Grammy winner Steve Tyrell talks new tribute to Ray Charles
ATLANTA - Grammy Award winner Steve Tyrell has worked alongside the biggest stars in music. But with his latest project — titled "Shades of Ray" — the producer, composer, and artist is honoring someone who was more than just a colleague.
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"In my opinion, the greatest singer that ever lived. I don’t like anybody better than Ray Charles," says Tyrell.
"Shades of Ray" features Tyrell covering more than a dozen songs made famous by Ray Charles, and also includes a duet between the two called "Curiosity," originally featured in the TV show "Snoops." It was that song that brought the two artists together.
"I did a lot of television and movie music back in the day, and Ray Charles liked one of the shows that I did, called ‘Frank’s Place.’ And it was with Tim Reid. It was about a New Orleans restaurant that had a great jukebox and I did all the music for it. Ray told Tim Reid how much he liked it. So, [Tim] got another show called ‘Snoops’ and asked me to write a song for it … and I said, ‘Let’s call Brother Ray, and see if he’ll do it.’"
Now, Tyrell is touring in support of "Shades of Ray"; he’ll stop at City Winery Atlanta on Nov. 3. Tyrell says he’s a big fan of working in Atlanta, thanks in part to the city’s famed food scene.
"Where did I used to go? The Varsity!" Laughs Tyrell. "You don’t even get into town and you’ve already gained 10 pounds!"
City Winery Atlanta will present "An Evening With Steve Tyrell" on Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.). Tickets range from $32 to $42 and are available online by clicking here.
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