Friendship (With Ricky Skaggs)

Album: Friendship, Columbia 39415, February 1985.

Recorded at the Eleven Eleven Studios and the Soundshop Studio in Nashville, and the Pedernales Studio in Spicewood, with c&w veteran Billy Sherrill. Ray finished things off at RPM International in Los Angeles.

The album was produced with session musicians Hargus Pig Robbins, Robert Ogdin, Bobby Wood - keyboards; Jose McElhiney, Bill McElhiney - trumpet; Billy Sanford, Reggie Young; Henry Strzelecki, Robert Wray II - bass; Pete Drake, Buddy Emmons, Dale Sellers - acoustic guitar; Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Kennedy - acoustic guitar; Jerry Douglas - dobro; Terry McMillan - harmonica, percussion; Ron Snake Reynolds - percussion; Jerry Carrigan, Kenneth Malone, Jerry Kroon - drums.

Ricky, reminiscing (2013):




Live:
'83 TV CMA - With George Jones
'84 TV TS - With George Jones
'85 TV MusicCity - 2x - a. With Ricky Skaggs; b. With Ricky Skaggs, B.J. Thomas, Janie Fricke, The Oak Ridge Boys

Ray Charles Ft. In 19th Annual Music City News Country Awards (1985)

Ray Charles and Willie Nelson were among the 5 nominees for the Duet of the year Award at the 19th Annual Music City News Country Awards, telecast live from the Opry House in Nashville on June 10, 1985, no doubt for their recording of Seven Spanish Angels, as released on Ray's album Friendship (February 1985). They possibly performed that tune during the show, but there's only proof of a performance (see clip below), where Ray sang with other duet partners:

• Friendship (with Ricky Skaggs)
• Rock And Roll Shoes (with B.J. Thomas)
• Who Cares (with Janie Fricke)
• This Old Heart (Is Gonna Rise Again) (with The Oak Ridge Boys)
• Friendship (with Ricky Skaggs, B.J. Thomas, Janie Fricke, The Oak Ridge Boys)

All these tunes were also part of the Friendship album, but on the elpee Ray did the duet on the song "Friendship" with George Jones.
The Music City News was a country music publication. The broadcaster most probably was TNN (The Nashville Network).