Ray Charles Is In Town - Chronology 1972

Ray Charles in unidentified documentary, early 1970s.

At unidentified venue, early 1970s.

From unidentified shooting.

Photos by Brian O'Dowd.

Photo by Norman Hunter.

  The Raelettes, backstage at a concert in Madrid.1972

With Marci Soto and daughter in St. Louis.

At home or at RPM, Los Angeles? Photos by Ted Williams.

At RPM, Los Angeles; photo by Ted Williams, for Ebony.

What Am I Living For peaks at #54 on Pop Chart, Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma at #65 on Pop and #25 on R&B.

A Message From The People peaks at #52 on Pop Album Chart, Through The Eyes Of Love at #186.

 January 1972

Release of album (Ray Charles Presents The) Raeletts, Yesterday... Today... Tomorrow.

14 January 1972
Probable date of first taping of first Carol Burnett Show (see 26th).

Raelettes f.l.t.r.: Vernita Moss, Dorothy Berry, Mable John, Susaye Greene, Estella Yarbrough..

26 January 1972

First time on Carol Burnett Show (air date). See this.

Photos by Ted Williams.

Ad promoting 1987 rerun of the show.

31 January 1972
Attends funeral of Mahalia Jackson in Chicago.

21 – 27 February 1972

On Hollywood Squares (probably all taped shortly before that week). See this.

25 March 1972

Article in New Musical Express.

April 1972

Release of album A Message From The People.

2 April 1972
Attending an event related to the Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles CA.

29 April 1972
Cal Poli in San Luis Obispo CA.

2 May 1972
Veterans Memorial Building, University of Detroit, Detroit MI.

3 May 1972
CSU Auditorium & Gym (Woodling Gymnasium), Cleveland OH.

5 May 1972
 Kiel Opera House, St Louis.



6 May 1972
Auditorium Theatre, Chicago IL.

11 May 1972
Civic Center, Saginaw MI.

12 May 1972

Loeb Center, NYU.
*and/or*
St. Mathews, Kentucky.
*and/or*
The Spectrum, Philadelphia.

13 May 1972
University of Detroit.

14 May 1972
Spectrum Arena, Philadelphia PA.

21 May 1972

Philharmonic Hall, New York City NY (gross $14,500).

24 May 1972

A concert in LA (filling in for Ella Fitzgerald/Count Basie).

24 May to 3 June 1972

The Coconut Grove, Ambassador Hotel, LA., presented by Sammy Davis, Jr. ("Critics shouldn't come to first nights, said Ray Charles during his opening show at the Valley Music Theater […], They should wait about four nights").

June 1972

Release of the single Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma / America The Beautiful.

A one-nighter at the new Pan-afro Auditorium in Las Vegas.

9 June 1972

First Bay Area Jazz Festival, San Francisco CA; with Stan Getz, B.B. King, Ike and Tina Turner, the Jimmy Smith Jam Session, Miles Davis, Les McCann, Nina Simone. The Giants of Jazz, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonius Monk, Sonny Stitt, Art Blakey and Kai Winding.

10 June 1972
San Diego.

Before 14 June 1972
One-nighter at new Pan-Afro Auditorium in Las Vegas NV.

17 June 1972
State Fair Coliseum, Dallas TX.

23 June 1972
Festival Field, 5th Hampton Jazz Festival, Hampton VA.

25 June 1972
Oakdale Musical Theatre, Wallingford CT.

30 June 1972

Atlanta Jazz Festival, Atlanta GA.

1 July 1972

Newport Jazz Festival, Giants Of Jazz program, at Yankee Stadium, New York City NY.

Photos: Redfern/Getty Images.

2 July 1972

Curtis Hixon Hall, Tampa FL.

Suspect: two pristine ticket stubs from the same concert?!

7 July 1972
On the David Frost Show. See this.

With Bill Cosby at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit.

*conflicting with:*

Newport Jazz Festival, Yankee Stadium, New York City NY; Ray sings Take Me Out To The Ballgame (source here). Photo here.

Ad from New York Amsterdam News, Jun. 17, 1972.

Photo by David Redfern.

9 July 1972

Centennial Concert Hall, Winnipeg MB.

The 1972 (Apr. - Dec.) trumpet section, with f.l.t.r. Tommy Turrentine, Joe Mitchell, Tony Farrell, Tommy Cortez and Mike Conlon. (Coll. Tony Farrell).

14 July 1972

Meadow Brook Theatre, Rochester Hills MI.
*conflicting with:*

Massey Hall, Toronto.

The Toronto Star of July 9 published an interview with this photo by Keith Beaty (prob. from an earlier concert in Toronto), to announce the concert on the 14th.

21 July 1972

11th Annual Ohio Valley Jazz Festival, at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati OH. Co-billed with B.B. King and Les McCann,

Program leaflet.

Ray Charles publicity pic used in newspaper article about this concert.

26 July - 5 August 1972
Elmwood Casino, Windsor ON.

Photo from Windsor Star.

August 1972

Release of album Through The Eyes Of Love.

Photo by M.A. Christman. Notes on backside of this photoprint (as submitted to Ebay): "NBC", "feature", "Eyes of Soul".
Maybe from a filmed NBC item, promoting the Eyes Of Love album?

8 August 1972
Atlantic City Jazz Festival, Atlantic City NJ.



18 - 19 August 1972
High Chaparral, Chicago IL.


