# What was yout first exposure to Ray Charles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-yout-first-exposure-to-ray-charles/744654 "2016-01-30T16:00:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-yout-first-exposure-to-ray-charles/744654/41 "2016-02-01T20:29:48Z")
When I was growing up my best friend used to do this imitation of him where she’d sit at our piano and say in an old black man voice “in my time, I had arthritis”. At the time I laughed because I knew exactly what she was imitating but I have no idea today what the hell it was. Does anyone remember if he did a commercial for arthritis medication back in the '70s? Anway, when I hear the name Ray Charles I think of my BFF clowning around, and I guess whatever the source of the joke is was my first exposure to him. That or him singing on some variety show. What song, I couldn’t possibly say. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-yout-first-exposure-to-ray-charles/744654/42 "2016-02-01T20:32:49Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > When I was growing up my best friend used to do this imitation of him where she’d sit at our piano and say in an old black man voice “in my time, I had arthritis”. At the time I laughed because I knew exactly what she was imitating but I have no idea today what the hell it was. Does anyone remember if he did a commercial for arthritis medication back in the '70s? Anway, when I hear the name Ray Charles I think of my BFF clowning around, and I guess whatever the source of the joke is was my first exposure to him. That or him singing on some variety show. What song, I couldn’t possibly say. Any chance it may have been [Ray Charles Video Museum: Ray Charles On Telethon For Arthritis Foundation (1995)](http://raycharlesvideomuseum.blogspot.com/2010/09/ray-charles-on-telethon-for-arthritis.html) ? ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-yout-first-exposure-to-ray-charles/744654/43 "2016-02-01T20:33:17Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > [Diet Pepsi commercials.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D_srHpH6jg) Yeah, me too. “You got the right one, baby! Uh-huh!” ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-yout-first-exposure-to-ray-charles/744654/44 "2016-02-01T20:36:53Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Any chance it may have been [Ray Charles Video Museum: Ray Charles On Telethon For Arthritis Foundation (1995)](http://raycharlesvideomuseum.blogspot.com/2010/09/ray-charles-on-telethon-for-arthritis.html) ? This would have been in mid to late '70s, though he’s obviously been involved with the arthritis foundation so my memory kind of makes sense. I mean, she got the idea from somewhere and I got the joke right away. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-yout-first-exposure-to-ray-charles/744654/45 "2016-02-01T21:19:07Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > “Hit the Road, Jack,” sometime in the '60s. That would be my first recollection as well. Summer of 1961. Huge fan of Ray Charles since I was a young 'un! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-yout-first-exposure-to-ray-charles/744654.md?page=2)