Ray Charles Is In Town - Chronology 1984

From Ray to Right: Robbie Kwock, John Boice, Mayo Tiana, Johnny Coles.

1984

 We Didn't See A Thing (with George Jones & Chet Atkins) peaks at #6 on Country Chart, Do I Ever Cross Your Mind at #50 on Country, Rock And Roll Shoes at #14 on Country.

Do I Ever Cross Your Mind peaks at #55, and Friendship peaks at #1 on Country Album Chart, and #75 on Pop Chart.

Collaborates on Blues Medley (with Hank Williams Jr, John Lee Hooker, Dickie Betts); Ray played piano, and sang a bit. See this.

Interviewee in the documentary I Love Quincy. See this.

  Ft. In Pioneer campaign. See this.

 

9 January 1984

San Juan.

15 January 1984

Performing in Celebration Of Life. See this. 

20 - 21 January 1984

Taping of Austin City Limits, next day televised by PBS. See this.

Photo by Scott Newton.

2 February 1984

On The Tonight Show. See this and this.

March 1984

Release of the single Do I Ever Cross Your Mind / They Call It Love.

27 March 1984
The Front Row, Highland Heights OH.

11 April 1984

Press Agent Bob Abrams said the verses of I Can't Stop Loving You and Busted brought the greatest response from the 400 inmates at the Sybil Brand Institute for Women in Los Angeles CA, who “clapped and sang along […]" at two prison concerts, kicking off Ray's 1984 concert tour. 

12 April 1984

On The Early Show, covering Ray’s performance at Women's prison. See this.

13 April 1984

Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City NJ.
Start of Witness The Legend 1984 World Tour ("Words cannot describe").

15 April 1984

Sands Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City NJ. 

19 April 1984
VIP Supper Club, Richmond VA.

20 April 1984
Spring Festival at Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte NC.

22 April 1984

Auditorium Theatre, Chicago IL; tickets at $15.50-$19.50.

24 April 1984
Foelinger Great Hall, Krannert Center at University of Illinois, Urbana IL. See ad here.

27 April 1984

Billy Bob's, Fort Worth TX.

28 April 1984

Jazz & Heritage Festival, 'Soul at the Saenger', New Orleans LA. With Al Green and the Dave Bartholomew Big Band with guest vocalist Johnny Adams (who performed only 2 songs).

Textile sticker.

Ad from The Times-Picayune New Orleans, 27 Apr.

  17 (or 18?) May 1984

With Willie Nelson at the Austin Opera House in Austin TX (recording date; released on VHS, then aired in ’85). See this.

(I also have a source claiming a concert on this same day at Doc Severinsen's Music Showplace in Oklahoma).

Photo by Joe Adams.

25 - 26 May 1984
Freedom Hill Amphitheatre, Premier Center, Sterling Heights MI.

June 1984

Release of the single Woman Sensuous / I Was On Georgia.

15 June 1984
With Seattle Symphony Orchestra (with Raelettes), 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle WA.

16 June 1984

The Pavilion At Boise State University, Boise ID.

17 June 1984
6th Annual Playboy Festival at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles CA.

The cover photo of the 1988 album Just Between Us was shot here.

19 June 1984

Concerts By The Bay at Humphrey's, San Diego CA.

20 June 1984
Graham Central Station, Phoenix AZ.

23 June 1984

 Kool Jazz Fest at Mann Music Center, Philadelphia PA; with B.B. King.

27 June 1984

Count Basie Theater, Red Bank NJ ("Charles wows audience"; read this).

28 June 1984
Woodlands Inn and Resort Grand Ballroom in Wilkes-Barre PA.

29 June 1984

New Kool Festival at Avery Fisher Hall, New York City NY, with Gladys Knight; tickets at $22-$25 ("the years of wear and tear have neither dampened his interpretive brilliance nor eroded his extraordinary emotive power"; read review here).

30 June 1984

Freedom Weekend, at Donaldson Center, Greenville NC.

July 1984

Concert in Viareggio (bootlegged). See this.

 

Release of album Do I Ever Cross Your Mind, and of the single Rock And Roll Shoes (with B.J. Thomas) / Then I'll Be Over You.

4 July 1984

On Salute To Lady Liberty, aired live from New York. See this.

8 July 1984

Stanley Performing Arts Center, Utica NY (Ray receives key to the city). Read this and this.

