Serenaded by the likes of Willie Nelson, Billy Preston and Ashford & Simpson, soul icon Ray Charles on Monday belatedly celebrated his 70th with a big dose of the blues.
Charles was the guest of honor in West Hollywood at an annual fundraising dinner thrown by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit group that aims to promote and preserve blues music around the world.
Producer-composer Quincy Jones, who has known Charles since they were teenagers in Seattle, showered the musician with praise as he handed him a lifetime achievement award.
“I cherish my relationship with Ray more than anything I’ve ever done in my life,” Jones told several hundred music industry denizens at the House of Blues. “We got to do every dream we dreamed about.”
“I think he likes me,” Charles said in reply.
Billy Preston led the crowd in “Happy Birthday” and performed “You Are So Beautiful” as Charles was presented with a large German chocolate birthday cake.
Nelson praised “my old chess partner” as he sang “Georgia On My Mind,” a No. 1 pop hit for Charles in 1960, and arguably his signature song.
Jazz vocalist Diane Schuur, who like Charles is also blind, performed “It Had To Be You.”
Charles, whose actual birthday was Sept. 23, did not perform. He sat at a long table next to Jones, grinning widely and occasionally getting up to dance to the music. He maintains a vigorous touring schedule, with at least two-dozen shows scheduled around the world through the end of the year.
