Ray Charles to Receive Trumpet Award
NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, this is quite a treat for us on CNN TODAY. Our next guest needs no introduction, and I am just so thrilled to be leaning on a piano and having Ray Charles sitting at that piano. Many people would love to be in my spot, Mr. Charles. What a treat it is to have you with us today.</s>RAY CHARLES, MUSICIAN: Right. Thank you very much. You sure know how to make an old man feel good.</s>ALLEN: Well, you are so highly acclaimed. I know you're here in Atlanta to get yet another award, the Trumpet Award. This award shows honors African-American achievers. And do you have any ideas how many awards you have back at home?</s>CHARLES: Oh, my goodness. I -- I -- you're right. I absolutely don't, because I have so many -- I have been so fortunate to have so many awards and decorations and keys to the city. But it's nice; it's really nice that people think so much of my music that they want to do that for me. I appreciate it.</s>ALLEN: People see you and you always have a smile on your face. You always seem like you are so thoroughly enjoying yourself when you are sitting at the piano.</s>CHARLES: That's right.</s>ALLEN: And in this day in age, we see so many pop stars and all kinds of musicians pop in and out of the scene. What is it about Ray Charles, other than your incredible talent, that just has you keep going on and going on, and doing so with such great pleasure?</s>CHARLES: Well, what it is, when you're fortunate enough to really love what you do and you're able to make a decent living from it at the same time -- in other words, see, when I'm out playing the piano, it's just like a hobby, or sitting around playing with cats in a jam session or something. It's just that people pay me to do it.</s>ALLEN: Go ahead. You don't have to stop. I can see you've got your fingers, your fingers on the keys there. You can tinker around for us.</s>CHARLES: You don't want me to sit at this piano that don't have no pedals, do you?</s>ALLEN: Yes. No, we have to let our viewers know that.</s>CHARLES: How is that?</s>ALLEN: Amazing. And people...</s>CHARLES: I'm sorry. That's with no pedals.</s>ALLEN: ... a musician, you know you need pedals. How many times -- do you have any idea how many times you've played "Georgia on my Mind"?</s>CHARLES: Whoo! Whoo, whoo, whoo!</s>ALLEN: Is it thousands upon thousands?</s>ALLEN: No, honey. You know, that song came out in 1959, and this is -- what? -- 2001. So, that's maybe 42 years ago. So I've played -- and I cannot do a concert without playing "Georgia." I have to. The people won't let me leave. You know, I get in big trouble if I don't play "Georgia." I have to do, so you figure all the countries I've played since 1959 until now, that'll give you some idea.</s>ALLEN: And do you playing all the oldies as much as the new songs?</s>CHARLES: Oh, yes. But you see, it can never become old, because I -- you know, I don't sing the same notes the same way every time I play. I mean, I change -- you know, you change the eighth notes or the quarter notes or the half notes of whatever you're doing, so it's always fresh. You know, I couldn't stand it if I had to sing "Georgia" identically the same way every night.</s>ALLEN: I was reading that when you first learned to play the piano, someone taught you to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" when you were 4 years old. And you took it from there.</s>CHARLES: Yes, yes. That's it.</s>ALLEN: Do feel like you had music just inside of you?</s>CHARLES: Oh, yes. It's always been -- it's not something that I -- you know, how some people, they do other things on the side. Music is inborn. It's something that's within me. I can't help it. Somebody asked me, "When are you going to retire?" and I say, "From what?"</s>ALLEN: Good answer! What's the perfect day like for you? Do you play music every day at home?</s>CHARLES: Well, I'm involved with music some kind of way all of the time. I mean, if I'm around the piano or I'm fulling with the piano or I'm in the recording -- I have my own recording studio, so I make all of my CDs or albums or whatever you call it. I do all my recording. I'm my own engineer, so I play</s>ALLEN: Pretty good at it?</s>CHARLES: Well, I'm not Spassky or Bobby Fischer, but I'm not bad. I hold my own out there.</s>ALLEN: Oh, that's great to know. Ray Charles, we thank you so much. Here's one of my favorite quotes I read about you: "He was bad before anybody knew what bad meant. He was born bad, stays bad, and gets badder by the year."</s>CHARLES: Oh, look out!</s>ALLEN: And that's good.</s>CHARLES: I love that one.</s>ALLEN: Can you play a little more on the piano that's kind of broken for us? We'd appreciate it.</s>CHARLES: OK.</s>ALLEN: Oh! Thank you so much.</s>CHARLES: You're welcome, dear.</s>ALLEN: Let me shake your hand. Thanks a lot.</s>CHARLES: All right, baby. Any time. OK.</s>ALLEN: And we'll be back. The Trumpet Awards February 24th on TBS. You'll see Mr. Charles again then. We'll be back.</s>CHARLES: Hey, hey, hey.