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28 July 2010

Ray Charles In Women's Prison (1984)

Lorton, Aug. 26, 1966
(from Billboard, 15 Oct.'66).
On 12 April 1984 The Early Show, aired by CBS,  had an item titled Ray Charles Performs At Women's Prison. Source here.

Ray played free prison concerts regularly (as almost all American entertainers do). Billboard reported on another one on 26 July  1966 (see clipping, left).
Frank Sinatra performed on the same stage one year before, with the Count Basie Band, conducted by Quincy Jones:



On 14 March 1970 a Joseph Birstow, recreation supervisor, even announced that "Ray Charles is scheduled to tape an album in Chino in June".

I also found traces of a prison gig in February or March 1976, that I couldn't yet verify.

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