Legend Ray Charles to perform tonight

THE Ray Charles is performing here, tonight? Yep, You've got the right one baby, uh-huh. The legendary blues-jazz-rock-soul superstar is playing to an almost sold-out crowd at 8 p.m. today at the IU Auditorium.\nIt marks only the third time Charles has performed at IU -- the last concert was in 1992. Fans have shown an outpouring of excitement for the rare treat of watching a legend perform.\n"It's one of the most popular events in Bloomington, when he comes," Doug Booher, facilities and events manager for IU Auditorium, said. "His brand of music receives such strong support from the community and his performance is fantastic."\nCharles went totally blind at the age of seven. He began performing in clubs at the age of 16. He has won 12 Grammys throughout his 50 years of making records. At the age of 70, Charles is still performing frequently all over the world. \nSome students might only be familiar with Charles through his landmark "You've got the right one" Pepsi commercials. In the early 90s, the ad campaign won prestigious advertising awards and scored higher consumer points than any other consumer product, according to The Economist. \nPepsiCo approached Charles because their research had shown "his appeal crosses age boundaries like few other performers."\nIndeed, Charles had appeal long before the Pepsi campaign. His signature high energy performances and high-profile back-up singers, the Raelettes, have proven him to be a commercial powerhouse for decades. \nBut Charles can boast more than commercial viability. His music is critically acclaimed for being an inventive force in the rock and roll and soul revolutions of the 1950s. Hits such as "What'd I Say," "Hit the Road, Jack," "Georgia" and "You Are My Sunshine" kept him on the top of the charts from the late '50s on. \n"One thing I've always loved about his music was how it crosses styles," said James Mumford, director of the music school's African American Choral Ensemble. "He has everything -- country, rock, gospel, soul, jazz -- but he always puts his unique, private stylings on the sound." \nMumford will direct the African American Choral Ensemble as they open for Charles tonight. \n"I grew up listening to his music; he was one of my heroes," Mumford said. "Now, we have been chosen over many other professionals who tried out for this spot to open for Ray Charles. It is a great honor and just one more recognition of our work." \nThe 22-member ensemble will open with an old African American spiritual, then lead into traditional and contemporary gospel songs. Eventually, they will sing more popular contemporary music, showcasing jazz. \n"We didn't want to get up there and do the same kinds of things he'd be doing, we're doing music that is an outgrowth from and the genesis of his music," Mumford said. "We want to show how gospel has influenced his music and how his music has influenced gospel. It is a criss-cross of influences." \nOn his official Web site, Charles devotes a page to soul and speaks of church influence. \n"Originally, soul music had a strong element of the church, of spiritual music. That's soul's makeup -- the fusion of gospel and blues," Charles wrote. "At first I got some criticism for playing soul music; there were people who objected to soul being played on the radio because of the depth of feeling in the music."\nAlthough the Auditorium management made the decision to have the ensemble open, Charles had to listen to their recordings and OK them.\n"We think he is happy to have some music that is very connected to what he does opening up for him," Mumford says. \nBut don't worry, audience members shouldn't expect a reverent, holy performance once Charles and the Raelettes get on the stage. \n"He really sells it all out for the audience, he doesn't hold anything back," Booher said. \nBalcony tickets are still available at the Auditorium Box Office and all Ticketmasters. For more information, call (812) 855-1103.