Ray Charles sang at the RNC in 1984.

[candy]

He was a Reagan man.

A great singer,but a Reagan man nonetheless.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

1. So?

Are you saying we should piss on his grave as well?

[Renew Deal]

9. Damn, wheres the Brita?

[thebigidea]

2. all is forgiven, especially after singing "Your Cheatin' Heart" to W

My father called to remind me that he demands "What I'd Say" to be played at his funeral. He is a strange man.

[Melodybe]

6. Look it was a different world in 1984, I'm not going to hold it against

him. Ray Charles did something that Reagan and Bushistas could never do, he brought people together.

Republican or Democrat we all remember those Pepsi commercials, we all remember him on Sesame Street and in the Blues Brothers, and we all feel good when he sings America. Ray brings out the goodness and love in people. He was in many ways a good example of the American dream. He came from a piss poor black family in the segregated south, watched his brother die at five, went blind at 7, was an orphan at 15, and still managed to become one of the most recognizable and well loved celebrities in the whole world.

Ray played his part in making the world a better place, for all of us. So what if repubs can claim that he played in 1984, Ray Charles leaves a legacy that we can all share.

God Bless him, may he rest in peace.

[Bluebear]

3. It was a paid gig.

I don't know his politics but he was hired for the event, not a volunteer. No matter, RIP Ray!

http://www.raycharles.com/awards.htm

[PROGRESSIVE1]

4. He supported Willie Brown's efforts in politics!

And as we know, Willie Brown is a Dems Dem!!!

:kick:

[Paragon]

12. Exactly.

Jesus, has the Ray Charles bashing started now, too?

[Cheswick2.0]

23. no

1) the poster has not responded to anyone.
2) take note, it will all make sense on election day when we have the great masques off event here at DU.

[KoKo]

5. He wasn't a Repug but the old Southern White Boys were hooked on

him and they didn't care at that time what he was politically or color wise. They remembered when they were "hooking up" and f**king to his music so they need Ray to remember their "Golden Days."

Believe me on this...I know what I'm talking about.

[Dob Bole]

7. ...

...I'm a southern white boy :(
and I like Ray Charles :(
and I don't "hook up and f***" to Hit the Road Jack!

But I guess I know what you're talking about...

*sits back as WTF bubble sprouts from head*

[KoKo]

13. I'm going back to maybe before you were born?? But, at least you got

what I was saying, and thanks for that.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

14. gimme a break

relax... do you really think he meant ALL old southern white boys were like that? if so, you really need to lighten up.

[Dob Bole]

20. No! !! No Break for you!!!!

*reaches over and dishes out wet willy of doom*

[Catherine Vincent]

31. LOL!

[keithyboy]

29. You got that right. Ray laughed all the way to the bank.

Anyone with any sense knew what Ray Charles REALLY thought about Reagan. Being blind doesn't make you stupid.

[hlthe2b]

8. There was a time that paid appearences at Pol. Conventions....

did not label you and I think that largely extended through the 80s. While I have not researched Charles' stance, I think you are wrong t5o assume he was a Republican. It is also possible that he did support Reagan as a so-called "Reagan democrat." Being from the entertainment community himself, that would not totally surprise me.

[KoKo]

10. Ray was NOT a Repug! Trust me on this as one who was a fan of his

music since his beginning...and who has watched him...Please..to put Ray's death into politics is too upsetting for those of us grieving him.

[hlthe2b]

25. Good to know... Though I adored Ray Charles and that would not change

if someone were to have proven otherwise. He was a smart man who rose from many difficulties to become what he was. I'd have been surprised had it turned out to be otherwise. But, it would not have changed my admiration for him.

I'm just calling those who automatically want to make assumptions based on appearances.

[bluestateguy]

11. So what.

He was a musician of astonishing brilliance, and held no political office.

Geez.

[WilliamPitt]

15. Stevie Ray Vaughn played at the Bush inauguration in 1988

I still wish he was alive. I guess that makes me a bad liberal.

Or something.

[0rganism]

16. Bad liberal! Baaaaaad liberal! Bad!

:spank:

Now watch this drive...

[senseandsensibility]

27. Oh, no!

NOT STEVIE RAY VAUGHN!!!!! I love him ! Someone who played like that can't be a repug. I'm not saying I wouldn't still love him if he was, but I just can't wrap my mind around that.

[WilliamPitt]

36. It happened.

Trust me.

