Ray Charles Is In Town - Chronology 1973

Unidentified TV show (print dated 1973).

Unidentified concert, probably in USA, c. 1973. Photo by Thomas R. Copi, as reproduced in Ann Arbor Sun, Sep. 5, 1973.

Backstage at a concert in Madrid.

 

Comcert, c. 1973.

1973

Photo, c. 1973, by Jodi Cobb.

Photo by Joe Sia; also cf. this picture from the same series.

I Can Make It Thru The Days (But Oh Those Lonely Nights) peaks at #81 on Pop Chart and #21 on R&B.

 

Come Live With Me at #82 on Pop and #30 on R&B.

January 1973

Release of album Jazz Number II.

Release of the single Every Saturday Night / Take Me Home, Country Roads.

8 January 1973
At Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.

10 and 11 January 1973

On Duke Ellington... We Love You Madly, recorded at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles. See this. See photos here.

Ad in Billboard.

View image | gettyimages.com

View image | gettyimages.com

View image | gettyimages.com

Ray Charles and Quincy Jones during rehearsals for the Ellington tribute. The blue-ish version of the photo is also associated with the taping of a Merv Griffin show. I have no clue why and how the background in this photo was manipulated (or did the simply apply a blue screen background?).

18 January 1973 
Publishing date of Rolling Stone interview.

4 March 1973
Ray and Della holding a cocktail party in their home in LA, "honoring our next mayor, Tom Bradley". Among the featured entertainers are Spanky Wilson, Jimmy Witherspoon, and... The Sisters Love, i.e. the former Raelettes with Gwen Berry!

30 March 1973

Hosts Midnight Special. See this.

Contract for the appearance of The Raelettes (Dorothy Berry, Mabel John, Susaye Greene, Verniat Moss, Estella Yarbrough) in this show.

Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles performing Takes Two To Tango.

With Carol Burnett.

February 1973 - After 1 July 1973
From Billboard: "Ray Charles will not make any personal appearances in concerts or in clubs [...] according to announcement by Joe Adams [...]. For Charles, the six months vacation will be the first he will have taken in the last ten years, affording him extra time for recording on his own Tangerine label."

1 February 1973

On Flip (Wilson) show. See this.

30 March 1973
The documentary Black Rodeo shown at New Walker Theater, Indianapolis (featuring Muhammad Ali; a.o. Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Little Richard on soundtrack). See this.

Review from The Independent Film Journal, 22 June 1972.

30 March 1973
Midnight Special TV show, Burbank CA.

April 1973

Release of the single I Can Make It Thru the Days (But Oh Those Lonely Nights) / Ring of Fire.

13 Aptil 1973

Midnight Special TV show, Burbank CA. See this.

19 - 28 April 1973
Marco Polo Hotel, Miami Beach FL.

20 April 1973

On the Tonight Show. See this.

25 April 1973
"Out Of Sight Night" at Lincoln Philharmonic Hall in New York City NY, with Al Hibbler and Stevie Wonder, a benefit for Choose, an organization promoting jobs for the blind (Variety announced that the show was also with Jose Feliciano, George Shearing and Roland Kirk; emceed by Bing Crosby).

Stevie Wonder with Ray Charles at an unidentified event (maybe this one for Choose?), early 1970s.

29 April 1973
Towson Center, Towson MD. 

18 May 1973

Unidentified event: Ray Charles present the artwork for the cover of the album Message For The People (to a Martin L. King museum?).

26 May 1973

Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood CA.

Photo by Ted Williams.

27 - 28 May 1973
First Highway Safety Foundation Telethon, hosted by Sammy Davis Jr. and Monte Hall (with a.o. Muhammad Ali, Paul Anka, Richie Havens, Danny Kaye, Jerry Lewis, and Ben Vereen), broadcast by "50 major television outlets". The show was a financial calamaty: the total amount of pledges was $1.2 million; the actual received amount was a little over $0.5 million. Source here.


31 May 1973
End of Tangerine's distribution agreement with ABC (see this).

19 to 23 June 1973
Mill Run Theatre, Chicago; with B.B. King.

Cover of souvenir brochure for the Mill Rin concert series.

1 July 1973

The Life And Times Of Ray Charles, live oratorium by and with James Baldwin, at Carnegie Hall, New York City NY for Newport Jazz Festival. Cast headed by Cicely Tyson; "brought the full Carnegie audience to its feet in a stirring ovation"; "At one point, he honored the United States and in song asked Washington what it proposed to do for the people, whipping: 'Give the money to us and not to the Watergate'". See this and this.

