22. The Genius of Ray Charles (1959)

Ray Charles… he was blind did you know?

Yes, I did.

Remarkable man, completely blind but at times it seemed like he had perfect vision. The way his fingers moved on the keys you would swear on your mother’s life that he could see as well as you or I. Although other times it was painfully apparent that he couldn’t see a blessed thing.

In what way?

Well, I often witnessed him accidentally touch the backing singers he’d employed. Frequently in quite intimate areas. Usually in intimate areas as it happened, which was most embarrassing. It used to happen with alarming frequency: Mr Charles would try and get past the singers and then suddenly he’d have his hand on their chest because he couldn’t see where he was going and everyone would feel awkward except Ray who would just laugh it off, which was very gallant when you think about it. It could have been an awkward moment but his ability to not dwell on the issue and apologise was clearly an attempt to make it less embarrassing for all concerned. He probably could have removed his hand slightly sooner and the squeeze was definitely not called for, but the singers never complained. Not that I saw anyway.

And not that he saw either!

Oh, I see what you mean. Yes, very droll, although slightly offensive if you don’t mind me saying. I had a maiden aunt who was blind and she would use her stick to strike anyone who made blind jokes in her presence. Or any jokes for that matter. Or sometimes she’d just violently wave the stick about in the hope of making contact with someone just in order to pass the time. You have to make your own fun when you’re vision impaired and there’s nothing worth hearing on the wireless.

Did you work for many other blind artists?

Well… Stevie Wonder, obviously, he was blind… and I assumed Elton John was at first.

Why is that?

Well, I couldn’t imagine anyone who was fully sighted would dress like that intentionally. When he first showed up to the studio I was sure he had been suited up by an assistant with a cruel sense of humour who thought it was entertaining to dress his employer in foolish attire for the amusement of those around him. I got a dreadful shock when he stopped to admire himself in a mirror and I discovered he was blessed with the power of vision.

Weren’t the glasses a giveaway? Blind people tend not to wear spectacles.

Well, obviously I didn’t give it enough thought. We should move on now I think.