Heartwarming / Ray Charles

• He was one of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and gave a short but sweet speech. 13 years later, when Ray inducted Billy Joel, he received a huge ovation when he got up to the podium.
  Oh, you sure know how to make an old man feel good!
  • And Billy returned the favor later that night - while (sadly) the video doesn't appear to be on YouTube, he led the Rock Hall band and none other than Sir Paul McCartney in "What'd I Say." The recording's on iTunes, if you're curious.
• Billy and Ray's relationship in general: Billy is a huge fan and was highly influenced by Ray's music. He geeked out when they met while recording "We Are the World" and they later recorded a song together called "Baby Grand." Ray, in turn, regarded Billy as a great friend (hence, his inducting the overwhelmed Joel in 1999).
• In 1975, Ray contributed to a radio infomercial for the Forest Service USDA , titled "A Personal Viewpoint" talking to the viewer about his love for the forest. A commercial version was later aired in 1983, where the entire commercial is set inside a black background (referring to Ray Charles' blindness) with the text "A Personal Viewpoint" while an original jazz song is heard (possibly written by Ray Charles).
  I like the way the forest sounds. The way the leaves rustle in the wind, and fall through the ground and crunch under your feet. The way the birds sing, and chipmunks chatter. The way a squirrel scrambles up a tree. That's why I'm asking you to please be careful with fire. Because when we lose a forest, we lose a lot more than meets the eye. I ought to know, I'm Ray Charles.