Ray Charles Is In Town – Chronology 1990

Portrait by Luciano Vitty, early 1990s.

c. 1990, photo by Richard Dumas.

Photo: Rick Francis. Possibly at Blue Note, New York, c. 1990.

Photo: Greg Allen. At RPM, Los Angeles, 1990.

1990

Photos by Jacques Beneich, prob. shot in Paris.

Ad for Blackglama mink coats.

Featuring in documentary Can't Hear You Knocking for H.E.A.R. See this.

Ray & Quincy Ft. In Hitachi TV Commercial. See this.

Ft. in the documentary Listen Up: The Lives Of Quincy Jones. See this.

Promotion photo for Listen Up.

Wins another Grammy for a vocal duet with Chaka Khan on I'll Be Good To You.

I'll Be Good To You (with Quincy Jones & Chaka Khan) peaks at #18 on Pop Chart and #1 on R&B chart.

January 1990

Release of album Listen Up: The Lives Of Quincy Jones (1990) by Warner Home Video.

9 January 1990

On Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland's (NPR). See this.

27 January 1990

Limelight Room, Sun Valley ID.

10 February 1990

Glendale Symphony Orchestra at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

14 February 1990
With the Orchestre Symphonique d’Ile-de-France (conducted by Serge Gandolfi) at the Pavillon d’Armenonville, in Paris; aired by Europe 1 - see this.

20 February 1990

Grammy rehearsals. Photos by Alan Light:

21 February 1990

Ft. In The 32nd Annual Grammy Awards. See this.

25 February 1990

Concert with Cincinnatti Pops; tickets $7.50-38.

28 February – 3 March 1990

Palafiori, Bussana Nuova, at The Festival Della Canzone Italiana Di Sanremo (televized, bootlegged). See this. Read this.

7 March 1990

With Dee Dee Bridgewater on Mille Bravo (France). See this

28 March 1990

Premiere of the film Pacific Palisades (title song by Ray). See this

April 1990
Singing America The Beautiful at KTRK-TV's Night Of A Thousand Lights. Someone in the audience filmed it (starts at around the 1:09 mark):

Early April 1990

"Soul legend Ray Charles has been signed by Warner Bros. Records to an exclusive contract. To mark the occasion, his new label threw a party for him at Ma Maison restaurant [...].Warner Bros. Records chairman of the board Mo Ostin and keyboardist Joe Sample were among those who turned up for the party. Later in the evening, superstar producer Quincy Jones - a friend and collaborator of Charles since they were teen-agers in Seattle - dropped by, and the two hugged".

7 April 1990

Saturday Night Alive, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts' annual, high-ticket fund-raiser, in the DCPA's Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex.

11 April 1990

On The Tonight Show. See this.

12 April 1990

With the Oregon Symphony in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland.

From concert's program, with 'secretary signature'/

17 April 1990

Celebrity Show during the K Mart Greater Greensboro Open.

22 April 1990
Unidentified gig.

Ray Charles Orchestra at unidentified venue. (c) Rex Features.

27 April 1990
Beale St Music Festival at Tom Lee Park, Memphis.

28 April 1990

Receives honorary doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of South Florida, at Sun Dome, Tampa ("When Charles, in cap and gown, was officially awarded his degree, the crowd again erupted"). See this

5 May 1990

In Tribute To John Lennon (video contribution, pre-recorded at RPM; air date). See this.

6 May 1990

In concert with the New Orleans Symphony.

June 1990

1 June 1990

Hult Center (Silver Hall) for the Performing Arts, Eugene OR.

2 June 1990

With the Houston Symphony at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands TX. Photos here.

11 June 1990
Departure from RPM in LA for the Summer tour.

13 June 1990

King Street Palace, Charleston, SC.

14 June 1990
Pier 6 Pavillion, Baltimore MD.

16 June 1990

Valley Forge Music Fair, Devon PA.

17 June 1990

Westbury Music Fair, Westbury NY.

Around this date in June 1990

20 June 1990

Artpark, Lewiston NY. The concert was taped from the audience; see this.

21 June 1990
Starlight Music Theatre, Latham NY.

22 June 1990
Hutchins Concert Hall, Main Center for The Arts, Orono, Bangor ME.

24 June 1990 

Fort Adams State Park, Newport Jazz Festival, Newport RI: Ray Charles Show, with Roberta Flack at Avery Fisher Hall, tickets at $17.50, $25, $30 and $38; read review here.

27 - 28 June 1990
Flying to Paris for start of Europe tour.

July 1990
Nice.

Photo by Jacques Beneich.

2 July 1990

Une Soriée Exceptionelle, Institut Pasteur, Palais des Congrès, Paris. See this.

