Ray Charles Is In Town - Chronology 1989

Ray Charles, interviewed in Sanremo, c. 1989.

Caption to photo in Sanremo, filled with nonsense.

 

Celebrating Marlee Matlin's birthday. Photo by Scott Downie.

Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ray Charles, and filmer Bertrand Antoine Fèvre, in Paris. Poss. shooting the clip for Precious Thing, 1988 or '89. Photo by J. Madani.

Interview in Fresno. Photo by David Robin. More here.

Photo by Miguel Pagliere, c. 1989.

Concert at Tennis Stadium of Manhattan Country Club, 1989'.

1989
Plays God archangel Julius in Limit Up. See this.

Interviewed for Carnegie Hall At 100 (aired in 1991). See this.
Sings Cross The Road commercial tune for KFC. See this.
Sings Love Makes The Changes for Cinq Jours En Juin (film). See this.
Video clip of Precious Thing (with Dee Dee Bridgewater). See this.
Scores #3 hit in Japan with Ellie, My Love; makes video clip for the song (or performs song in tv show). See this.


10 January 1989
Recording with Lou Rawls at Sunset Productions, New York.

4 February 1989
With Michael Tilson Thomas and the New World Symphony, Miami FL.

On or just before 7 February 1989
New World Symphony, Miami.

25 February 1989
Concert at Chapiteau in Saint-Denis, Place du 8 Mai, with Orchestre National de L'Isle de France.



 
"The American jazz musician Ray Charles (vocals, piano) and his manager Joe Adams (right), arriving from Nice at Roissy Airport. His agent in France Norbert Gamsohn (left) welcomes him. In the evening he will give a concert with his band: Jefferson Ballard (dm), Kenneth Carr (g), Darren Solomon (db), accompanied by the Orchestre National de l'Ile de France conducted by Jacques Mercier." Photo here.

With girlfriend Arlette Kotchounian alias Anne Gregory.

Photos prob. by Guy Le Querre.

Photos by Guy le Querrec.

Photo by G. Monico.

2 March 1989
 Palais des Sports, Bordeaux.

Coll. Jacques Merle.

3 March 1989
Fair Park Music Hall, Dallas, with Dallas Pops Orchestra; tickets $13-$27.50.

4/5 March 1989
On Easter Seal’s Telethon. See this.

5 March 1989
HBO Broadcast (the first?) of Legends of Rock 'n' Roll Live; read this and caption to publicity photo:

12 March 1989
At Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, with the Oregon Symphony; Ray brought Sid Feller as conductor; Kenny Carr on guitar, Darren Solomon on bass, Jeff Ballard on Drums.

Itinerary/call sheet for the Portland concert (coll. Darren Solomon).

7 April 1989

On the TV special Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting, hosted by Bill Cosby. See this.

17 April 1989
In his studio in Los Angeles. Photo here.


3 May 1989
Music Hall at Fair Park, Dallas TX.

4 May 1989
Performing on Easter Seals Telethon. See this.

5 May 1989
Jones Hall, Houston.

11 May 1989
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland OR.

11 and 12 May 1989
With New York Ballet at Lincoln Center, New York City NY, for A Fool For You. See this.

13 May 1989
Florida Performing Arts Center, Jacksonville.



28 May 1989
Concert for female inmates at Sybil Brand Detention Center, LA.

29 and 30 May 1989
Crazy Horse, Santa Ana Read announcement here.



June 1989
Jazz Festival, Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

Photo by Ken Francklin.

3 June 1989
Paul Masson Winery, Saratoga; with Betty Carter ("soul of Charles was tepid and the jazz of Carter was boiling").

7 June 1989
Luther Burbank Center For The Arts, Santa Rosa CA.

8 June 1989
McCallum Theatre, Palm Dessert CA.

9 June 1989
Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay, San Diego CA ("double treat; 2 concerts superb, distinctly different").

10 June 1989
Phoenecian Hotel, Scottsdale AZ.

15 June 1989
Park Central Amphitheater, Dallas TX.

16 June 1989
Sandstone Amphitheater, Bonner Springs KS.

17 June 1989
Executive Inn, Paducah KY.



18 June 1989
Jazz At The River, Riverfront Park, Nashville Convention Center, Nashville TN (with Chuck Mangione, Maynard Ferguson, Bill Watrous).

