Brother Ray

If the renewed interest in Ray Charles's life and music creates a new readership for this biography, the audio should have even greater appeal. Even through a ghostwriter, Charles speaks mostly in clichés, which sound even more dated today than they did in 1978, when the book was first published. Still, his words are brought to life by Andrew Barnes. He doesn't imitate Charles's distinctive voice but captures all of its passion and style. Even when Barnes occasionally stumbles over a sentence, the text is entertaining and far more compelling than it would have been in print. As a bonus, coauthor David Ritz includes a revealing postscript written shortly after Charles's death last year. D.B. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

October 15, 2005
In 1978, legendary musician Charles told it all to longtime fan and writer Ritz -and what a lot there was to tell! Born in a small town in segregated north Florida in 1930, Charles never knew his father; his mother was the steady and strong influence in his early life; and he lost his sight at age seven and subsequently spent several years at the state school for the blind. He left school at 16, when his mother died, and began his musical career in Jacksonville. Two years later Charles set out for Seattle because it was as far from Florida as he could go, and he'd heard it had a good music scene. There he assembled his band and created his unique, soulful sound. In the closing chapter, collaborator Ritz tells how he and the late musician came to work on the book together. Andrew L. Barnes's rich voice captures a variety of accents perfectly, with excellent timing. A good addition to music, biography, and popular collections." -Nann Blaine Hilyard, Zion-Benton P.L., IL"

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.