3 July 1990

Le Royal Club d'Evian at Casino Auditorium, Paris.

5 July 1990

With Dee Dee Bridgewater at Arènes d'Arles, France.

7 July 1990.
Villeneuve-sur-Lot.

Passepartout ticket, coll. Jacques Merle.

Poster (coll. Jean Francis Merle).

Photos by Jacques Merle.

10 July 1990

City Hall, Lyon.

12 July 1990

North Sea Jazz Festival, Congresgebouw, The Hague.

13 July 1990

Sporting Club Montecarlo, Monaco.

18 July 1990
Locarno CH.

The Ray Charles Company in Locarno, on July 18, 1990. 
From L to R: Kenny Carr, Benoit Grey, Ray Charles, David Rokeach, Al Waters, Kenny Rampton, Mike Guerrier, Chuck Parrish, Kaye Nickerson, Steve Sigmund, Craig Bailey, Stella Yarborough, Jeff Helgesen, Jeff Kaye, Marc Fields, Wayne Coniglio, Rudolph Johnson, Trudy Cohran.
Invisible/not on photo: Al Jackson, Scott Frillman, Ernest Vantrease, Lalomie Washburn, Angie Workman.
Photo: Corriere del Ticino.

19 July 1990

Jazz À Juan, Antibes. See this. Photos here.

Photos by Guy le Querrec.

20 July 1990

Taping of concert at Hotel TOP Gran Casino Royal in Lloret de Mar. Review here. See this.

Photo by Rafael Bosch, clipped from newspaper.

21 July 1990
Concert at 25th San Sebastián Jazz Festival.

*and*
At the Wiese of the Hamburger Stadtpark ("Er zischt, haucht, gurgelt, das but bricht den Rhythmus, nimmt ihm alle Sentimentalität, er poliert das fine mit Schmirgelpapier und läßt es samtweich zerfließen [...] und das I Can't Stop Loving You quetscht er zwischen den Stimmbändern, es verströmt, dann gerät der reine Ton ins Zittern, wird dreckig und um so leiser, um so intensiver. Ray Charles steigert die Dramatik, indem er, statt laut zu werden, sich zurücknimmt. Die Beine verschränken sich, zappeln wie Zitteraale, leiten die Erregung ab, das Lachen strömt ins Leere, nach oben, dorthin, wo niemand ist. With you come raiiiiin — endlos, und dann Stille, wait a minute, I got to find the note, um in ein Falsett hochzuziehen, das nach unten stürzt, um sogleich in ein or shine, einen Schrei hochzujagen, der alles ist - Verzweiflung, Liebe und Sonne. Es wirkt fast obszön, ihn zu beobachten"; read review here.

22 July 1990
Rudi-Sedlmayr-Halle, Munich.

Around this date in 1990
San Marco di Castellabate.

Photo by Giuseppe Cucco.

4 August 1990
Forum di Courmayeur, Pian des Lizzes, Valle d'Aosta.

5 August 1990
8th Concertiestate music festival, Campo Sportivo Comunale in Pietra Ligure.

9 and 10 August 1990
Coach House, San Juan Capistrano CA (double show, sold out; tickets at $39.50; ("delivered a range of moods and styles [...] that neared perfection"; read review here.

11 August 1990
The Majestic Ventura Theatre, Ventura CA.

12 August 1990
The Strand, Redondo Beach CA.

15 August 1990
In the Exposition Building of the Buffalo County Fair Grounds, Kearny NE.

16 August 1990
Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis MN.


17 August 1990
Star Plaza Theatre, Merrillville IN.


18 August 1990
Riverfront Music Theatre, Detroit.

19 August 1990
Munn Ice Arena, East Lansing MI.

20 August 1990
Foellinger Theatre, Fort Wayne - canceled because promotor came up short on fee; promotor arrested next day.

22 August 1990
Masonic Auditorium, Toledo OH.

24 August 1990
Summer Festival at Charles Ives Center, on the Westside campus of Western Connecticut State University, in Danbury CT. Read review here.

25 August 1990
Concerts on the Mountain, Stratton Mountain International Jazz Festival, Stratton Mountain Resort VT.
Cooper's Beach, Southampton ("Unhappy dwellers of mansions fronting the Atlantic in Southampton yesterday asked State Supreme Court in Riverhead to cancel a Ray Charles concert scheduled next Saturday for Cooper's Beach to raise money for the village cultural center.They say the concert for 1,200 people, with tickets going for up to $200, will bring too many rowdy people to the secluded neighborhood and wreak an environmental disaster on the beloved public beach."). Photo here.

