Ray Charles Is In Town - Chronology 1969

This portrait, currently offered as an art print, could well be from the same shoot as the Vogue picture below.

From the September 15 issue of Vogue. (c) Condé Nast. Photo by Bert Stern.

Wider cropping of same (original?) shot.

Well known portrait by Linda McCartney (always dated "ca 1965").

This photo must have been made during the same session.

This photo is credited to Jim Marshall...

Photo, distributed as a postcard, attributed to Ole Brask, dated c. 1969.

College Of Sante Fe Yearbook, 1969.

1969
If It Wasn't For Bad Luck peaks at #77 on Pop Chart and #21 on R&B, Let Me Love You at #94 on Pop and #28 on R&B, We Can Make It at #101 on Pop and #31 on R&B.
Doing His Thing peaks at #172 on Pop Album Chart.

January 1969
Attending ABC's yearly sales conference.
On Smothers Brothers show with Jackie Mason. See this.

At one of the Smothers Brothers shows taped in 1969, with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. Photo by Tom Gundelfinger O’Neal.

On or around 16 January 1969 (may be a confusion with the gig on 21 - 22 June; see below)
Civic Opera House, Chicago.

31 January 1969
Benefit for the chapel of the Florida School for Deaf and Blind Children at Exposition Hall, Orlando FL; Ray gets plaque from Gov. Claude Kirk (see this).

Gov. Claude Kirk, Ray, Ray's wife.

February 1969
Release of album I'm All Yours Baby, and the single I'll Be Your Servant / I Didn't Know What Time it Was.

Ad in Billboard.

Photo shoot with Joe Adams and unidentified guy at RMP - to promote I'm All Yours Baby (as auctioned on Ebay)?

20 February 1969
 On Joey Bishop Show; see this.

March 1969
Mable John joins the Raelettes.

10 March 1969
At Bill Of Fare in Los Angeles, presented with a plaque by writer Leonard Feather, who - in a guest column for the Sacramento Observer (Mar. 20) - reported: "[...] at local nite club enjoyed the epitome of 'personal happenings'. Conversed with my idol, Ray Charles. It's amazing the warmth and depth of this man. He's so very cognizant of what's around him. He can, I believe, actually feel a person. Example: during the performance of Sir Lady Java, Mr. Charles' body seemed to move with the music and his eyes seemed to follow her every sensual and heart riveting move... It was too much, talking to the 'Genius'." ...Joe Adams, Ronnie Granger, Gertrude Gipson, promoter of the affair, also enhanced the totality of the night."

April 1969
Release of the single Let Me Love You / I'm Satisfied.
College tour in Texas
El Camino Royal in Mexico City (possibly in May; according to Variety magazine of May 21, Ray "[...] brought his show from the Camino Real's El Dorado room to perform at the weekly pop concert [...]".

2 - 10 April 1969
Newport Resort Hotel, Miami Beach FL.

From Miami Herald, Apr. 3.

Photos by Bill Sanders (Miami Herald).

9 April 1969
On Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. See this.

14 April 1969
Sam Houston State College, Huntsville TX.

15 April 1969
Memorial Gymnasium, University of Texas, El Paso TX.

17 - 30 April 1969
El Camino Real, Mexico City.

May 1969
Release of album Ray Charles Doing His Thing.

3 May 1969
Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo NY.
*and:*
Carnegie Hall, New York City NY.

9 May 1969
Community College, Rochester NY.

11 May 1969
Mother's Day concert at Spectrum, Philadelphia PA; with Miriam Makeba.
Benefit for the Opportunities Industrialization Center in Philadelphia (co-billed with Miles Davis Quintet and Young-Holt Unlimited combo).

13 May 1969
Arkansas State College, Jonesboro AR.

14 May 1969
Municipal Auditorium, Texas Tech, Lubbock TX.
In Rome Und Julia (first aired in Germany; see this).

Photos by Peter Brüchmann.

15 May 1969
Christian College Moody Coliseum, Abilene TX.

17 May 1969
Grambling College, Grambling LA.

18 May 1969
Memorial Auditorium, Dallas TX.

20 to ?25? May 1969
Melodyland, Anaheim CA ("reached the stage […] walking with the loose, rolling swagger that is peculiarly his").
The band played Mutton Leg, with Blue Mitchell taking the solo (source: LA Times, 22 May).

?25? May 1969
Alameda Central, Mexico City. Read review here.

27 May 1969
Roscoe Maples Pavilion, Stanford CA.


29 May - 11 June 1969
Music Hall, Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas NV. The Sacramento Observer (June 26) observed: "Lon Fontaine fashioning more acts for celebs, after that beauty he set up for Joe Adams' black horizons in the Ray Charles Show, which electrified Las Vegas recently...".

June 1969
Japan tour canceled.

13 June 1969
Memorial Coliseum, Corpus Christi TX.

14 June 1969 
First night of the "Soul Bowl" a three-day music event organized by Rev. C.L. Franklin at the Astrodome in Houston TX, with Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge, Sam & Dave and The Staple Singles. (I think this was just a threat:)


15 June 1969
University Theatre, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton FL.

16 - 27 June 1969
Mon - Thu Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles.

Review in Cashbox.

20 June 1969
Masonic Temple in Detroit MI.



21 and 22 June 1969
Civic Opera House, Chicago IL ("gave his audiences at the Opera House this week-end something that can only be called an exciting live documentary of a great artist - a collection of Charles' greatest hits, and then some").

