omorka | RIP to the Genius

My exposure to Ray Charles was largely secondary. My father was not a big fan of his type of soul, but he collected half a dozen white artists who took their inspiration from the Delta blues and the deep-South and Chicago soul and R&B scenes. So a lot of my early exposure to Bother Ray's music was through covers of his songs by other, often less talented, musicians.

In high school, one of my best memories is the year we got straight I's in contest (that's a Superior rating, for those of you who don't/didn't do high school music or drama). Our show piece: "Georgia On My Mind" in the style of several different artists. The opening section, of course, was Ray Charles's version. (That was an R&B-heavy show; our third piece was "Respect," in which the French Horns had the part of the backup singers. I still do the fingerings for the "sock it to me, sock it to me" part . . ."

In the Marching Owl Band, R&B (particularly anything from the Blues Brothers) was our staple, and several Ray Charles songs, including most prominently "What'd I Say," were in moderate rotation on the MOB playcharts.

He was a man who lost his sight and was old enough to know the loss. He went from grinding poverty to fame and fortune without losing his perspective. He got hooked on heroin and kicked the habit before it was popular. Rest in Peace, Brother Ray. Hurry back.

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In another musical note, normally I'm irritated with the local '80s station for playing too much Bon Jovi, and I'm usually particularly irritated at their choices. "Bad Medicine" only sucks a little, but they never play that one. Occasionally we get "You Give Love a Bad Name," which isn't a good song at all.

Normally, the Point gets hate from me because they play "Livin' On a Prayer,' and as a song it truly, deeply sucks. It has a key change solely to prove that the band can, in fact, play in more than one key.

But not this week. This week they can play it all they want.

"Why?" I hear you ask. "Omorka, why should bad music get a break from you this week, especially given that you just eulogized Ray Charles?"

Read the lyrics, my friends. This song is from '86-'87, and is about a dockworker whose union has been broken and his waitress girlfriend, trying to make ends meet. Things have gotten so bad that he had to pawn his guitar.

It's an indictment of Reaganomics and its impact on the working class. It is, in fact, little John Bongiovi's attempt at a protest song.

And this week they can play it all they want, because someone has to remember.