Ray Page #6

Ray.

I got a woman

Way over town

good to me

Oh, yeah

So we bite the bullet,

we cancel the tour dates.

But what the hell

are we gonna tell Ray?

We just have

to tell him the truth:

Ruth Brown's pregnant,

so there's no tour.

What about LaVern Baker?

Get LaVern Baker

to take the tour.

She doesn't have a record.

There's nothing to promote.

You and Jesse get up there,

write a couple of songs,

let's get her in the studio.

It's gonna take

a month to do that...

What are we gonna do?

We got to do somethin'.

Ray's got a whole

new band up there.

How the hell did he put

together a band so fast?

Boss! Boss,

they're here.

Come on. Let's get together

so we can show 'em this.

...break this to Ray.

Oh, you're gonna let

me break it to Ray?

Why me?

Because Ruth Brown

was your idea.

Ruth Brown is a good idea, Ruth Brown

was a good idea, and still is a good idea.

Shh!

That's good to me

Oh, yeah

I got a woman

Way over town

Good to me

Whoa, yeah

She give me money

When I'm in need

Yeah, she's the kind of

friend indeed

I got a woman

Ahmet.

Yeah.

We gotta get this on wax.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah

Hear that, New York?

The sound is huge!

But there's only seven cats

on this record.

This is the new

Ray Charles, baby,

and there's nothing

out there like it!

And you heard it first

on The Moondog Show!

Just for me

Oh, yeah

She give me money

The Shaw Agency's the best

booker on the Chitlin' Circuit,

that's my opinion.

Milt Shaw, meet Ray Charles.

Ray, It was

Milt's dad, Billy,

who first drew my attention

to a certain blind pianist

when he was

booking Lowell Fulson.

Ray Charles.

We believe in your talent.

We wanna be

in the Ray Charles business.

We've already got you

booked on a 10-city tour

with Roy Milton's

Solid Senders...

Oh, Roy Milton,

I love him.

...and Tangula

the Exotic Shake Dancer.

She is gorgeous.

Ray,

I gotta tell you,

we think you're onto

something very big here.

Nobody's ever combined

R&B and gospel before.

I've Got A Woman is a smash.

You better start thinking about

a follow-up, my friend. Right now.

You know, this sounds good.

I gotta run to Texas

and take care of some business,

and, I'll be right back.

Well, make it fast. I'm ready

to sell, sell, sell.

A-a-as long as you book

me in front of Tangula.

Della, hold on!

Let me get my camera.

Let me get one picture.

Y'all, y'all,

stay right there! Ray!

Della, let me

get one picture!

Come on. One picture, Della!

Come on, now.

Be careful, Ray.

These are your last steps

of freedom, man.

Don't open that door.

Ray, you gotta carry her

over the threshold.

To the right, Ray!

To the right, now!

Ray, you need some help?

You sure you know

what you're doing?

He knows a woman's place

Right there now,

in her home

I got a woman

Ray.

Ray.

Can I come in?

H-H-Hold on.

What's goin' on, Ray?

Open this door.

Why are you locking doors on me, Ray?

You know

the place is small.

We gotta have

a little privacy.

Uh, what we need is

a little more room.

You know, we're gonna need some

space while we start a family.

Well, Bea, you know I'm gonna be

on the road for most of the year.

Ray.

I'm just thinking, what

if I'm not a good father?

My daddy

was never around.

And he had

three different families.

Well,

you are gonna have one,

starting right now.

Right now?

Mmm-hmm.

Well, what do you think?

That's all is

what I know.

I know

Hallelujah,

I just love her so

Now, if I call her

on the telephone

And tell her

that I'm all alone

By the time I count

from one to four

I hear her

on my door

Stop it!

Y'all done lost your minds!

Stop all this stuff!

You need to be saved!

I can't take it

no more. Stop it!

I can't take it!

Hold on. Now,

wait a minute, man.

Take your hands off me!

This ain't right!

Just let the people

hear the music.

Y'all sitting here,

listenin' to this devil!

You're just givin' your money to

Satan, that's what you're doin'.

Hold on,

y- you got a problem?

Yeah, I got a problem!

That's gospel

you're singin'!

You're turning

God's music into sex.

You're making

money off the Lord!

Don't y'all smile at me!

All of y'all are in it, too!

All of y'all are

going straight to hell!

She's right.

No, this here's wrong.

The whole thing's wrong.

It's okay. It's okay.

Let... let him go.

You got a right to believe

in what you believe.

You can go

to hell by yourself!

Boss, you want

to cancel the show?

Uh, no. I'm not gonna

cancel the show.

Just find me

a bari player by tomorrow.

I just want to ask

the folks right now:

If all of y'all want me to keep

playing, let me hear you say "Amen."

Amen!

And while you're at it,

find me a girl

with church-training

that can sing

but without

the church attitude.

All right.

Let's go, y'all.

Keep it going, here we go...

Come on.

Let me tell you

'bout a girl I know

She is my baby

and she lives next door

Ray, you got your watch?

Yeah.

Good. All right, baby,

your blue shirts are on top,

the pants in between, and the

white shirts are on the bottom.

Here's your glasses.

There you go.

Bea.

Why don't you come,

go on the road with us?

Look, baby, what would

I do on the road?

You'd do what I say you do,

that's what you're gonna do.

I've been trying to get a

female voice in the band, anyway.

Can't you just picture me

wobbling around on that stage,

big as a house?

Well, I can't picture you,

you know that.

But I know

what I can do.

Come on, now. Don't start

nothing you can't finish.

Jeff is waiting.

You know I can't go

on the road with you,

not with your baby inside me.

Mmm-hmm.

I'm gonna get

your shaving kit.

Uh, Bea,

I... I got it.

Bea, hold... hold on.

Bea, let me get it.

How long you been

hiding this from me?

Ray!

I'm your wife!

Bea, I... I was just so

excited to see you.

I forgot to leave it back

there with the band, that's all.

Let me...

Let me get it.

Oh, it's just a little

medicine, that's all, baby.

That ain't medicine

to nobody, Ray.

Don't be lyin' to yourself.

It ain't like I'm

dealing it, baby.

I just use it

to get a little taste.

You don't taste poison,

Ray. It kills you.

Now, you got to stop.

I ain't got to do

a goddamn thing!

What about me?

What about your baby?

Bea.

It ain't like

I'm new to this.

If I felt like this was

jeopardizing my music, or you,

or providing

for that baby,

I would stop in a minute.

But I know it won't.

How do you know that, Ray?

How do... How do you know that?

You know what? You can talk

till you're blue in the face,

it don't matter.

I'm not gonna stop.

Then I'm comin'

with you.

No, no.

Well, Ray,

you just said...

No. No.

You know what it is, Bea.

I... I think

it's like you said.

I don't think that the road is

a place for you and the baby.

What are you

saying to me, Ray?

What I'm sayin' is

that when I get home,

I hope that you're

here at my house.

Your house?

Jeff, come get this bag.

All right, Ray.

Hey, Della Bea.

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