Chorus honors leader as second to none

Former 'Perry Como' singers reunite to pay tribute to 'The Other Ray Charles.'


The Orange County Register
 
A DAY TO REMEMBER WHEN: Marie Kettler catches up with Ray Charles at a Tustin party.

LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
  MORE PHOTOS
The Ray Charles Singers
 

 
The Ray Charles Singers keep in touch with one another by e-mail as well as by phone. The singers who attended Saturday’s party were Jinx Riedesel, front row, second from left; Patti Johnson, second row, second from left; Marie Kettler, second row, far right; Chuck Magruder, third row, far left; Bill Elliott, third row, third from left; Tom Kampman, third row, fourth from left; and Ken Bridges, back row, fourth from left. In the center of the second row is Perry Como. The Ray Charles Singers sang backup on most of Como’s albums and recorded a few on their own.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JINX RIEDESEL

 

TUSTIN – In "The Hours," author Michael Cunningham wrote, "Maybe there is nothing ever that can equal the recollection of being young together."

That sentiment was the theme of a reunion Saturday of a small group of men and women – now older and grayer – who when they were young shared a bond as members of the Ray Charles Singers.

Seven of them got together to relive those memories with the eponymous chorus master for the first time in 43 years.

"Ray is 87. We need to honor him and let him know what he has meant to all of us," said Patti Johnson, 71, of Tustin, who hosted a "HooRay Reunion" gathering Saturday at her home.

Johnson and the other singers presented Charles with a commemorative scrapbook, sheet music and a compact disc. More important, they shared memories of their time with him.

"It means so much to me," said Charles of the reunion. "We've never spent time like this together."

His eyes lined with tears as the group sang him a song. This time, he was not leading them.

There were several incarnations of the Ray Charles Singers. This group performed on "The Perry Como Show" on television from the late '50s to early '60s. Members recorded a few albums by themselves and sang backup on most Como albums.

There were 12 men and eight women in the group. Three have died. Six traveled to Johnson's home from other parts of Southern California or flew in from New Jersey, Arizona and Colorado.

Over the years, they've sometimes been mistaken as singers for the late R&B icon Ray Charles, also known as Ray Charles Robinson.

This Ray Charles is Charles Raymond Offenberg, who jokingly called himself "The Other Ray Charles." His singers remember him as an extraordinary and unflappable leader who exacted from them their best performances without raising his voice or uttering an unkind word.

Johnson recalled the day she flew from Rochester, Minn., to New York to audition for Charles. "I didn't have money to stay overnight, so I flew in and flew out," she said. "I sang 'Lucky to be Me.' Several months later, I received a telegram that said: 'Report for work next week. "Perry Como Show."'

"Ray was demanding but kind," Johnson said. "He was highly talented and could arrange and compose. He conveyed to you that you weren't at your best without saying anything. A small look would do it."

Charles picked each singer to blend seamlessly with the others, said Jinx Riedesel, 72, of Littleton, Colo. "Ray matched voices. He matched personalities. He wouldn't have kept anyone who had a star complex."

Or anyone who was a slow learner. Riedesel's most vivid memories of Charles include his presiding over the group through a tight production schedule every week except in the summer.

On Wednesdays, they received the sheet music, sight-read the songs and learned choreography. On Thursdays, they got fitted for costumes and performed in a dress rehearsal. On Fridays, they filmed the show or performed live.

Over the years, some of the singers have stayed in touch with Charles and their colleagues through phone calls, and lately, e-mail. Most of the time, the conversations are about the families and the present.

But Saturday night belonged to the past – and to the man who brought them all together.

Composer Index
A Perry Como Discography 
& Digital Companion

RCA Victor Memorial| Site Links | All AlbumsAll Songs | The Recording Sessions |

First Edition Summer 1992
Second Edition Christmas 1993
Web Page Edition Christmas 1997
25th Anniversary Revision November, 2017
Digital Upgrade August, 2018
Easter 2023 Revised Edition
 
Made in Canada!
 
George Townsend
HQV Selekt Group
3 Seaview Avenue
Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2G3
Canada
 
Telephone: (902) 698-9848

George TownsendSing to Me Mr. C.

Friday, April 07, 2023

© 2023