At the start of “The Dick Cavett Show,” the soulful Ray Charles sang “America the Beautiful.” People might say that Ray’s version of the song is the most famous.
Dick Cavett introduces Ray Charles by saying, “His fans and his peers call him one of the most important people in his field.” Then, Dick tells everyone about Ray’s new album, “Message from the People.”
Ray is sitting in front of a red, sparkling curtain at a grand piano. He taps his foot and starts to play the piano while wearing white pants and a grayish-blue shirt with a collar.
Ray has a microphone stand on top of the piano, which he uses to sing in a slow, gospel style. He moves around in his chair while he sings with a strong voice. Ray sings, “Oh, how beautiful it is for wide-open skies and waves of golden grain.”
“America the Beautiful” was written by Katharine Lee Bates and Samuel A. Ward. It is a patriotic song about the United States. Katherine wrote the lyrics and Samuel wrote the music, but they never met.
Dick Cavett has worked in TV for 50 years. Because of how well he does interviews, he has been nominated for eleven Emmys and won three of them. In the 1950s and 1960s, Ray Charles ruled the charts with his soulful blend of jazz, blues, and R&B.
Dick walks over to where the spotlight is on Ray, gives him a pat on the back, and then goes to commercial while Ray smiles and plays along with the band. It is an amazing performance that has held up over time as one of the best ever.