‘Father of soul’ bows out at 73

Ray Charles, the visionary musician whose bold fusions left an indelible mark on rock, soul and country music of the past half century, died...

Ray Charles, the visionary musician whose bold fusions left an indelible mark on rock, soul and country music of the past half century, died on Thursday at his Beverly Hills home. He was 73.

Though suffering of a number of ailments in the recent past, he moved forward with his latest recording project, working in the studio as recently as April on an album with Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt and Norah Jones. His last public appearance was on April 30, when Los Angeles designated his studios on Washington Boulevard a landmark. Charles’ recordings from the early 1950s such as I’ve Got a Woman combined gospel and rhythm & blues to form one of the cornerstones of rock ’n’ roll and laid the foundation for soul music. His 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music took the twang out of country music, bringing a sophistication to the genre that led to its modernisation.

Charles was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, part of the inaugural 10-member class that included Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, James Brown and Jerry Lee Lewis. ‘‘How do you deconstruct genius?’’ Jerry Wexler, the producer who worked with Charles for Atlantic Records, said. ‘‘He took the Lord’s music and the Devil’s words and made this amalgam they call soul music. And as a performer, there is no one you can compare him to.”

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Sitting at the keyboard, Charles was a commanding stage figure. The finishing touch was one of the most identifiable in pop music — a gravelly, elastic instrument that could be tearfully plaintive one moment and slyly salacious the next.

His music gradually moved into a more mainstream mode as he continued to record and tour. Some feared his schedule was taking a toll on him. ‘‘Take it easy?’’ he said in an interview with The Los Angeles Times in 1988. ‘‘For what? Music is like a part of me. I think the people that worry about things like (ageing) are pretty silly. If the day comes when I don’t got it no more, that’s it. My voice is in the best shape it has ever been. I can make it do anything I want to. How long will that last? I’ll enjoy it while I can.’’ — (LAT-WP)

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