Fact #113645
When:
Short story:
Ray Charles makes his much-anticipated British live debut at The Astoria Theatre, Finsbury Park, London, England, UK, Europe. In the audience are British pop stars Cliff Richard, Marty Wilde, Adam Faith and Alma Cogan.
Full article:
Ray Charles : I'd been told British audiences were tough. I was a little afraid. I'd never been here before. Who said British audiences were critical? I sensed they were with me from the word go.
Trevor Nunn (audience) : We had tickets (10/6d in the Circle) for the second show of the day starting at 8.30pm. But this was the big one! Cliff Richard, Marty Wilde, Adam Faith, Alma Cogan... they were all there in the front row - a real celebrity occasion.
Fortunately the memories of that great show have refused to fade. Ray's orchestra opened the proceedings, but it wasn't too long before the man himself was led onto the stage wearing a smile as wide as his piano! The audience, predominantly black, went wild... shouting and screaming for minutes before Ray launched into an alto sax instrumental, swaying back and forth as he stood, centre stage, picked out by a lone spotlight.
Ian Dove (reviewer, New Musical Express] : The audience was with him. A near-standing ovation, a deafening wall of applause, greeted him when the curtains parted and he was led, smaller than I imagined, on stage.
Trevor Nunn : Then he took his seat at the piano and proceeded to mesmerise us with a mixture of his Atlantic classics and early '60s ABC hits.
Ian Dove (reviewer, New Musical Express] : Ray seemed unable to hit the really exciting groove this time – the impassioned rocking Ray was missing. The wildness was under control, which was a pity.
Trevor Nunn : For the final few numbers, Ray was joined on stage by his female backing vocalists The Raelets who seemed to spur him on to even greater heights. A frenzied and extended What'd I Say (which we continued for a few hours in the car on the long journey home) brought a memorable performance to an end. Ray was led off the stage hugging himself gleefully as his orchestra carried on playing. A great night indeed!
Cliff Richard : It was so great, I'm going again. I wasn't expecting the same from Ray on stage as on his records, but he doesn't lose one bit from appearing in person. When one realises that the man is blind, and he can't of course move around on stage, but just sits at the piano, he is absolutely fantastic.
(Source : not known)
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Trevor Nunn (audience) : We had tickets (10/6d in the Circle) for the second show of the day starting at 8.30pm. But this was the big one! Cliff Richard, Marty Wilde, Adam Faith, Alma Cogan... they were all there in the front row - a real celebrity occasion.
Fortunately the memories of that great show have refused to fade. Ray's orchestra opened the proceedings, but it wasn't too long before the man himself was led onto the stage wearing a smile as wide as his piano! The audience, predominantly black, went wild... shouting and screaming for minutes before Ray launched into an alto sax instrumental, swaying back and forth as he stood, centre stage, picked out by a lone spotlight.
Ian Dove (reviewer, New Musical Express] : The audience was with him. A near-standing ovation, a deafening wall of applause, greeted him when the curtains parted and he was led, smaller than I imagined, on stage.
Trevor Nunn : Then he took his seat at the piano and proceeded to mesmerise us with a mixture of his Atlantic classics and early '60s ABC hits.
Ian Dove (reviewer, New Musical Express] : Ray seemed unable to hit the really exciting groove this time – the impassioned rocking Ray was missing. The wildness was under control, which was a pity.
Trevor Nunn : For the final few numbers, Ray was joined on stage by his female backing vocalists The Raelets who seemed to spur him on to even greater heights. A frenzied and extended What'd I Say (which we continued for a few hours in the car on the long journey home) brought a memorable performance to an end. Ray was led off the stage hugging himself gleefully as his orchestra carried on playing. A great night indeed!
Cliff Richard : It was so great, I'm going again. I wasn't expecting the same from Ray on stage as on his records, but he doesn't lose one bit from appearing in person. When one realises that the man is blind, and he can't of course move around on stage, but just sits at the piano, he is absolutely fantastic.
(Source : not known)