Ray Charles Is In Town - Chronology 1967

Publicity portrait (variating prints), poss. by Joe Adams, c. 1967.

Three pics taken at unidentified venue, in or around '67.

Ad in Cash Box, Feb. 1967.

Ad in Ebony, March 1967. 

Recording at RPM, Los Angeles, with Ed Willis, c. 1967.

Circa 1967.

Turtleneck with cufflinks?! Photo by U. Schwenn, probably made in Germany. Original caption dates it in 1965.

Ray Charles and Fred Morrell playing chess on the bus; jazz critic Leonard Feather looking over Fred's shoulder, Billy Preston right (c. 1967).

1967

Trade ad William Morris.

Probably at a concert in France. Photo by Jean-Louis Ligonnet.

From tour brochure. 

Here We Go Again peaks at #15 on Pop Chart and #5 on R&B, Yesterday at #25 on Pop and #9 on R&B, In The Heat Of The Night at #33 on Pop and #21 on R&B.

Ray Charles Invites You To Listen peaks at #76 on Pop Album Chart.

Ray features in Coca Cola commercials. See this.

 

 

Coca Cola print campaign. Note Billy Preston in top right hand corner.

Also stars in Coca Cola (advertorial) print campaign (photography by Joe Adams):

Coca Cola Christmas '67 print campaign.

Receives Golden Spike Award 1966 for Coca Cola Commercial 'String',  with Waymon Wright (prob. in Aug. '67).

January 1967
Recording session (a.o. Here We Go Again) at RPM International in Los Angeles.

February 1967

Publicity for The Raelettes' first single One Hurt Deserves Another, in Cashbox, Feb. 18, 1967 (several months after the platter's release).

Release of the single I Want To Talk About You / Something Inside Me.
ABC promo campaign for the compilation album A Man And His Soul.

From Cashbox, Feb. 25 (push also included Cashbox cover).

From Cashbox, Feb. 11, 1967.

3-page ad in Cashbox.


23 February - Early March 1967
The Raelettes opening for Marvin Gaye at Ciro's in Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Sentinel, Feb. 23.

From Cashbox, Mar. 11, 1967.

2 - 3 March 1967
Wins two Grammy awards for Crying Time. The award show, titled Best On Record, aired the next day. See this.

Contact sheet; Ray Charles bottom left & right; (c) Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images.

27 March 1967

Was this picture (by Joe Adams?) taken at this occasion?

3-hour benefit concert aboard the aircraft carrier Constellation, docked in San Diego Harbor CA and bound for Vietnam, for 3,000 sailors and their families. Great story in LA Times of March 31:



April 1967
Release of the single Here We Go Again / Somebody Ought to Write a Book About It.

Trade ad in Billboard, May 20, 1967.

31 March - 9 April 1967
Royal Tahitian, Ontario CA; twice nightly, 3 shows on Saturday.

Ticket stub.

?5 April 1967?
Latin Casino, Cherry Hill.

10 April 1967
Greece Jazz Festival, Athens.

11 April 1967
Recording session (a.o. Understanding) at RPM International in Los Angeles.

14 April 1967
United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Eustis, Virginia VA.

Photo by Gilles Pétard,/Getty.

15 April 1967
Mayser Gymnasium, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster PA; review here.

16 April 1967
Jorgensen Auditorium, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

Ad from Hartford Courant, 6 Apr.

18 April 1967

Probably just nonsense from Cashbox (May 6, 1967).

Start of European tour (announced in Billboard as: Barcelona, Manchester, London, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Malmö, Hamburg, Frankfort, Milan and Berlin).

Copenhagen, April 1967; photo by Jan Persson.

Copenhagen, April 1967; photo by Bent Rej.

Interviewed on arrival in Paris. See this.

Double concert at Salle Pleyel in Paris, taped by Europe No 1, grossing $22,000 (source). Also see this.

Photo: Reporters Associés/Gamma/Getty.

19 - 20 April 1967
Hot Club de Barcelona's concert at Palacio de la Música in Barcelona; 2 days for 2 double concerts each ("satisfying artistically but not commercially", according to Variety).. Read review here.

Photo by Ferdinando Scianna.

Photos by Roberto Polillo.

From L'Europeo magazine, May '67, possibly taken during this tour.

Prob. at this same concert. The saxophone player might be Curtis Amy.

21 April 1967
Free Trade Hall, Manchester.

22 April 1967
Royal Festival Hall, London. "Ray also amused with a humorous monologue about becoming a British citizen if he could learn English."

24 April 1967
Falkoner Centret, Copenhagen.

26 April 1967

After landing on Arlanda Airport.

Kungliga Tennishallen, Stockholm.

27 April 1967
Stadteater, Malmö.

Two pages from a Malmö Stadteater brochure. Did Coca Cola just tie in with an ad, or did they sponsor the concert?