1 September 1990
Evian Music festival, Long Island.



7 September 1990
The South Shore Music Circus in Cohasett MA; sponsored by WHDH-TV 7, Boston (did they broadcast anything?)

9 September 1990
Wolf Trap, Baltimore ("When Ray Charles came to Baltimore in June, he had a new, unrehearsed band, and the result was an embarrassing musical fiasco. Last night the same band came to Wolf Trap with three months of road work under its belt and provided the rock-solid support Charles needs to launch his inspired flights of improvisation. The result was a triumphant concert that revealed the sources of Van Morrison's similar show four days earlier").

10 September 1990
High Center for the Performing Arts (Visualite Theatre), Charlotteville ON ("put on two sterling shows to sell-out audiences").
Dinner party of Benneton Group, at zoo in Central park, New York; with Dee Dee Bridgewater, "who will sing on stage in front of the tables prepared for dinner". Read
this.

13 September 1990

At The Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis MN; tickets $18-$22. ("Ray Charles was going into high as he caressed the song Mississippi Mud in a manner that had the audience groaning with pleasure").

14 September 1990
12th Georgia Music Festival, The Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, Peachtree Ballroom, Atlanta GA; tickets at $30-$40.

15 September 1990
Executive Inn Rivermont, (6th time ever in) Owensboro KY.

20 to 23 September 1990
Blue Note, New York City NY ("The effect of shoehorning the Ray Charles show into a jazz club - even one as spacious as The Blue Note, 131 W. Third St., where Charles is performing through Sunday night - is awesome. Charles and company number 22, not counting his announcer, his valet and a platoon of roadies, which practically ensures a full house even before the doors open. When the audience finally settled in the other night, there was barely room for dust.What they heard was a rare entertainment package").

Photo by Adrian Cook (who dates it in 1988).

With drummer David Rokeach.

23 September 1990
Celebrating 60th birthday in LA.

With sons Robert and Ray Jr and daughter Evelyn.

October 1990

Release of album Would You Believe?

Starting world tour with Philip Morris Superband

9 October 1990

Kobe Kokusai Kaikan, Kobe, Japan.

10 October 1990

Osaka Koseinenkin Kaikan, Osaka.

12 October 1990

Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo.

14 October 1990

With B.B. King at Concert Hall, Perth.

21 October 1990

Melbourne Concert Hall, Melbourne, with Philip Morris Superband. More photos here.

Ray Charles and B.B. King at a press conference related to the Parliament American Blue tour, in New York. See this.

3 November 1990

Jazz Mecca 1990, Staargebouw, Maastricht; with B.B. King.

Photo by Francine Winham.

Embed from Getty Images

5 November 1990

Concert at Le Grand Rex in Paris with B.B. King and Philip Morris Superband.

Ticket stub, coll. Jacques Merle.

Photo by Philippe Cibille, from Jazz Hot.

8 November 1990

With B.B. King in concert at PalaTrussardi in Milan (bootlegged). See this.

9 November 1990

Annecy, with B.B. King.

10 November 1990

Apollo Theatre, New York City NY, with B.B. King; read review here. See this.

Photos by Fred Watkins.

15 November 1990

United Negro College Fund black tie-gala in the Hyatt Regency

Hotel's Grand Ballroom, Houston TX.

16 November 1990

With BB King in Rome at the Teatro Olimpico in Rome (bootlegged). See this and this; review here.

17 November 1990

Orpheum Theater, Omaha NE; with Omaha Symphony SuperPops.

21 November 1990

On The Tonight Show. See this.

On The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (air date). See this.

23 November 1990

Concert at Wiltern Theatre canceled.

Late November - first week of December 1990

Show in Santiago de Chile (around the 29th; this show was televized, but no footage has surfaced yet).

Photo (dated Nov. 30) by Julio Cesar Guimarães, O Globo.

Concerts at Caneçao in  Rio de Janeiro (around the 30th; this show in Rio was televized - see this), and in Recive (around Dec. 4), and probably in a few other Brasilian cities (cf. this).

15 December 1990
Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo JP.

16 December 1990
NHK Hall, Tokyo JP.

18 December 1990
Congress Center, Nagoya JP.

20 December 1990
Dinner show at Prince Hotel, Tokyo JP.

21 December 1990
Dinner show at Royal Oak Hotel, Otsu JP.

22 December 1990
Kanagawa Kenmin Hall, Yokohama JP.

23 December 1990
Dinner show at New Otani Hotel, Osala JP.

24 December 1990
Sonic City, Satiama JP.

25 December 1990
International Center, Fukuoka JP.

27 December 1990
Tsukisamu Dome, Sapporo JP.