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) ?
Yeah, me too. “You got the right one, baby! Uh-huh!”
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.
That would be my first recollection as well. Summer of 1961.
Huge fan of Ray Charles since I was a young 'un!