamie Foxx as the title character came out in theatres to a box office success and a guaranteed Oscar win. Now that this movie is finally available on DVD after being in theaters for a short time, it's time to experience the life and legacy of the famous blind black singer known as Ray Charles Robinson.

Born that name, Ray got his blindness as a young child (as told in flashbacks) but managed to survive by using sound as a key in his success as a singer and a pianist by learning from his mother. As he grows up, Ray Charles tours small venues before signing with the then-small label Atlantic (now owned by Time Warner) before moving to ABC-Paramount, a short-lived label, in the 1960's and became as popular as Elvis and the Beatles during that time. That is, until Ray Charles experiences drugs and gets sent to a psychiatric hospital where he gets treated. In the end, Ray Charles returns to his home state of Georgia on March 7, 1979 to live there and make the song "Georgia on my Mind" the official state song (which is still used to this day). He is survived by his son and many grandchildren.

After watching this film in a good "extended" version that adds nearly a half an hour of unseen footage into the 2-1/2 hour drama, I think that this movie has a chance of winning the Oscar for best movie (other than Finding Neverland winning it by surprise). Full of drama, a bit of comedy, and tons of Ray Charles music you can hum along to, Ray is the best music biography ever recorded on film since Amadeus.

Coming soon: A review of Saw.