Ray (2004)

Actors: David Krumholtz (actor), Terrence Howard (actor), Jamie Foxx (actor), Michael Arata (actor), Gary Grubbs (actor), Jeff Galpin (actor), Trae Ireland (actor), Rick Gomez (actor), Patrick Bauchau (actor), Warwick Davis (actor), Curtis Armstrong (actor), Ray Charles (actor), Kurt Fuller (actor), Afemo Omilami (actor), Harry Lennix (actor),

Plot: Ray Charles has the distinction of being both a national treasure and an international phenomenon. By the early 1960s, Ray Charles had accomplished his dream. He had come of age musically and had made it to Carnegie Hall. The hit records "Georgia on My Mind" and "Born to Lose" successively kept climbing to the top of the charts. He had made his first triumphant European concert tour in 1960 (a feat which, except for 1965, he has repeated at least once a year ever since). He had taken virtually every form of popular music and broken through its boundaries with such awe inspiring achievements as the LP's "Genius Plus Soul Equals Jazz" and "Modern Sounds in Country & Western". Rhythm and blues (or "race music" as it had been called) became universally respectable through his efforts. Jazz found a mainstream audience it had never previously enjoyed. And country and western music began to chart an unexpected course to general acceptance, then worldwide popularity. And along the way, Ray Charles was instrumental in the invention of rock and roll. Born in a poor African American town in central Florida, Ray Charles went blind at age seven. With the staunch support of his determined single mother, he developed the fierce resolve, wit and incredible talent that would eventually enable him to overcome not only Jim Crow Racism and the cruel prejudices against the blind, but also discover his own sound which revolutionized American popular music. Nonetheless, as Ray's unprecedented fame grew, so did his weakness for drugs and women, until they threatened to strip away the very things he held most dear. This little known story of Ray Charles' meteoric rise from humble beginnings, his successful struggle to excel in a sighted world and his eventual defeat of his own personal demons make for an inspiring and unforgettable true story of human triumph.

Keywords: 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, abc-paramount-records, adultery, african-american, african-american-music, african-american-protagonist
Genres: Biography, Drama, Music,
Taglines: The extraordinary life story of Ray Charles. A man who fought harder and went farther than anyone thought possible. The only thing more extraordinary than the music is the man behind it: Ray Charles. The extraordinary life story of Ray Charles.

Quotes:

Ray Charles: From now on you guys are gonna be called the Raylettes.::Margie Hendricks: Does that mean we have to "let Ray"?

[as Ray is going blind]::Aretha Robinson: I'll show you how to do something once, I'll help you if you mess up twice, but the third time you're on your own. 'Cause that's how it is in the world.

Ray Charles: I hear like you see. Like that hummingbird outside the window, for instance.::Della Bea Robinson: [astonished] I can't hear her.::Ray Charles: You have to listen.::Della Bea Robinson: [closes her eyes, hears the hummingbird] Yes!::Ray Charles: Yeah. Yes, you can... Uh-oh. Did you hear that?::Della Bea Robinson: What?::Ray Charles: Her heart just skipped a beat.

[repeated line]::Ray Charles: Don't jive me, man.

Marlene: Gossie been cattin' with one of my waitresses since he got here. He never told me his partner was a blind 'Bama boy.::Oberon: Marlene, Demure called. Thurman's sick.::Marlene: What about Sassie.::Oberon: Flat tire.::Marlene: Alright, 'Bama, why don't you get up there and show me what you got.::Ray Charles: Well, I, I'm not really prepared to do my thing, I mean, right now, tonight.::Marlene: Well, this is the only audition you're gonna get, Puddin', so either get on up there or you and Gossie can haul your asses back down south.::Oberon: [hands Ray a joint] Here smoke some of this.::Ray Charles: [coughs] That ain't no tobacco, man!::Oberon: No. Hold it in. It'll calm you down.::Marlene: Alright, Oberon, get up there and introduce him.::Oberon: Yes, Maam!::Marlene: Come on, 'Bama.::Ray Charles: Yeah!::Oberon: I got a special treat for all you satin dolls and I'm not talking about Oberon's big thunder. No, that's for another show. We got some new blood for ya. Fresh off the bus from Florida I give you Ray "Don't Call Me Sugar" Robinson.::Ray Charles: How y'all doin' tonight?::Man in Bar: Better than you!::Oberon: Relax, Ray, relax!::Ray Charles: I got it. What do y'all wanna hear?::Aretha Robinson: How 'bout a little Nat King Cole?::Ray Charles: Y'all like Nat King Cole?::[begins playing]::Marlene: 'Bama ain't bad.::Oberon: I'd say he saved our asses.

Fathead Newman: This ain't no weed, Ray. And we ain't snorting no bitch. This is boy! Boy'll make your ass null and void.::Ray Charles: Null and void, just like my life.