12 July 1984

Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis MN.

13 July 1984

Fabulous Fox Theater, St. Louis MO.

14 and 15 July 1984

Pops with Milwaukee Symphony at County Zoo, Milwaukee WI.

28 July 1984
With Etta James at the Beverly Theatre, Los Angeles CA.

13 and 14 August 1984
Crazy Horse, Santa Ana CA.

16 August 1984

Cocoanut Grove Ballroom, Santa Cruz CA.

18 August 1984

Newport Jazz Festival at Fort Adams State Park, Newport RI.

From the festival's program brochure.

22 August 1984
Grossinger's Catskill Resort Hotel, Liberty NY.

23 August 1984

Performing at Republican Party Convention, at the Reunion Arena in Dallas. See this.

Photos by Jose Azal.

Photo by Peter Southwick (AP).

With Nancy and Ronald Reagan. Photo by Barry Thumma/AP.

George H.W. Bush, Ray Charles, Ronald Raegan. Photo: Corbis,

24 August 1984

The Man: Ray Charles Discusses His Career (mini documentary; air date). See this.
Swiss Villa Amphitheatre, Lampe MO, with George Jones.

25 August 1984

Starlight Theatre, Kansas City MO; with Sarah Vaughan.

1 September 1984
 Grandin Theater, Roanoke VA. The concert was taped from the audience; cf. this.





2 September 1984

Kool Jazz Festival, Pier Six Concert Pavilion, Baltimore MD.

8 October 1984

At the 18th Annual Country Music Awards, at Grand Ole Opry in Tennessee, aired by CBS. See this.

Performing I Didn't See A Thing with George Jones.

Publicity photo for the show with (clockwise, starting top left) Loretta Lynn, Michael Martin Murphey, Janie Fricke and Ray Charles.

17 October 1984
Pantinoire, Rouen.

18 October 1984.

Festival De Jazz at the Chapiteau de la Pépinière, Nancy. See this and this. 

From the archives of the Républicain Lorrain.

Photos by Stéphane Gamelin.

21 October 1984
Hall des Expositions, Troyes; see this.

23 October 1984
Palais des Sports, Toulouse.

27 October 1984

Jazz Jamboree at Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw (2 shows recorded for TV and radio, selections released on two albums, another audio selection digitally bootlegged).

Photo by Andrew Kielbowicz.

   

29 and 30 October 1984

This interview and mini reportage were broadcast by Franch TV on October 22 and 26.

Palais des Congrès, Paris. Great photos here and here.

Concert on the 29th. Photos by Patrice Saguet.

Photo by John van Hasselt.

November 1984

Release of the single Seven Spanish Angels (with Willie Nelson) / Who Cares (with Janie Fricke).

1 November 1984

Teatro Tendo Bussoladomani, Lido di Camaiore. See this.

8 November 1984
Bailey Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca NY. The show was recorded.

10 November 1984
Shubert Performing Arts Center, New Haven CT, Autumn Jazz Festival.

Ad from Hartford Courant, 4 Nov.

12 November 1984

One of the guest stars at 'Reach for the Stars', a benefit for Lenox Hill Hospital, at Carnegie Hall in New York City NY with the New American Orchestra.

17 November 1984

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts, Brooklyn NY.

26 November 1984
Massey Hall, Toronto ON.

Photos by Dick Darrell/Getty.

29 November 1984

On Der Musikladen in Germany. See this.

30 November 1984
State Armory, Santa Fe NM.

1 December 1984

Flint Center, Cupertino CA.

Rudy Johnson taking a solo.
Personnel: Clifford Solomon, Brian Mitchell, Rudy Johnson, Ricky Woodard, Louis Van Taylor - saxophone; Mark Curry, Jim Seeley, Jeff Kaye, Robbie Kwock - trumpet; Dan Marcus, John Boice, Dan Weinstein, Dana Hughes - trombone; Bobby Floyd - keyboards; Roger Hines - bass; Jeff Pevar - guitar; Rick Kirkland - drums.
Photos by Russell Kwock. 

 7 and 8 December 1984

Stamford Center for the Arts at the Palace Theater, Stamford CT.

Ray inducted Quincy Jones at an American Academy of Achievement event in Minneapolis; this photo was possibly taken at this event, sometime during the year (or was it the July 12 event above?).

Somewhere, reading at an airport, '84.