"I was deeply saddened by the passing of Ray Charles," Travis Tritt said. "Obviously the influence he had on me and my music from as far back as I can remember was monumental. I always take pride in the fact that I share the same home state of Georgia as Ray.
"I am a huge fan and avid student of his singing style. My life long dream was to have an opportunity to meet and record with Ray. The opportunity came last year when I taped and recorded a CMT Crossroad's special with him, and I count that as a high point in my life. As an added bonus, I not only had the chance to witness his overwhelming talent first hand while sharing the stage with him, but I also found a new and true friend. He called me back in his dressing room after the special, pulled me in real close and said: 'I'm going to give you my number and I want you to call'... and he meant it. We kept in touch and he flew in to catch one of my shows.
"I will always cherish the memory of his friendship and his hospitality to me."
Travis also said about Ray's tremendous impact on country music, "as soon as I heard "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music" when I was a kid, the first thing I wanted to do was go home, rush home, and see if I could sing like him. I remember hearing Ray do those things like 'Born to Lose' and 'I Can't Stop Loving You' and I found that while I couldn't get in his world I could sing that style of music. I could sing with that soul. As far as I'm concerned, he did more to open doors in the 1960s for a whole new audience of country music listeners than anybody since him or before. If they don't find a place for Ray Charles in the Country Music Hall of Fame they're crazy." Excellent point.
Marty Stuart added, "People remember the big hits and the visual image of him, but they forget what an innovator he was in the 1950s as a jazz musician."
The BBC has a nice collection of tributes:
- Soul legend Stevie Wonder called Charles an "incredible musician, singer, writer and a great man" whose life should be celebrated.
Michael Jackson said he was sad to hear of the death of his friend, calling him an "American treasure".
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