25 June 1969
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton FL.

28 June 1969
2nd Hampton Jazz Festival, Hampton VA.

Program.

F.l.t.r.: Vernita Moss, Susaye Greene, Mable John, Estella Yarbrough.  

Leroy Cooper.

Vernita Moss.

Photos by Bea Kopp.

From Jet, Aug. 21, 1969. Possibly also taken at the Hampton festival.

4 to 10 July 1969

With Billy Preston at the Apollo Theatre, New York. Schiffman index card: "Producer $30,000/60/60,000", "Genius, genius, genius. Great lead ins to assorted materials. Genius."
This photo by Joël Dufour (c) is from July 10:

Photo: collection Joël Dufour.

Ad in New York Amsterdam News, Jul. 5, 1969.

12 July 1969

Two shows at Festival of Arts, Storrowton Theatre, West Springfield.

13 July 1969

Concert in Atlantic City NJ.

14 to 20 July 1969

Carter Barron Amphitheater in Rock Park, Washington DC.

Poster from July '69.

23 July 1969
Reading Fair, Reading PA.




24 July 1969

County Fair, State Fairgrounds, Reading PA.

26 July 1969

St. John Terrel's Music Circus in Lambertville NJ.

27 July 1969

Carousel Theatre, Framingham MA.

August 1969

Release of the single We Can Make It / I Can't Stop Loving You, Baby.

5 - 10 August 1969

Circle Star Theatre, San Carlos

13 August to 2 September 1969

Ad from LA Times, 15 Aug.

Cocoanut Grove, LA (with Bill Cosby MC-ing on opening night).

On 22 August visited by group of Dutch artists; see this.

From Leidsch Dagblad, Aug. 23.

26 August 1969

Guest on The Joey Bishop Show. See this.

September 1969

Inducted in R&B Hall of Fame.

4 September 1969

Latin Casino, Cherry Hill.

11 September 1969

Pauley Pavillion, LA.

 

20 September 1969

First Annual Saratoga Pop Festival
and/or
Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles CA (20 min. bootleg circulating).

26 September 1969

Colston Hall, Bristol; start of 35-day/21-cities European tour through UK, Belgium, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark and Sweden.

27 - 28 September 1969

Royal Festival Hall, London.

Review in Melody Maker, Oct. 4.

It seems as if the concert initially was planned at the Hammersmith Odeon, but then was transfered to the Royal Festival Hall.

Ad from New Musical Express, Sep. 27, 1969.

1 October 1969

Poco-a-Poco, Stockport.

3 October 1969

Newcastle Festival at City Hall.

4 October 1969

Odeon, Birmingham.

5 October 1969

Concert in Copenhagen. Photos here.

The Raelettes, photos by Jan Persson.

6, 7, 10 and 11 October 1969

4 double concerts À La Salle Pleyel, Paris. See this for photos, and this for broadcasts); one of my sources also mentions double concerts on the 8th and 9th. On 7 October Midi Magazine on TF1 has an item about Ray Charles, announcing the concerts at La Salle Pleyel on October 8 and 9. See this.

(Collection André Monnot).

Photos by Christian Rose, prob. taken during these series.

  

Photos by Guy le Querrec.

Photo series shot on Oct. 7 by André Perlstein.

Photo: Imago/ZUMA. Attributed date uncertain.

12 October 1969

Teatro Lirico, Milan (after "numerous requests").

13 October 1969

Teatro Metastasio, Prato.

15 October 1969

Zurich.

16 October 1969

Kölner Sport-Halle, Cologne.

17 October 1969

Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt. Receives gold record from UN.

Photo by Manfred Rehm.

On Della Reese' talk show (air date). See this.

 

18 October 1969

Munich.

First time on Andy Williams Show. See this.

20 October 1969

Nurenberg.

21 October 1969

Liederhalle, Stuttgart.

23 October 1969

Sportpalast, Berlin.

  

Photos by Axel Benzmann.

Photos by Kudwig Binder.

24 October 1969

Rheinhalle, Düsseldorf.

 26 October 1969 

Falconer Salen, Copenhagen.

28 October 1969

Hamburg.

29  October 1969

Gothenburg.

30 October 1969

Stockholm.

Arrival at hotel in Australia. See this. 

November 1969

Photo by Tony Esparza. Note: "for Sunday drama".

Interviewed by Frank Ténot. See this.
Release of the single Claudie Mae / Someone to Watch Over Me.

7 November 1969

Arizona State Fair, Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix AZ.

8 November 1969

At Community Concourse in San Diego CA.

9 November 1969

At UCLA's Pauley Pop Concerts in Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles CA

16 November 1969

Center Arena, Seattle WA.

19 November 1969

WDGY Thanksgiving Holiday Spectacular at Minneapolis Auditorium, Minneapolis MN.

21 November 1969
University of Western Ontario, London CA.

22 November 1969

John D. Millett Assembly Hall, Oxford OH.

Clipped from collegiate newspaper.

28 - 30 November 1969

Music Fair, Westbury NY.

December 1969
Contract ABC/Tangerine expires.

From Cashbox, Dec. 13, 1969.

 Shooting for the Urban Coalition commercial, in New York; read this.

 

5 December 1969

Venus Club, Baltimore MD.

18 - 24 December 1969

With Bill Cosby at Harrah's in Reno.

Ad from Hayward Daily Review, 18 Dec.

26 and 27 December 1969

Valley Music Hall, Salt Lake City - canceled (dissolution of promotor)

28 December 1969

Anaheim Convention Center.