20 June 1989
Wolftrap Filene Center, Vienna VA.


22 June 1989
Municipal Auditorium, Morganton NC.

23 June 1989
Hampton Jazz Festival; with Grover Washington, Dianna Reeves and the Ultimate Set, featuring Hank Crawford, Jimmy McGriff, Dave Fathead Newman, Arthur Prysock and Lou Donaldson, at Hampton Coliseum (audience of 10,000).
On Ebony/Jet Showcase. See this.





















24 June 1989
Strand-Capitol PA Center, York PA.

25 June 1989
Two shows at Ontario Place Forum, Toronto ON ("a charismatic entertainer, full of surprises and always apparently primed for some startling side- step. Yet he seems less interested these days in generous displays of his awesome keyboard technique and in flights of vocal fancy than in showing off his arrangements and the expertise of his band"; [Charles] he worked his young orchestra as a major league coach might, pushing them through a series of very difficult moves and some breathtakingly intricate charts, conducting via rapid body movements and shouted asides. Oddly, it was the simple pop and rhythm 'n' blues material - "I Want Your Love", "Move On Up" - that gave the band most trouble").

Photo by Orest Dorosh.

27 June 1989
Photo shoot.

Photos (contact sheet) by Rose Shoshana.

28 June 1989
Scheduled for JVC Jazz Festival at Avery Fisher Hall, New York; with The O'Jays and The Temptations. But Ray got delayed in St. Louis and didn't make it to the show.

29 June 1989
Maine Center for the Performing Arts, Orono ME.

30 June 1989
Montreal Jazz Festival, Place des Arts, Montreal QC.





1 July 1989
Fort Adams State Park, Newport Jazz Festival, Newport RI.

2 July 1989
Melody Fair, North Tonawanda NY.
North Shore Theater, Beverly.

3 July 1989
At Lake Compounce in Bristol CT.

6 July 1989
Melody Tent in Hyannis MA.

7 and/or 8 July 1989
Waterville Valley Bridge Music Festival.

8 July 1989


Summer Festival '89 at Planting Fields Arboretum in Locust Valley (Oyster Bay NY); $25 and $22.50 for reserved seats in the tent; $10 for lawn seats.


9 July 1989
Melody Fair, Wurlitzer Park, North Tonawanda NY.

12 and 13 July 1989
Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta GA ("If anybody cares about ears, it's Ray Charles, which is why you won't need ear protection when he and his orchestra perform").

16 July 1989
Festival d'Été, International Festival of Music,, Richmond QC; drawing 30,000 spectators.

22 July 1989
State Theater, Cleveland OH.

30 July 1989
Closing Ceremonies of the 1989 Olympic Festival, in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium at the University of Oklahoma, Norman OK
31 July 1989
The Ritz, New York City NY.

1 August 1989
Elitch Theater, Denver.

15 to 20 August 1989
The Nightclub Event of the Decade, in the Blue Note ("goes right to the viscera with an irresistible combination of nuance and raw, earthy power; the combination doubtlessly reaches the gut because it comes from the gut").

Drawing by Tony Bennett.

Photo by Adrian Cook.

26 August 1989
New Hampshire Jazz Festival.

27 August 1989
Lakeside Center, Auburn WA (crowd of 3,600).

Photo by Richard Nevell.

31 August 1989
Lafayette Theater in Suffern NY, in a benefit concert for the Good Samaritan Hospital.

1 September 1989
Jazz festival, Tanglewood Music Center, Mansfield MA; with Betty Carter and Dizzy Gillespie.

2 September 1989
Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts, Mansfield MA; with Betty Carter.


5 September 1989
Concert with Zucchero and Dee Dee Bridgewater, Verona. Playing piano on Come Il Sole All'Improvviso:


6 September 1989
Sacrée Soirée (air date). See this.

8 September 1989
Concert on the 18th green of the En-Joie Golf Club in Endicott.

15 September 1989
Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis MN.

16 September 1989
Isthmus Jazz Festival at Oscar Mayer Theatre, Madison WI ("the sold-out house whooped and cheered"); tickets $16 to $20.

21 September 1989
Charles announced chairman of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, Pasadena.

F.l.t.r. Little Jimmy Scott, Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, Bonnie Raitt.

23 September 1989
In Champs-Elysées, show around Jean Lefebvre, with Dee Dee Bridgewater (air date). See this.

On or around 24 September 1989

Birthday party, also celebrating record (first remastered re-releases) deal with Dunhill.