***conflicting with:***

A Ray Charles show from the flight deck of the carrier Constellation in San Diego.

29 April 1967

Poster.

Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt; taped - see this.

Photos taken at a concert in Germany, possibly this one in Frankfurt (cf. this).

30 April 1967
Teatro Lirico, Milan; announcement here.

Photos by Ferdinando Scianna, Magnum.

3 May 1967
Sport Palast in Berlin; taped - see this.

In Paris for France Inter radio show Pop Club.

With host José Arthur, and girlfriend Annick Sauvrezy.

Arrival at Hilton Hotel, on or around this day.

After an album promotion at a department store, probably on or around this day.

Photo possibly taken on or around this same day.

6 May 1967
Roberts Center, Boston MA.

7 May 1967
University Center, St. Bonaventure University, Olean NY.


11 May 1967
Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Ohio State University, Columbus OH (with Billy Preston).

Photos by unidentified photographer.

13 May 1967
Carnegie Hall, New York City NY.



14 May 1967
Studio Arena Theater or Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo NY.

17 May 1967
Fresno CA.

18 May 1967
Concert in Stockton CA.
Jet Magazine publishes squib (also see below, 8 December):


19 May 1967
Diablo Valley College, Mount Pleasant CA.

20 May 1967
Gig at SDSU Peterson Gym, San Diego State University in San Diego CA (with Billy Preston and Chelsea Brown). "The highlight of the first half was the performance of newcomer Billy Preston, who played piano with the band, sang and played organ on 'Shot Gun', danced the jerk, and did a song-and-dance routine to 'Double-O-Soul'. The young entertainer did a fantastic job on 'Somewhere' from 'West Side Story; which he played in classical 'soul' and baroque styles [...]" (review in Aztec college paper).

26 May 1967
UoC, Santa Barbara CA.

27 May 1967
San Mateo CA.

In or around June 1967
Recording session for In The Heat Of The Night at RPM International in Los Angeles.

June 1967
Release of album Ray Charles Invites You To Listen.

1 - 10 June 1967
Zebra Lounge, ?Los Angeles CA?.

8 June 1923


23 June 1967
Two shows at State Armory, Wilmington DE.

24 June 1967
Constitution Hall, Washington DC; future president Bill Clinton in the audience. See this.


25 June 1967
Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford CT.

July 1967
Celebrating 20th anniversary in show business, receives plaque from LA city councilman at City Hall.

1 July 1967
Convention Hall, Asbury Park NJ.

2 - 3 July 1967
Steel Peer, Atlantic City.

From venue's season brochure.

9 July 1967

19th Barnum Festival, Bridgeport CT.

15 July 1967
Assembly Center, Tulsa OK.

17 July 1967

Will Rogers Auditorium, Fort Worth TX.

18 July 1967
Municipal Auditorium, Austin TX.

20 July 1967

Dane County Coliseum, Madison WI.

23 July 1967

Convention Hall, Asbury Park.

Civic Center, Baltimore MD; with Stevie Wonder opening ("Stevie Wonder Steals Show From Ray Charles"). Read review here.

Ad in Baltimore Sun, 9 July 1967.

August 1967

Release of the single In The Heat Of The Night / Something's Got to Change.

2 - 6, 9 - 11 August 1967 (off Mon. 7 and Tues. 8)

Three Rivers Inn, Syracuse NY.

12 August 1967

New York Jazz Festival, at Downing Stadium, Randall's Island NY.

Poster.

Ads.

13 August 1967

"Holiday for Jazz" concert at Victory Field, Indianapolis IN (with Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff).

Mid August 1967
Concert in Atlanta at the Steel Pier (with the Band within a Band and Billy Preston); receives Coca Cola's Golden Spike award.

From Baltimore Afro-American Aug 19.

16 August 1967

The whole RC entourage, leaving for the Austrasia tour.

17 August 1967
Arrival on Sydney Airport.

18 August 1967

Interviewed at Essendon Airport, near Melbourne AU. Read this. See this.
Double concert at Festival Hall, Melbourne AU.
Also look here. Recorded for TV, and broadcast in two Caltex sponsored parts in November '67 and January '68. See this.

19 August 1967
Festival Hall Brisbane.

Arrival with Della & press conference on Brisbane Airport, concert at Festival Hall, Brisbane.

Concert in Sydney Stadium.

"[A]t Mascot Airport [...] on his arrival in Sydney. [Ray] Charles was interviewed on the subject of racial problems in the states, drugs and his life in general, all of which he answered rationally and sensibly."

21 - 22 August 1967
Sydney Stadium, Sydney AU.
"The augmented orchestra, under the direction of saxophonist Curtis Amy, is by far the best big band to have visited Australia in the last five years".