Milt Shaw: You know, Ray, your contract with Atlantic expires in 4 months.::Ray Charles: Yeah, I know. Ahmet and Jerry sent me my new contract. They're gonna double my royalties.::Milt Shaw: Before we go down that road again I thought I'd check and see what else was out there.::Ray Charles: Now, who told you to do that? Atlantic is family. Just like the Shaw agency.::Milt Shaw: Ray, my job is to find you the best deal out there. Now, I had a very productive meeting with the folks at ABC Paramount and they are very interested.::Ray Charles: No. How interested?::Milt Shaw: How about a 50 thousand dollar advance every year for the first three years? You choose your own music. They'll deduct recording costs and pay you 75 percent. Now, look, Ahmet and Jerry are flying in tomorrow night. Will you at least put them off until I have a chance to talk to the boys at ABC?::Ray Charles: Well, my mama always said there was nothin' wrong with talkin'.

Gossie McKee: What the hell's Ray doin' up there?::Marlene: Auditionin' for you Gossie.::Gossie McKee: He ain't no good without me.::Marlene: How'd you and the 'Bama like to do a week here at the Chair. I know a good bass player. Nice jazz trio can score big. With the right manager.::Gossie McKee: Manager?::Marlene: Come on now, Gossie, don't be so small minded. You know you have to give to get.::Gossie McKee: What exactly do I have to give?::Marlene: Twenty-five percent. But I'll be gettin' you other gigs.::Gossie McKee: Alright. Next question. What do I get?::Marlene: What do you need?::Gossie McKee: Double scale as leader. Plus ten percent.::Marlene: What about the 'Bama?::Gossie McKee: He's about as green as a blade of grass. I can handle him.::Marlene: Yeah, he's green alright. So, Gossie, you don't have to worry about finding a hotel room for the 'Bama. He can flop at my place.::Gossie McKee: You don't never change.

Ray Charles: [responding to knock on his door] Who is it?::Ahmet Ertegun: Mr. Charles, my name is Ahmet Ertegun. May I have a moment of your time?::Ray Charles: [opening door] What do you want, man? I'm at church.::Ahmet Ertegun: I'm sorry. I'll come back later.::Ray Charles: You're here now, what do you want?::Ahmet Ertegun: Mr. Charles, my company, Atlantic Records, has just acquired your contract from Swingtime. I'd like to talk about your future.::Ray Charles: Hold on, man. Don't jive me now. I ain't for sale.::Ahmet Ertegun: May I sit down?::[Sits in chair]::Ahmet Ertegun: You see it seems that Jack Lauderdale has found himself, shall we say, a little over extended and has had to unload some of his talent. When your name came up I jumped at the chance to work with you. I'm a big fan.::Ray Charles: What if I want to go to another company? There's a guy out there right now that's willing to pay me seven cents a record. Can you do that?::Ahmet Ertegun: Man, I could promise you fifteen cents a record but you won't get it. Anymore than he'll pay you seven. What I will do is promise you five cents a record and pay you five cents a record. You think pennies, Mr. Charles, you get pennies. You think dollars, you get dollars.::Ray Charles: I like the way you put things together. Omlet, you're alright with me.::Ahmet Ertegun: Ahmet.::Ray Charles: Ahmet. What kind of a name is that anyway.::Ahmet Ertegun: I'm Turkish.::Ray Charles: Well, it looks like Jack Lauderdale's bad luck is my good fortune. I always knew Atlantic was bigger than Swingtime. You do great music there. I dig Atlantic.::Ahmet Ertegun: You could have fooled me.::Ray Charles: Well, I gotta keep my eye on you city boys. Back home they call it country dumb. [Starts laughing] It ain't Turkish.

Ahmet Ertegun: Ray, I'm gonna tell you something and I don't want you to take it the wrong way.::Ray Charles: Well, then give it to me right then.::Ahmet Ertegun: I signed you because I sensed something special in you not because you sound like Nate Cole or Charles Brown.::Ray Charles: But I thought you liked what I do.::Ahmet Ertegun: Look we love the tenor of your voice, your vituosity, your energy...::Ray Charles: But not my music.::Ahmet Ertegun: Man, I didn't say that.::Ray Charles: Look, Ahmet, this is what I do. I gotta make a living. This is what the people want. I don't know no other way.::Ahmet Ertegun: Well we gotta help you find one. Look, let's try a little change of pace. Your familiar with stride piano?::Ray Charles: You kidding me, man? The man I learned the piano from was a stride player.::Ahmet Ertegun: Okay, I've got a song. It's called the Mess Around.::Ray Charles: Mess around. Cute title. Who wrote it?::Ahmet Ertegun: I did.::Ray Charles: Oh. You wrote it. Well, sing it to me, man.::Ahmet Ertegun: Sing it?::Ray Charles: Yeah, it's not like I can read the lyrics.::Ahmet Ertegun: Alright. It's in the key of G.::Ray Charles: Key of G.::[Begins playing]::Ahmet Ertegun: No. More like a Pete Johnson kind of thing.::Ray Charles: Pete Johnson.::[Begins playing again]::Ahmet Ertegun: Yeah, yeah. That's good.::Ray Charles: Oh, you like that? Okay, let's go.