21 to 27 August 1972

Carter Barron Amphitheatre in Washington DC, with Chi-Lites.

September 1972

First taping for the Dick Cavett Show (aired in ’73). See this.

1 to 3 September 1972

Buffalo Festival at Skylon Auditorium, Niagara Falls CA.

9 September 1972

Black Expo 72 (2nd night of 3) at Civic Auditorium, San Francisco CA with The Impressions, New Birth-Nighliters, Aaron & Freddie, Taj Mahal, Gary Bartz, Loading Zone, Black Light Sound, Bayette.

10 September 1972

Sickle Cell Community Awards Night at Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles CA.

11 September 1972

Ft. In The New Bill Cosby Show  (air date). See this.

14 September 1972

Ad (from event's brochure).

Benefit concert for the National Children's Center at Filene Center, Wolf Trap in Washington DC.

15 September 1972

Discussing need for sickle cell anemia research with Richard Nixon, in the White House. See this.

16 September 1972
Coliseum, Richmond VA (with Curtis Mayfield).


22 September 1972
Barcelona.

23 September 1972
Palma de Mallorca.

25 September 1972
Hala Pionir, Belgrade.

 

Cover of Ilustrovana Politika, Oct. 3, a Yogoslavian magazine.

26 September 1972
Zagreb.

27 September 1972

Poster for a (this?) concert in Slovenia.

Hala Tivoli, Ljubljana.

At Pioneer Hall in Belgrade. A color film has survived - see this.

During Yogoslavia tour: meeting Tihomir Pop Asanovic.

There were 4 concerts, possibly over 2 days.

5 October 1972
Kamen.

6 October 1972
Sportpalast, Berlin.

7 October 1972
Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt.

8 October 1972
Saarlandhalle, Saarbrücken.

9 October 1972
Malmö.

10 October 1972

Tivoli, Copenhagen (integral show taped for TV). See this. 

11 October 1972

Benefit (National OIC Day) closed circuit telecast Everybody Can Be Somebody at Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. See this.

13 October 1972
Musikhalle, Hamburg.

Photo by Robert Günther.

14 a/o 15 October 1972

Victoria Hall, Geneva (read review here).

16 and 17 October 1972 
La Salle Pleyel, Paris; 3 shows were taped; see this.

Photo by Michel Artault/Corbis.

Photo by Ton den Haan.

Mike Conlon (ct), Tommy Cortez, Joe Mitchell, Tommy Turrentine, Tony Farrell - trumpets; Glenn Childress, Al Hall Jr., Fred Murrell, Steve Turre - trombones; James Clay, Don Garcia - alto saxophones; Andrew Ennis - tenor saxophone, flute; Fred Smith - tenor saxophone; Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone, band leader; John Perrett - drums;  Ralph Byrd - guitar; Edgar Willis - bass; John Henderson - organ. The Raelettes: Dorothy Berry, Susaye Greene, Mable John, Vernita Moss, Estella Yarbrough.

Backstage or hotel. Photo by Ton den Haan/Nederlands Fotomuseum.

Souvenir program for Pleyel concerts..

16 – 22 October 1972

On Hollywood Squares (probably all taped well before that week). See this.

18 or 19 October 1972

Photo from INA archive, dated October 19.

Besançon.

Upon arrival by train in Besançon, Ray Charles was interviewed by the 'Journal' of the local ORTF station (INA ID#

LXF04025292).

Transit at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam. See this.  

Same photo, mirrored? From Het Vrije Volk, Oct. 20.

20 October 1972
Cirque Royal, Brussels.

21 October 1972

Two concerts at De Doelen, Rotterdam.  

22 October 1972
New Victoria Theatre, London.

23 - 24 October 1972
Zouk Amphitheatre, City Sportive Building, Beirut.

27 October 1972
Civic (Veteran's) Auditorium, San Rafael CA.

29 October 1972
Allen Fieldhouse, Kansas University, Lawrence KS (co-billed with Della Reese).

November 1972

Release of the single Hey Mister / There'll Be No Peace Without All Men As One.

Early November - Mid December 1972
Touring in the U.S. with B.B. King and Billy Preston.

7 to 12 November 1972

With B.B. at Mill Run Theater, Chicago IL.

Photo by William Vendetta.

Souvenir program of this concert.

15 November 1972
Fairground Pavillion, Tulsa OK.

17 - 26 November 1972

Latin Casino, Cherry Hill NJ.

22 November 1972

Second time on Carol Burnett Show (air date). See this.

28 November 1972 to 3 December 1972

Circle Star Theater in San Carlos CA, with B.B. King. One of the concerts was taped; see this.

From theatre's season brochure.

5 to 10 December 1972

From Los Angeles Sentinel, Dec. 7.

"The World's Greatest Blues Show" at the Valley Music Theater in Woodland Hills CA; with B.B. King and Billy Preston; read this.

 

11 to 23 December 1972

In Israel (with concerts at  Binyeni Ha'ooma in Jerusalem on the 12th, Tel Aviv and Haifa, and visits to several biblical sites) for shooting of Soul Of The Holy Land - The Lost Concert; August 1973  (sic! under that title released as a DVD in November 2004). See this.

Ray Charles (and Joe Adam's neck) at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv.

The band in Tel Aviv.

Full page portrait in New Musical Express (UK), March 25, 1972.