 

Photo by J.J. Lent.

2 July 1973

At the Chelsea Parade Tent of the 9th annual Rose Arts Festival, Norwich CT.

5 July 1973
NAACP Gala Night, opening for "Greatest Black Designers Fashion Show ever" at Avondale Theatre in Indianapolis IN.

7 July 1973

Location unknown.

8 July 1973

New York Jazz Festival at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale NY; on same bill with Duke Ellington, Donny Hathaway, Tito Puente, Aretha Franklin.

13 July 1973

Pittsburgh Jazz Festival at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh PA; with Charles Mingus, Freddie Hubbard, Stevie Wonder.

14 July 1973

Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha NE.

On the same day:
Astrodome Jazz Festival in Houston.

16 July 1973
Dalworth Festival, Will Rogers Coliseum, Fort Worth, with, Tyrone Davis, Ohio Players, Hank Crawford.



20 July 1973
Chicago Jazz Festival at White Sox Park, Chicago IL.

27 July 1973 
In concert at Fenway Park, Newport Jazz Festival, Boston.

Ad in Hartford Courant, 17 Jun.

29 July 1973
Spectrum, Philadelphia PA (with Nina Simone).


August 1973

In Israel (Tel Aviv, Jeruzalem) for Shooting of Soul Of The Holy Land - The Lost Concert (under that title released as DVD in November 2004). See this.

10 to 18 August 1973

Western Place, Dallas TX.

Fan photo: Jerry Kelly.

20 - 26 August 1973
Carter Barron Amphitheatre, Washington DC.

September 1973
A gig at James Brown's Third World club in Augusta; see this.

1, 2 or 3 September 1973
Big show at the Dallas Speedway, Lewisville TX (co-billed with a.o. Willie Nelson).

8 September 1973

"The Ray Charles Show '73" at Ann Arbor Blues And Jazz Festival, at Otis Spann Memorial Field in Ann Arbor MI. Photos here.

Reciew in Cashbox, Sep. 22, 1973.

Photos by Cecil Lockard.

 

 

Photos by Charlie Auringer/Backstage Gallery.

Musicians: Greg Abate, Claude Johnson - alto saxophone; Wilbur Brown, James Clay - tenor saxophone; Leroy Cooper - bariton saxophone; Dan Ackerman, Phillip Guilbeau, Walter Miller, Tony Horowitz - trumpet; Glenn Childress, Don Switzer, Ken Tussing, Craig Woods - trombone; John Henderson - organ;  Harvey Sarch - guitar; Edgar Willis - bass; Scott von Ravensberg - drums. Raelettes: Dorothy Durr (= Berry), Denise Jackson, Mable John, Vernita Moss, Madelyn Quebec. (Line-up based on notes provided by Joël Dufour, and comments by Tony Horowitz).

Backstage, with Lee Bollinger.

Backstage, with Susan Pollay.

Poster art: Fary Grimshaw.

 Passe partout ticket.

9 September 1973
Cobo Arena, Detroit MI.

11 September 1973

Performing Art Center, Uihlein Hall, Milwaukee WI ("He caterwauled like a dog with his tail caught in a barbed wire fence and his legs were continually shooting this way and that from under the piano as though being manipulated by some drunken puppetteer"; read this).

(Wire)photo by Stephen C. Lillegren.

Rest of September – October 1973

Touring through Europe. Tapings of the voice parts of some of these concerts  were reconstructed into Ray Sings Basie Swings in 2006. See this.

This photo with Count Basie is of a much earlier date (mid/late 60s).

14 to 16 September 1973

In Madrid to play concert at Florida Park, and tape a tv show for TVE. Source here. Also read this.

Ad in Spanish newspaper ABC, Sep. 13.

17 September 1973
PalaLido, Milan.

18 September 1973
Lugano.

21 September 1973

Zagreb, probably with the Count Basie Orchestra and the Oscar Peterson Trio.

22 September 1973

Belgrade, probably with the Count Basie Orchestra and the Oscar Peterson Trio.

25 September 1973 (? also see 21st) 

Stuttgart with the Count Basie Orchestra and the Oscar Peterson Trio..

28 September 1973

Munich, with the Count Basie Orchestra and the Oscar Peterson Trio .

29 September 1973

Philipshalle, Düsseldorf, with the Count Basie Orchestra and the Oscar Peterson Trio.

