Ray Charles Is In Town - Chronology 1979

Photos, prob. taken in Italy, by Angelo Aldo Filippin (Flickr).

 

Late 1970s.

Possibly from an appearance at the Midnight Special TV show, possibly in '79.

Unidentified occasion, late 1970s?

1979

Curtis Ohlson, left.

9 January 1979
Interviewed on KABC radio show.


Singing jingle for McDonalds Breakfast Commercial  See this.
Ft. In Heroes Of Rock & Roll. See this.
Performing on a German tv show (year not entirely sure). See this.
Just Because peaks at #69 on R&B chart.

January 1979
Release of Luvbug (with Susaye).

2 January 1979
With Jean-Pierre Grosz, working at RPM Studio.

2 February 1979
On Sesame Street (air date). See this.

15 February 1979
On the Mike Douglas Show. See this.

View image | gettyimages.com

"Ray Charles gets a lift from the acrobatic 'Tanger Troupe' on the 'The Mike Douglas Show' on February 15, 1979." Photo by Michael Leshnov/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images.

16 February 1979
On The Tonight Show. See this and this.

22 February 1979
Leroy Cooper rehearsing (?) band at unidentified venue.

Watermarked news photo - dated Feb. 22, 1979 - of band leader Leroy Cooper, playing his bari, rehearsing the band.

16 March 1979
Taping of A Special Kenny Rogers (aired on 12 April). See this.

Photo series shot by Kenny Rogers.

Backstage with Dottie West.

Kenny Rogers, Ray Charles, Dottie West, The Oak Ridge Boys.

5 April 1979
Paramount Theatre, Oakland CA.

In Oakland, Richmond. Photo by Maggie Miller. Poss. shot at the Paramount Theatre on this day.

16 April 1979
Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles CA.

21 April 1979
Elliott Hall of Music, West Lafayette.

24 April 1979
Singing in front of The Georgia State Legislatur; Ray’s version of Georgia On My Mind named the official state song of Georgia. See this.

 

Representative John White co-sponsored H.B. 146 that designated Georgia On My Mind as the official Song of the State of Georgia, and sponsored H.R.183 which honored Ray Charles for his accomplishments.

29 April 1979
Towson Center, Towson State University, Towson MD.

From Baltimore Sun, 22 April 1979.

9 May 1979
On Johnny Cash show. See this.



14 May 1979
Harlequin, Albany NY.

Photo by Perry Harmon.

23 May - 5 June 1979



2-week stint at Continental Showroom, Silverbird Hotel, Las Vegas NV. Read reviews here and here.


27 May 1979
Civic Center, Lubbock.

8 June 1979
State Music Hall, Union Town PA.

11 June 1979
Pontchartrain Hotel, Detroit MI.

15 June 1979
Berklee Performance Center, Boston MA.

Ad from Boston Globe, 20 May.

16 June 1979
Playhouse Square, Cleveland OH.

17 June 1979
Area Landmark Theatre, Syracuse NY.

24 June 1979
Oakdale Musical Theater, Wallingford CT.

28 June 1979
 Double concert at Great Southern Music Hall, Orlando FL; tickets $8.50-9.50.

July 1979
Interviewed by Presbyterian Church public service broadcasting. See this.

1 July 1979
Free concert at City Hall Plaza, Boston MA.

Ad from Boston Globe, 1 Jul.

7 July 1979
Grand Circuit (Raceway) Celebration at Harness in Saratoga Springs NY.

8 July 1979
Atlantic City Jazz Festival, Atlantic City NJ

13 July 1979
Partly televized double concert at North Sea Jazz Festival, Congresgebouw, The Hague. See this.

Photos: Hans Hendriks.

14 July 1979
Grand Place, Antwerp.

22 July 1979
Jazz à Juan, Antibes. See this.

Photo by J.P. Lecoz.

26 July 1979
Teatro  Ariston, Sanremo.

27 July 1979
Santa Margherita.

August 1979 
Release of the single Some Enchanted Evening / You 20th Century Fox.

Gig at Catamaran Hotel, San Diego.

9 August 1979
Teatro Tendo Bussoladomani, Lido ddi Camaiore (cf. this); aired by RAI on 18 October (cf. this).

Ad in Unita (Aug. 8).

14 August 1979
Lane County Fair, Eugene OR (review here).

19 August 1979
Civic Center, Augusta GA.


21 August 1979
Convention Center, San Bernardino CA; with The McPhersons.

Around this time in August 1979
International Festival of Carthage.

September 1979
Release of album Ain't It So.

Ad from Cashbox Magazine, September 1979.

6 September 1979
At Art directors club meeting, Uptown Theater, Kansas City.

Invitation mail piece.

8 September 1979
State Fair Grounds, Sports Center, Omaha NE.

11 September 1979
The Lamar, Jackson MS.

13 September 1979
Radio City Music Hall, New York City NY.

15 September 1979
 University of North Dakota, Chester Fritz Auditorium, Grand Forks ND.

26 September 1979
Inducted in Georgia State Music Hall of Fame, but Ray did not attend the ceremony; cf. this and this.

14 October 1979
Hemmens Auditorium (Civic Center), Elgin IL.

23 October 1979
Grand Court of Woodfield Shopping Center, Schaumberg.
Austin City Limits Soundstage, Austin TX (recording date). See this.

Publicity wire photos (watermarked).

Rehearsals with James Polk and Leroy Cooper.

27 October 1979
In Up Close With Ray Charles (air date). See this.
Apollo Theatre, New York City NY.


November 1979
Release of the single Just Because / Love Me Or Set Me Free.

12 November 1979
Crown Royale, La Habra CA.

22 November 1976
Slick's Rock & Roll, St. Martinville LA.
One of the musicians remembered, "It was a place for suddenly-oil-rich swamp people to get totally hammered and beat each other up. The tables and chairs were bolted to the floor, everything (meaning: beer and crappy burgers) was served in/on plastic & no firearms were allowed inside. The stage bouncer had one leg, but he was lethal & effective in the use of his cane. It was at this gig that I learned the value of a [withheld] stand as a defensive weapon."

26 November 1979
Concert in Houston TX.

Portrait made on this day. (c) Rex Features.

And on American Bandstand (air date; taped at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. See this).

28 November 1979
On The Unbroken Circle: A Tribute To Mother Maybelle Carter (air date). See this.

Larry Gatlin, Lynn Anderson, Ray Charles.

Late November 1979
Receives 1st copy of Braille songbook at ASCAP event.

From Billboard, Dec. 1.

December 1979
With Sarah Jordan Powell starring In Christmas In Ettal - A Black Ceremony (month not sure). See this.

Featuring in print campaign for Fender.

Unknown location; the guitar player is Curtis Ohlson, c 1979.

Johnny Coles doing exercises, on tour, somewhere in Europe. (c) Photo by Dan Marcus.

Ad with drummer Peter Turre for Rogers; from Players And Listeners, Nov. 1.

Flyer for a tour in Japan.