Ray Charles Ft In AFL Commercial

Between 1994 and 1999 the Australian Football League (AFL) ran a hugely successful TV campaign that was built on celebreties delivering the cynical catchline, "I'd Like To See That".
Ray delivered it with a winning variation: "Aussie rules. I'd Like To See That." I have a still, but the footage hasn't resurfaced yet.

More examples:

Ray Charles Interviewed In Houston (1977)

Kenneth R. Petrucci, MSW is a psychotherapist who hosted The Creative Connection, a self-development talk show for four years on KPFT 90.1 FM in Houston, Texas. Ken’s guests included "leaders in human potential and self-improvement".
Petrucci’s "legendary interview" with Ray Charles" was conducted at Jones Hall in Houston, on June 5, 1977. It is registered in the United States Copyright Office in the Library of Congress.

Heigh-Ho

In NBC Salutes The 25th Anniversary Of The Wonderful World Of Disney, first aired on 13 September 1978. Ray Charles contributed a line to a multi-star performance of the Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs-song Heigh-Ho (starts at 1:45):

Ray Charles Live In Wantagh (1992)

On June 22, 1992 Ray Charles, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Dr. John and The Fabulous Thunderbirds were found jamming at the Downtime Bar in New York City, where they announced their Blues Festival '92 Tour. As far as I know the plans only materialized in a limited series of concerts in June and September.
On September 2 the group played the Jones Beach Amphitheater in Wantagh (NY). Ray's show was taped from the audience (in a reasonably good quality)*. The setlist was:

1. Intro show
2. Woody 'n' Bu (Ray Charles Orchestra)
3. Intro Ray Charles 
4. Then We'll Be Home (Sadies Tune)
5. Busted
6. Georgia On My Mind
7. Come Rain Or Come Shine
8. Teardrops From My Eyes
9. Ellie, My Love
10. The Good Life
11. The Brightest Smile in Town
12. Intro Raelettes
13. I Want Your Love (ft Estella Yarbrough)
14. I Can't Stop Loving You
15. I Believe To My Soul
16. What'd I Say
17. Outro

The line-up must have came close to this: 

Ted Murdock, Ken Scharf, David Hoffman, Chuck Parrish - trumpets; Wayne Coniglio, Marc Fields, Mike Guerrier, Steve Sigmund - trombones; Steve Elliott, Al Jackson, Al Waters, Rudy Johnson, Jim Farnsworth - saxophones; Peter Turre - drums; Kenny Carr - guitar; Benoît Grey - bass; Ernest Vantrease - keyboards; The Raelettes: Trudy Cohran, Pamela Diggs, Paula Moye, AngieWorkman, Estella Yarbrough.

* Special thanks to George Rue.

Ray Charles In Q&A With UCLA Students (1983)

On May 10, 1983 Ray Charles received the UCLA Distinguished Humanitarian Award. The event was "attended by nearly 1,000 students who gave him a standing ovation" after an extensive Q&A where Ray tried to avoid his usual answers.
He was well aware of the challenge of reaching 1,000 people with just his speaking voice. The audio was recently digitized by the UCLA Communications Studies Department.

Ray Charles And Wiley Pitman, His Protector

This remarkable commercial was made for TrustE's Tracker (protection) software.
Uroš Perić - vocals; John Fresk - piano; Graham Currie - bass; Peter Auret - drums.

The song, in Ray Charles' late '40s style (actually, borrowing some late '50s grunts), was written and arranged by Adam Howard. Recording date: April/May 2016; Adam Howard - sound engineer.

Ad Title: Wiley Pitman and Five Notes That Changed a Life. Client: Tracker South Africa. Director: Kevin Fitzgerald. Creative Agency: House of Brave. Executive Creative Director: Vanessa Pearson. Writer: Dan Parmenter / Stefanus Nel / Conan Green. Art Director: Thereza Norton. Production Company: 0307 Films. Recording Studio: Produce Sound. Executive Producer: Jo Barber.

The Ray Charles Songbook

A worthy and fun tribute to Brother Ray (finally, after all these years!).

The show was staged twice, on May 20 and 21, 2016. Both programs were recorded on video and audio. The 20 May concert was broadcast by PBS (live on TV and on the web on the 20th; a few days later parts of the show were interwoven with interviews in a radio program). The audio can be listened to here:


Personnel: Chuck Parrish - lead trumpet; Kenny Rampton - trumpet, music director; Jim Seeley - trumpet; Elliot Mason - lead trombone; DuPor D Georges -trombone; Wayne Coniglio - bass trombone, arrangements, orchestrations; Sherman Irby - lead alto saxophone; Patrick Alexander Bartley Jr. - alto saxophone; Andy Farber - Tenor saxophone; Lauren "El Boogie" Sevian; Baritone saxophone; Ernest Vantrease - organ/keyboards; Roger W. Hines - acoustic and electric bass; Bill Sims - guitar, vocals; Jamison Ross - drums, vocals; Diane Schuur - vocals; Angela Workman, Renee Collins Georges, Katrina Harper - vocals, background vocals.