 23 24 August 1967
International Center in Honolulu HI, after 24-hour delay of jet flight (4,756 payees).

25 August - 3 September 1967

Leo's Casino, Cleveland.

9 - 10 September 1967

Melody Fair, North Tonawanda NY (with Chelsea Brown and Billy Preston).

13 September 1967
Convention Hall, San Diego CA.

15 September 1967

Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim CA.

Ad from Long Beach Independent Press, 20 Aug.

17 September 1967

Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood CA.

25 September 1967
Annual Leo's Casino date in Cleveland.

26 September to 12 October 1967

Three weeks at Harrah's in Reno NV.

October 1967

Release of the single Yesterday / Never Had Enough of Nothing Yet.

Congressional resolution commending Ray for charitable and professional achievements.

Trade ad in Billboard, November 4, 1967.

13 October 1967

Civic Center, CharlestonWV  (with Billy Preston, Chelsea Brown (grossing $13,789); followed by reception at Heart 'O Town Motor Inn.

Ad from Charleston Daily Mail, 29 Sep.

14 October 1967
Kennedy Hall, St. Vincent College, Latrobe PA.

19 October 1967
Massey Hall, Toronto ON.

20 October 1967
Carnegie Tech, Pittsburgh.

21 October 1967

(Perspective modified).

Kent State University Homecoming concert at Memorial Gym, Kent OH; co-billed with Louis Armstrong. See this.

24 October 1967
Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver BC (gross $11,400).

26 October 1967
Alberta.

27 October 1967
Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary AB.

28 October 1967
Center Arena, Seattle WA (with Billy Preston).

Ad from Seattle Times, 22 Oct.

29 October 1967
Community Theatre, Berkeley CA.

31 October 1967
University of Santa Clara.

November 1967
Performing in "The Nashville Sound", a segment of NBC's Kraft Music Hall. See this.

1 November 1967
Western Washington College.

2 November 1967

From PLU Yearbook 1968.

3 November 1967
Nicholson Pavilion, Central Washington State College Campus, Ellensburg WA.


4 Novermber 1967
Washington State University.

7 November 1967
Broadcast of The Genius Of Ray Charles, Live In Australia, part 1. See this.

10 - 11 November 1967
Purdue.

12 November 1967
Auditorium Theatre, Chicago IL.

14 November 1967
 Chicago, rehearsing for series of concerts (trombonist Frederic 'Keg' Johnson found dead in hotel room "apparently from a heart attack")
University of Alabama.

15 November 1967
Ole Miss Colosseum, Greenville MS.
*conflicting with*

Mississippi State.

17 November 1967
"[...] Ray Charles performed for more than 3,000 people inside the then newly opened Boylan Gymnasium. As the Asbury Park Press reported, Charles transformed 'that big, cold, stadium-type room into a hothouse of exuberant rhythm,' fielding questions from the audience, sharing stories about his upbringing, and even meeting backstage with a fan who brought his blind son to the show."

Photo by Tom Stevens.

18 and 19 November 1967
Concerts in Chicago.

18 to 20 November 1967

Salle Wilfrid Pelletier, Place des Arts, Montreal QC. Read review here. These photos are from a concert in Montreal, but might be from another year:






21 November 1967
Harrah's, Reno.

22 November 1967
On The Nashville Sound special, with Dinah Shore. See this.

With Eddy Arnold, Johnny Mercer, and Dinah.

23 November to 7 December 1967
Copacabana, New York City NY. The Los Angeles Sentinel of November 9 reported that the opening night performance was to be "waxed live" by ABC-Paramount Records. This plan never materialized, but did any taping of it survive?

Review in Billboard, Dec. 2.

From Los Angeles Sentinel, Dec 7.

25 November 1967
Drive-In Theatre, Great Bend.

30 November 1967

Interview in Downbeat.

December 1967
Release of the single Come Rain Or Come Shine / Tell Me You'll Wait For Me.
  Recording for Portrait Of Ray in LA.

3 December 1967
Ed Sullivan Show.

8 December 1967
$6 million libel suit against Jet magazine (Johnson Publishing) which had implied that Charles bribed police in a narcorics case (also see above, 18 May):


9 December 1967
The Spectrum in Philadelphia PA; with Hugh Masekela and Flip Wilson.

10 December 1967
Rinkeydinks' annual Candlelight Supper Dance, Hilton Hotel, New York City NY.

  Al Hibbler takes photo of Ray ; from New York Amsterdam News, Dec. 16, 1967.

28 December 1967
Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco CA.

29 December 1967
Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica CA.


30 December 1967
Civic Auditorium, San Jose CA.

31 December 1967
 Civic Center, Pasadena CA.

Ray Charles and Bobby Womack (c. 1967).

From Ebony, Oct. 1967.

1967 or 1968.

Unidentified concert, c 1967.