Ray Charles

June 10, 2004

Let's all take moment out of our day for brother Ray. His contribution to music and the world is immense. As I get a little older it seems the mentors, heroes, friends and loved ones are moving into that other realm at an accelerated rate. Better get used to it I guess.

I was terrified when Ronald Reagan took office. I thought we were all going to be vapourized before he completed his first year. We were lucky. My friend Paul Myers sent me some wonderful thoughts on the Orwellian madness revolving around the "new history" of Reagan. I agree with him and hope we stop repainting the past for successive saccharine tributes. America needs a lift but they don't need to get it this way. Its easy to find some hard ass show business stories about Ray Charles (see: addiction, hirings and firings, relationships). His life is an open book. No spin doctor is here to help him. Paint him with whatever brush you want but take some puffy false glory from Reagan and give the real glory to Ray Charles today. Please.

Hope to see some of you over in the nirvana of Saltspring Island tomorrow. We start playing at 7pm. The "CNPT" will sport one of our Green Room alumni, Geoff Hicks, on drums. He's a lefty so if you like the hi hat you'll have to sit on stage right this time.