Ray Charles Live In Geneva (1970)

On October 23, 1970 the Ray Charles Band played a concert at the Victoria Hall in Geneva. Don't miss the remarkable version of Going Down Slow, which included a solo on (muted) trumpet by Johnny Coles and some bone chilling notes added by Joe Randazzo on bass trombone (he even got a reprise) - I guess both to kill the off-beat clapping from the audience. Rather special is also Games People Play (so far only known from a performance with Andy Williams and Mama Cass), featuring Vernita Moss and Susaye Greene.
The concert was taped from the audience; the audio quality is reasonable. The setlist was:

1. Unidentified instrumental
2. Hallelujah I Love Her So
3. Georgia On My Mind
4. Marie
5. Yesterday
6. The Bright Lights And You Girl
7. Going Down Slow
8. Intro Raelettes + If You Were Mine
9. I Can't Stop Loving You
10. Show Me The Sunshine
11. Eleanor Rigby
12. Games People Play
13. What'd I Say + Outro

Unidentified instrumental (with Genius Shout!):

Hallelujah I Love Her So:

Georgia On My Mind:

Marie:

Yesterday:

The Bright Lights And You Girl:

Going Down Slow:

Intro Raelettes + If You Were Mine:

I Can't Stop Loving You:

Show Me The Sunshine:

Eleanor Rigby:

Games People Play:

What'd I Say, Outro:


The line-up was probably identical to the personnel performing earlier that month, in Paris:
Johnny Coles, Bill King, Blue Mitchell - trumpets; Glenn Childress, Henry Coker, Fred Murrell, Joe Randazzo - trombones; Jay Cloyd Miller, Curtis Peagler - alto saxophones; Andy Ennis, David Newman - tenor saxophones; Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone, band leader; Ernie Elly - drums; Ben Martin - guitar; Edgar Willis - bass; Truman Thomas - organ. The Raelettes: Susaye Greene, Mable John, Vernita Moss, Estella Yarbrough.

* Special thanks to Uroš Perić.

Ray Charles Contributing To Smothers Brothers Show's Theme Song

Halfway through the production of the The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967–1969) a theme tune (written by Perry Botkin, Jr., Mason Williams, and Nancy Ames) was introduced. While it became more and more popular, the stars who appeared on the show were asked to contribute to a montage, which probably was broadcast only once: during the very last show on April 20, 1969. Ray delivered his bit when he appeared on the show that was aired on January 19, 1969.
Among the other contributors I recognized The Smothers Brothers, Jackie Mason, Harry Belefonte, Nancy Sinatra, Donovan, Andy Williams, Victor Borge, Bob Einstein, Barbara Feldon, Bob Newhart, and Jonathan Winters.

A Radio Commercial For An Integrated Ray Charles Gig In Memphis, 1961

This acetate belonged to Julie Wall, "a North Kesteven Council employee who rifled more than half a million in loose change from car park cash boxes – and spent the lot on Elvis memorabilia".

Sometimes collecting Elvis memorabilia turns out to be a relevant passtime. The B-side of this acetate is a promotional jingle for Ray Charles' August 20, 1961, concert at the Ellis City Auditorium, the first integrated gig in Memphis.
That may be special, but its A-side is much bigger Music History News: it's a so far unknown recording of Elvis Presley, singing Suspicion – three years before it was released as a single. The disk, made by the Tennessee radio station WHBQ, "is set to spark a bidding war when it goes under the hammer [...] on November 4".

On September 2, 1961, The New Pittsburgh Courier wrote:

"Last week down in Memphis, Ray Charles scratched a niche for himself in the history book of our times, when he became the first to ply his talent before an integrated audience in the heart of the segregated South. It was a dual victory. Even the "for colored only" signs in front of the ladies and men's rest rooms were discarded for his performance at the auditorium. Though blind, the "soul" singing pianist, was well aware that the entire house was well mixed looking like what a human American flag should. Another significant angle of the affair was that it was promoted by William Mitchell, owner of the Club Handy, who's also colored. It might be of interest to those died-in-the-wool segregationists to know that there were no incidents of any kind, as people, whom they said would never do it, sat side by side and exchanged the oohs and aahs of those caught up in the ecstasy of unadulterated good singing."

This photo, by Ernest C. Withers, was probably made at this Memphis concert (my source, though, says the picture is from December 1961). F.l.t.r. David Newman, Hank Crawford, Ray Charles, Leroy Cooper. Photo by Ernest C. Withers.

From Jet magazine, Aug. 14.

From Variety, Aug. 23.