St. Louis Wing Week Returns April 8-15, 2024

Exclusive: Stream Unheard Ray Charles Performances

Apr 4, 2011 at 12:31 pm

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard - Inline - Content",
            "component": "41932919",
            "insertPoint": "5th",
            "startingPoint": "3",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "3",
            "maxInsertions": 100
          }
          
        ]

In Aimee Levitt's profile on Marci Soto, who wrote a memoir about her relationship with Ray Charles titled Ray & Me, she noted that Soto taped a lot of her correspondence and casual times with the music legend. The author was kind enough to share some of these tapes with A to Z. Below, please take a listen to some unheard Ray Charles performances/recordings. Before each, Soto gives a brief description of what we're about to hear.

Charles playing a piano piece which Soto's daughter was practicing. This one in particular is goosebump-inducing.

Marci Soto singing "Crying Time," a hit for Charles in 1966

Charles and Soto harmonizing on the same song: