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06 November 2010

Ray Charles Honored By Florida Senate (1986)

Source: Florida Senate Journals.
On 15 April 1986 Ray Charles was honored by the Florida Senate, at the state's legislature in Tallahassee, on motion by Senator Pat Thomas, and "by unanimous consent", "the President announced that today is 'Ray Charles Day' in the Senate".
The full "Consideration of Resolution", "commending Ray Charles for his contribution to the field of entertainment" was quoted in the Journal of the Senate, Number 4, Tuesday, April 15 1986.
The video below, that turned up on YouTube, can probably be identified with an entry in the Photographic Collection & Filmguide at FloridaMemory.com (nr. 99; 13:50; color; sound; V-155 P93-013; S. 1239; "Mr. Charles chats for a while and then plays a tune. Videotaped by Bradley White", wrongly dated as being of the "1970s").
Ray, as usual, does his slightly stammering  "thank-you-I'm-overwhelmed" speech, and then surprises his audience with a rendition of 3/4 Time. In the interview at the end of the video, he gives a funny reason for playing this song.

Speech, 3/4 Time, interview:

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