Ray Charles

The singer, pianist and composer Ray Charles is such a fixture on the American music scene that a fan once told a reporter ""I can't even remember when there wasn't a Ray Charles."" His sensual growl responding to the Raelets sultry church choir, his nostalgic crooning of ""Georgia on My Mind,"" his memorable performances of ""America the Beautiful"" at both Republican and Democratic presidential inaugurations, all have made him a star of almost unparalleled magnitude and longevity. Lydon (Boogie Lightning) is informative and engaging when discussing Charles's prolific output--his 1963 album Ingredients in a Recipe of Soul is described as ""musical meat-and-potatoes blended in a stew of blues-jazz-C&W-R&B-and-pop""--and the discography he includes is a useful guide to a career spanning 50 years. His examination of Charles's life is just as enlightening. A driven businessman, according to Lydon, Charles is also cruel and insensitive to those close to him, never faithful to any woman (""a venerable joke declares, to be a Raelet, a lady must let Ray"") and a tyrant to musicians in his band, paying them little and fining them $50 for being late to rehearsal. Lydon depicts him as stubborn and controlling, as when he netted an unheard-of contract with ABC Records in 1959 that allowed him to own his master tapes, making him the exemplary ""artist as a businessman-producer."" The singer's independence and resistance to musical trends didn't always pay off: they caused his recording career to nosedive two decades ago. However, at almost 70, he's still touring and still a star, and fans of Brother Ray--and of soul music more generally--will appreciate this comprehensive portrait. (Feb.)