29 September 1989
Holiday Star Plaza (Music) Theatre, Merrillville IN, for audience of 3,100 people.

October 1989
Sings Curiosity tune for CBS-TV series Snoops. See this.
Release of the single (and video) I'll Be Good To You (Parts 1 and 2), with Quincy Jones & Chaka Kahn. See this and this.

5 October 1989
Princess Theater, Decatur AL.

6 October 1989

Le Gala Du Siècle, a TV show celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Moulin Rouge in Paris. Guests were Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Charles Aznavour, Lauren Bacall, Anita Baker, Debbie de Coudreaux, Tony Curtis, Mel Ferrer, Savion Glover, Barbara Hendricks, The Gipsy Kings, Dorothy Lamour, Jerry Lewis, Greg Louganis, Mireille Mathieu, Donald O'Connor, Mickey Rooney, Jane Russel, Charles Trenet, and Esther Williams. See this.

10 October 1989
Maxwell C. King Center, Melbourne.

11 October 1989
St. Lucie County Civic Center, Port St. Lucie, Fort Perce FL ("Never has one man given so much to so many").

15 October 1989
Interviewed For Australian TV (air date). See this.

25 October 1989
Warner Theatre, Torrington CT.

26 October 1989
Music Like It Oughta Be series at Palace Theatre (Stamford Center for the Arts), Stamford CT.
Tickets $14-$29.

30 - 31 October 1989
Headlining Intertalent Festival at Palác Lucerna, Prague. Read this and this. News item here.


 

Photos: Imago/ZUMA.

3 November 1989
Palais des Sports, Marseille.

4 November 1989
10th Festival De Jazz de Paris or Jazz au Zénith, Paris. Photo here. Also see this. Televized as Jazz At The Top: Ray Charles, on 11 July 1990 by France 3; with Dee Dee Bridgewater; see this.

Ticket stub, coll. Jacques Marle.

Photos by Christian Rose.

Photo by Guy Le Querrec (Magnum).

Photo by Jean-Pierre Muller.

5 November 1989 
L 'Arsenal, Metz.

6 November 1989
Differdange, Luxembourg.

7 November 1989
Soirée Ray Charles, ?Paris?

Between 8 and 12 November 1989
In Hilversum, probably for TV gig.

Photo: ANP.

8 November 1989
De Doelen, Rotterdam.

Coll. Alamy (watermarked).

Rare angle: The Raelettes, Ray Charles, Ernest Vantrease. Photo by Chris de Jong/NRC Handelsblad.

Photo by Rob Verhorst/Het Vrije Volk. 

That same day in his hotel in Amsterdam:


10 November 1989
Congresgebouw, The Hague.

11 November 1989
Americahal, Apeldoorn. Read review (in Dutch) here.

12 November 1989
Veilinghal, Alkmaar.

13 November 1989
Espace Culturel des Lices, Toulon.

14 November 1989
Palais des Sports, Toulouse.

15 November 1989
Zénith Sud, Montpellier.

17 November 1989
Steegske, Ghent. See this.

19 November 1989
Palais des Congrès, Le Mans, at Even'Mans Festival.


20 November 1989
Le Quartz, Halle des Expositions, Brest.

21 November 1989
Salle Omnisports, Rennes.

24 November 1989
Barbican Hall, London.

25 November 1989
Victoria Hall, Geneva. Read review here.

27 November 1989
Palasport, Pavia.

28 November 1989
Palasport (Pala Ruffini), Torino.

29 November 1989
Teatro La Fenice, Venice.

30 November 1989
Palaverde, Treviso.

2 December 1989
Palasport, Vicenza.

3 December 1989
Staying at Hotel Saturnia, Venice.

Gig at Palazzo dei Congressi, Bologna.

4 December 1989
Teatro Sistina, Roma.

5 December 1989
Teatro Politeama, Naples.

6 December 1989
Teatro Politeama Lucioli, Terni.

8 December 1989
Teatro Petruzzelli, Bari IT.

Program; erroneous personnel listing.

9 December 1989
Teatro Verdi, Firenze.

10 December 1989
Teatro Sociale, Como.

11 December 1989
Teatro Smeraldo, Milan.

12 December 1989
Palasaport Primo Camera, Udine.

15 December 1989
With symphony orchestra, San Jose.

18 December 1989
Christmas concert at NHK Hall, Tokyo.

27 December 1989
Osaka-jo Hall, Osaka. See this.

30 December 1989
On Parade Of Stars (taped; see this).