[theboss]

44. The 1988 Inaugural was easily the most entertaining ever

Say what you will about Lee Atwater, but the man knew good music.

BB King
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Jimmy Vaughn
Albert Collins
Sam and Dave

[senseandsensibility]

46. I have no memory of that

but that was during my wasted, so to speak, college years. They can't all be repugs, can they? B. B. is a god. I think they were just playing a gig. not endorsing the platform.

[David__77]

17. He also performed in South Africa under apartheid, regardless: RIP.

With him, let's have bygones be bygones.

[demnan]

18. Well I loved Ray Charles

You couldn't hear him sing and play and not feel good. He had an expression of singing that is soul. Like Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin - this guy was one of the greats.

No wrong-headed political opinions he may have harbored will ever change that.

[playahata1]

28. He and Aretha performed a hell of a duet in the early '70s.

I forget the name of the documentary in which they performed. Still, they ROCKED.

[Leilani]

19. I think he performed at the White House

while Reagan was Prez.

I think they were friends, but that doesn t mean he was a Repug.

Reagan had lots of show business friends...I doubt they were all conservatives.

[Cheswick2.0]

21. oh stop

he got a gig.

[Dob Bole]

22. Bono talked to Bush

That's a real right-winger there, just like Ray Charles.

[T Town Jake]

24. Well...

I liked him whether he was or not. I think a lot of times entertainers get paid for these kinds of appearances. And the vast majority of musicians and entertainers vote Democratic, no matter that they happen to sing at some Republican event somewhere or not.

[hiphopnation]

26. So, Candy...

what have yee to say to the enumerated responses to your tripe-of-a-thread about a brilliant musicain and an person that I can say, with full vim and vigor, made me proud to be an American?

What's that??

Huh?

A little closer....

OH...that's right. NOTHING.

:thumbsdown:

[Catherine Vincent]

30. A Reagan man? He was blind, he didn't know any better.

Besides, it seem a lot of Democrats back then were blind, sort of speak. The man did win both terms overwhelmingly.

[Walt Starr]

32. I don't give a damn, he was a fantastic musician!

And that's all that matters where Ray Charles is concerned!

[lpbk2713]

33. I don't have a problem with that.

Ray was a gifted entertainer and he liked to entertain.

[wyldwolf]

34. Did Reagan wave at him?

[Padraig18]

35. Let's trash his funeral and make fun of his widow and family, then.

/sarcasm off

[fortyfeetunder]

37. Musicians -- we like the $$$

Ray was an entertainer, I would have took the money and run too.

[ConsAreLiars]

38. Can you back up that claim?

"He was a Reagan man."

He played at the White House in '84. Is this the usual freeperish "logic" that if any association between two individuals can be found that they are therefore ideological twins? Do you have one word by Ray Charles to suggest that he was anything other than a musician honored by the opportunity to play at a respected (thanks to Kennedy and Carter) venue?

Or is this just the usual slavering necrophilia that seems so much in vogue these days?

[jus_the_facts]

39. My own DAD is RayGun man and registered puke....should I disown him?

.....NOT! :eyes:

RIP Ray...may you and your music live forever in our memories and hearts! :cry: :loveya:

[buycitgo]

40. I just heard a rerun of a 1980 interview with Ray Charles

he was asked for whom he'd vote

and he said, after hemming and hawing, that he was a party man, and, despite thinking Reagan was stronger than Carter, that he didn't believe in much of what RR stood for, so he'd be voting for Carter

dunno what he did in 84, but he was mosdef a dem in 80

[Bozita]

41. Mike Webb's doing a streaming tribute to Uncle Ray -- link

http://stream.mikewebb.org:8000/listen.pls

[Bridget Burke]

42. candy jumped out of a cake at DeLay's last birthday party....

Prove me wrong, candy!

[candy]

45. Finally got around to checking this thread and I'm surprised--

at the responses.

Reagan,at least according to his nemesis,Tip O'Neil,was an intensely likeable man,and I think Mr Charles just plain liked him even though he may have disagreed with many of his policies.

As far as jumping out of a cake goes,if you saw me you'd know that couldn't be true.It would spoil everyone's appetite.

[stevielizard]

43. He was in a fur coat commercial too

 Right now I feel much more partisan than I used to; I can't
begrudge him his opinions twenty years ago- being
"for" Reagan then doesn't mean the same thing as
being for * does now- at least in my opinion.