In celebration of what would today have been his 91st birthday, Tangerine Records has released a new lyric video for Ray Charles’ timeless recording of “Till There Was You.” The song is included in the recently released limited-edition box set True Genius, which features 90 of the greatest songs from Charles’ legendary career.
The highly anticipated set, which has been featured in Rolling Stone and American Songwriter, also includes a special bonus disc of eight previously unreleased tracks recorded live in Stockholm in 1972. True Genius is available now on all digital platforms, making dozens of Ray classics available at streaming services for the first time. Stream or purchase True Genius HERE.
Tonight at 7:00PM Eastern, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is proud to host a free virtual panel discussion on the life and career of Ray Charles. Panelists will discuss Tangerine Records, the label Charles founded in 1962, his mastery of multiple musical genres, and his enduring cultural legacy. The free virtual event will take place tonight on the Rock Hall’s YouTube channel.
Event panelists include John Burk, producer on Charles’ seminal duets album Genius Loves Company as well as the True Genius box set. He is also a partner in Exceleration Music. Joining in the event is David Ritz, music historian & author of Charles’ biography Brother Ray. The panel will be moderated by Jason Hanley, the Rock Hall’s Vice President of Education and Visitor Engagement and Andy Leach, the Rock Hall’s Senior Director of Museum & Archival Collections.
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The digital release of True Genius marks the first time this incredible collection of Ray Charles most important works will be widely available on streaming platforms, bringing classic hits such as “Hit The Road Jack,” “Crying Time,” “Busted,” “America The Beautiful,” “A Song for You,” “Unchain My Heart,” and many, many more back to streaming after more than a decade.
The box set also includes a beautifully designed coffee table style book with rare, unseen photos, and detailed liner notes by Ray Charles Foundation President Valerie Ervin, legendary writer and music journalist A. Scott Galloway, and featuring a special message from Quincy Jones.
Tangerine Records will also release True Genius: Sides of Ray on November 19th, a double disc vinyl collection that illustrates Charles’ many musical “sides” by focusing each album side on the genre categories he visited most: soul, jazz & blues, country, and pop, available for pre-order here.
On August 16th, The Country Music Hall of Fame announced that Ray Charles has been inducted as an official member. Charles, who revolutionized the country genre and brought it to new audiences with albums like 1962’s Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, was inducted in the “Veterans Era Artist” category.