30 September 1973

Berlin, with the Count Basie Orchestra and the Oscar Peterson Trio.

October 1973

Release of the single Come Live With Me / Everybody Sing.

Trade ad from Cashbox.

 Party in London, celebrating distribution deal with Decca/London Records.

1 October 1973

Hamburg, with the Count Basie Orchestra and the Oscar Peterson Trio.

2 October 1973

Stockholm, probably with the Count Basie Orchestra and the Oscar Peterson Trio. Setlist here.

Photo by Erik Lindahl, possibly made at or on the day of this concert

3 October 1973
Concert in Finland (without Peterson and Basie).

9 October 1973
Double concert at the Palais des Sports in Paris with the Count Basie Orchestra and the Oscar Peterson Trio; see this. (Also see under Oct. 15th).

10 October 1973
Headlining first jazz festival at Chapiteau de la Pépinière in Nancy (two shows).

12 October 1973

'The Big [4 hour] Show' in Ahoy Rotterdam (with Roy Eldridge, Oscar Peterson Trio and Count Basie Orchestra).

Ad from Het Vrije Volk, Oct. 3.

13 - 14 October 1973
Hammersmith Odeon, London; with Peterson and Basie.

Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot.

Review in Melody Maker, Jul. 7.

15 October 1973
Circolo Italsider, Genoa.

16 October 1973
Halles de Courtrai (cf. this).

18 October 1973
Centre Sportif de Differdange, Obercorn.

19 October 1973
Saarbrucken.

20 October 1973
Cirque Royal/Koninklijk Circus, Brussels.

21 October 1973

Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt, with the Count Basie Orchestra and the Oscar Peterson Trio.

From Audtorium Arena, Nov. 21.

22 October 1973
Münster.

23 October 1973

Cologne, with the Count Basie Orchestra and the Oscar Peterson Trio.

24 October 1973
Freiburg.

25 October 1973
South Port, UK.

27 October 1973

Hofheinz Pavilion, Houston TX.

28 October 1973

Civic Center, Lake Charles LA.

Around this date in 1973?
Concert(s) in Australia.

2 November 1973

Japan Tour poster '73.

Start of tour in Japan at Health Pension Center / Club Gessekai, Tokyo JP.

  Barbra Streisand... And Other Musical Instruments (air date). See this.

Photo by Joe Adams.

This last photo was made by Steve Schapiro (probably shot the other pictures as well).

5 November 1973
Prefectural Hall, Iwate JP.

6 November 1973
Health Pension Center, Tokyo JP.

7 November 1973
Phoenix Club (Eternal or Immortality Club?), Tokyo JP.

8 November 1973
Cultural Hall, Kawasaki JP.

11 November 1973
Nenkin Kaikan, Osaka JP.

12 November 1973
Club Arrow Belami, Osaka JP.

13 November 1973
Municipal Hall, Yawata JP.

15 November 1973
Prefectural Art and Culture Hall, Hiroshima JP.

16 November 1973
Kokusai Kaikan, Kobe JP.

18 November 1973
Nenkin Kaikan, Osaka JP.

20 November 1973
Municipal Hall, Nagoya JP.

21 November 1973
Kaikan / Club Belami, Kyoto JP.

22 November 1973
Palace Hotel, Tokyo..

22 November 1973 

Final dinner show in the Rose Room of the Teikoku Palace Hotel in Tokyo, "at 18.000 yen or almost $70 a head" (read  this).

   

24 November 1973

H.I.C. Arena, Honolulu HI.

Photos by Robert M. Knight.

Late November 1973
 The Tri-State Defender (Dec. 1) wrote (not necessarily accurately): "From Japan Ray Charles and his entourage flew to Germany. Charles joined Billy Preston on stage in Munich for a musical reunion with his former protegee. Ray Charles toured Europe with the Rolling Stones of England [sic!]".

30 November [- 1 December, 4 -]? 9 December 1973

Latin Casino, Cherry Hill NJ.

2 - 3 December 1973

Texas Opry House, Austin TX; tickets at $5-$7.50.

Is this amateurish poster authentic (cf. difference in picket prices)?

6 December 1973

On NBC Follies (air date). See this.

Mickey Rooney, Sammy Davis Jr, Ray Charles, Elke Sommer, Jack Carter.

In or around 1973

Singing Tune For Olympia Beer Commercial. See this.

Promotional LP box from '73, containing a.o. Genius In Concert.