124 Ray Charles (1930-2004) “Mess Around” 1953

After recording “Mess Around,” Charles buried his mother, Mary Jane, in Greenville, Florida. “At this moment of complete orphanhood, Ray crossed a major threshold in his life…he finally told himself, ‘Stop this Nat Cole imitation…Sink, swim, or die’” (Ray Charles Man and Music).

Ray Charles “Mess Around”