‘Forever Ray: The Music of Ray Charles’ Live At The Shea Center
To say Ray Charles was an institution is an understatement. In fact, he was widely referred to as “The Genius” but would rather be called “Brother Ray” by his friends.
A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Grammy Hall of Fame, and Country Hall of Fame, Ray’s music infused jazz, blues, R&B and gospel and later adding country and pop to his stylings. Ray Charles’ authority granted him the keys to become one of the first black musicians to be granted artistic control by a record company. That stature gave way to multiple Top 40 singles, over 3 dozen R&B singles, 11 songs on the Hot 100 chart and 2 hit singles on the Hot Country chart
This Genius and his music is honored and remembered by a group of musicians who tour as the Ray Charles tribute band, Forever Ray.
Lead by Shulton Whitley’s portrayal of Ray Charles, and supported by former Raylette, Angela Workman, vocalist Chyna Grant from the Harlem Gospel Choir, they are supported by a multi-talented band which embodies the music of Ray Charles like none other.
This ensemble of performers ranging from a jazz infused horn and rhythm section, to a keyboard virtuoso have performed or recorded with “Ray Charles, Alicia Keys, Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Christina Aguilera to name a few”.
This past Saturday night, Forever Ray dazzled an excited audience of devoted Ray Charles fans at the Shea Center for Performing Arts, located at William Paterson University in Wayne New Jersey. Right from the start, Whitley’s persona of Ray captivated concert goers from the styling’s of his wardrobe, signature glasses, raw emotional vocals and playful charisma.
Always respecting the man and the music, Whitley’s performance of Ray Charles stayed true to the origins, despite the fact that his presentation was not that of a man who struggled with blindness since the age of 7, but indeed very mobile about the stage possessed by the same energy from which these songs first came.
Songs like, “I Got A Woman”, “I Can’t Stop Loving You”, “Georgia on My Mind”, “What’d I Say”, “Hallelujah I Love Her So”, “Unchain My Heart” and “(Night Time Is) The Right Time”. Perhaps one of the highlights for me was the encore, where they performed a proud and emotional rendition of “America the Beautiful”.
Forever Ray is just that; A beautiful, polite, and honorable remembrance of the timeless legacy of Ray Charles.
