美国名人音乐家、钢琴演奏家雷·查尔斯1.docx

美国名人音乐家、钢琴演奏家雷查尔斯1RayCharles,1930-2004:Singer,SongwriterandMusicianPerformedRock-and-RollzRhythm-and-Blues,EvenCountry-and-WesternMusicplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:29repeatByPaulThompson2008-6-21VOICEONE:ThisisFaithLapidus.VOICETWO:AndthisisDougJohnsonwithPEOPLEINAMERICAinVOASpecialEnglish.Todaywebeginatwo-partreportaboutsinger;songwriter,andmusicianRayCharles.HisworkwillcontinuetohavealastinginfluenceonAmericanmusic.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:RayCharlesRayCharlesspentalmostsixtyyearsasaprofessionalmusician.Millionsofpeoplearoundtheworldenjoyhisrecordings.IfRayCharlesonlyplayedthepiano,hewouldhavebeenconsideredoneofthebest.Ifhehadonlysunghismusic,hisvoicewouldhavemadehimfamous.Ifhehadonlyplayedjazzmusic,theworldwouldhavelistened.ButRayCharlesdidallthesethingsandmore.Heplayedandsangrock-and-rollandrhythm-and-bluessongs.Hesoldmillionsofcountryandwesternrecords,too.Hisworkbroughttogetherdifferentkindsofmusicanddifferentkindsofmusicfans.HisinfluenceonmuchofAmerica'spopularmusiccannotbetrulymeasured.(MUSIC:"OneMintJuIep")ThatwasRayCharlesand"OneMintJulep."Herecordedthatsonginnineteensixty-oneonanalbumcalled"GeniusPlusSoulEqualsJazz."Itisoneofthemanyhundredsofrecordsherecorded.VOICETWO:RayCharlesRobinsonwasborninnineteenthirtyinAlbanyzGeorgia.Whenhewassixyearsold,hebegantosufferfromtheeyediseaseglaucoma.Thediseasemadehimblind.Helefttheworldofsightforeverandturnedtotheworldofsound.Helearnedtolovesounds,especiallymusicofallkinds.RayCharlestaughthimselftoplaytheorgan,altosaxophone,clarinetandtrumpet.Yettherewasaspecialrelationshipbetweenhimandthepiano.Hereispartofthesong"WorriedMind."Thestyleiscountryandwestern,withaheavyinfluenceofblues.Listentohisworkonthepiano,aninstrumenthetrulyloved.Youcanalmostseehimsmiling.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:RayCharleswasfifteenyearsoldwhenhismotherdied.Withinayear;hehadleftschooltowork.HebeganplayingpianoprofessionallyinAfricanAmericaneatinganddrinkingplacesinthestateofFlorida.Ayearlater,hemovedtotheoppositecornerofAmerica:Seattle,Washington.WhileinSeattle,hemadefortyrecords.Butnonewasasuccess.VOICETWO:Atthattime,RayCharleswastryingtoplaythepianoandsinglikethefamousperformerNatKingCole.ButhequicklylearnedtherewasonlyoneNatKingCole.Noonewantedtohearacopy,notevenagoodcopy.SoCharlesstartedlookingforhisownmusicalsound.Hebegantoexperiment.Hetriedmixingbluesandjazz.Heusedsomejazzstyleswiththemusicthatlaterwasknownasrock-and-roll.HisexperimentssoonbecamepopularwithmanyblackAmericans.Heplayedatdancesaroundthecountry.Healsosoldsomerecords,mostlytoblackpeople.FewwhiteAmericanshadheardofablindmusiciannamedRayCharles.VOICEONE:Bythemiddleofthenineteenfifties,hehadhisownband.Itwasoneofthemostpopularblackdancebandsinthecountry.Agroupofwomensangwiththeband.Onenight,Charlesbeganplayingasimplesong.Hetoldthewomentosinginastyleknownascallandresponse.Inthisstyle,theleadsingerasksaquestionorsingssomewords.Theothersingersanswer.ThiskindofsingingwasbroughttoAmericabyblackslavesfromAfrica.Ithasremainedverypopularinblackchurchmusic.Atthedancethatnight,RayCharlesputtogethersimplepianomusic,traditionalcallandresponseandrock-and-roll.TheresultwasarevolutioninAmericanmusic.Soonafter,Rayrecordedthatsong.Itiscalled"What,dISay?"(MUSIC)VOICETWO:"What,dISay?"soldmillionsofcopies.RayCharlesnoIongerjustplayedatsmalldancesforblackpeople.Heperformedinlargetheatersforbigaudiencesofeverycolor.Hehadfoundasoundlikenoother.Hisstyleofmusicwasfilledwithexcitement.Andthosewholistenedsharedinthatexcitement.Bytheendofthenineteenfifties,RayCharleshadrecordedmanyhitsongs.Mostofhismusicwasblackrhythm-and-bluesorsoulmusic.YetwhiteAmericanswerelistening,too.Charlesdidnotwanttoplayjustonekindofmusic,evenifitwasextremelypopular.Hebeganexperimentingagain,thistimewithjazz.Onealbum,"BlackCoffee,"isconsideredbyexpertstobeoneofhisverybestjazzrecordings.Itshowsthathispianoworkcanexpressmanydifferentfeelings.Hereisthesong"BlackCoffee"fromthatalbum.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:RayCharlescontinuedtomakerhythm-and-bluesandjazzrecords.Butthatwasstillnotenoughforhim.Hehadalwayslovedcountry-and-westernmusic.Sohedecidedtorecordacountryalbum.Musicindustryexpertssaidhewasmakingamistake.Theytoldhimnottodoit.Theysaidhewouldlosemanyfans.Thefans,theysaid,wouldnotunderstandorlikethiskindofmusic.RayCharlesdidnotlistentotheexperts.Hetookachance.Andhewasright.Thepubliclovedhiscountry-and-westernsongs.Youcanhearsomeofthesecountry-and-westernsongsnextweek,whenwebringyouthesecondpartofourreportaboutRayCharles.(MUSIC:"MakingWhoopee")VOICETWO:ThisprogramwaswrittenbyPaulThompson.ItwasproducedbyLawanDavis.mDougJohnson.AndI'mFaithLapidus.JoinusnextweekforthesecondpartofourprogramonRayCharlesonPeopleInAmerica,inVOASpecialEnglish.