Opinion: Jamie Foxx brings eerie perfection to role in 'Ray'

Even those with a mere passing knowledge of popular music recognize Charles’ voice instantly, whether he’s singing blues, R&B, soul, pop or even country and western. He played all kinds of music and saw little distinction among them. In an interview he quoted Duke Ellington who said, “There’s only two kinds of music: good and bad.”

Charles’ impact on modern popular music simply cannot be overstated. James Brown might be “the godfather of soul” but Charles is the genre’s “god.” He created it by mixing elements of gospel and rhythm and blues. With his classic album, “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music,” Charles brought country music out of the hills and into the mainstream and also made a lot of C&W fans aware of the world of black music.

On the heels of Charles’ passing in June, at age 74, comes director Taylor Hackford’s bio-pic “Ray,” a film that was in production before Charles died. While the film follows standard procedure for the genre, it stands out for three reasons: first, the subject at hand; second, the fact that the songs in the film are performed by Charles himself; third, Jamie Foxx in the lead role.

Foxx has gotten Charles’ speech and body mannerisms down so perfectly there are times when the viewer drifts into believing he is watching Mr. Charles himself, in a dramatically enhanced documentary. It’s an eerie portrayal.

After Charles’ death, there were a number of retrospectives, interviews and biographies on TV, and the basic facts of his life are fairly well known. He was born in Florida in 1930 and went blind at 7 from glaucoma. He was sent by his mother (who was the greatest influence on his life and spirit) to the St. Augustine School for the Blind and Deaf where he showed a special talent for music. The rest is history.

The body of Hackford’s film follows Charles from his first trip to Seattle (to find a gig) in 1951 through his recovery from heroin addiction in 1966. There are occasional flashbacks to his childhood along the way to give us a sense of the strength he gained from his mother, as well as to fill us in on a terrible incident that haunted the musician throughout his life.

In Seattle, Charles joins a local trio that becomes popular due in great part to his prowess on the piano and his uncanny ability to mimic popular singers of the day, such as Nat “King” Cole and Charles Brown. While he is the star, the guitarist in the band and the group’s manager – a woman who finds Brother Ray has other talents than his musical ones – are taking advantage of a man they see as handicapped.

After learning the pair conspired to keep him from getting a record deal, Charles meets with the record executive on his own, strikes up a deal and leaves the band. He goes on the road with guitarist Lowell Fulson’s band and finds himself being taken advantage of in this situation as well.

Along the way, however, his talent does not go unnoticed. When his original record company finds itself financially strapped, Charles’ contract is sold to Atlantic Records, a large but still “independent” record label.

Atlantic is run by Amhet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler, who are not just businessmen but music lovers and fans. They see something unique in Charles, but at the first sessions they are dismayed when he can’t find a sound of his own.

Charles soon hits on his sound, and a string of groundbreaking records follow.

The film follows Charles through the 1950s and 1960s, and while we see the musician’s great triumphs and joys, Hackford also is unflinching about the darker side of Charles. He was an admitted womanizer, although he was married for years to wife Bea. He had a penchant for pot and heroin, and is legendary for his inability to tolerate musicians who were less perfect than he. This was pretty much everybody.

Charles was an astute businessman and struck an unprecedented deal with ABC-Paramount wherein he would produce his own records as well as retain ownership of his masters. That’s a sweeter deal than Sinatra had.

The worst to be said about “Ray” is it follows the formula for biopics. But if you have an interest in music or this true American icon, don’t miss it.

And as mentioned above, Foxx inhabits the part as if he was possessed by Charles’ ghost.

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.