[audio http://boxstr.com/files/3071065_awdik/Ray%20Charles%20-%20Busted.mp3] Ray Charles – Busted (1963)

Composed by the award winning songwriter Harlan Howard, Ray Charles’ performance of “Busted” won him his fourth Grammy in a row – Best Rhythm and Blues Recording 1963.

If I say this is one of my favorites songs you are probably thinking I am being redundant — but it truly is. In fact most of Brother Ray’s songs are favorites of mine.  And while researching this blog I have come to find more of Ray’s catalog that had eluded me over the years and I am loving those newly discovered “oldies but goodies” too!

The previous year Charles won a Grammy for a song from his “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music” album and this song had been recorded by Country artist Johnny Cash in 1962.

The more I delve into the Genius of Ray Charles — I think his “Genius” is that he defies categorization!  He started out winning in the newly created R&B category of the Grammy Academy, but he charted both Billboard “Pop” and “Black” (the term that I despise and will go back to calling it R&B for my sanity),  and yet he had recorded a majority of classic “country” songs to this point.  His performances were tinged with “jazz” and “blues”, and yet oftentimes his orchestration was bordering on “classical”. Wow — what a conglomeration!

Yes I am sure that the “Genius” of Ray Charles is that he was not one musical genre, but a melding of all musical genres! You may read more about Ray Charles at Answers.com

“Busted” reached #4 Pop and #3 R&B on the US Billboard charts and #21 in the UK.

Watch the Genius at work, performing this classic during a 1982 European concert.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLWoiC-3b60

I appreciate your visit.

Related posts:

1. “Crying Time” – Performed by Ray Charles (1966)
2. "I Can't Stop Loving You" – Performed by Ray Charles (1962)
3. “Let the Good Times Roll” – Performed by Ray Charles (1960)