Hallelujah, we loved him so

We lost Ray Charles on June 10. His funeral last week included musical tributes from Glen Campbell, Wynton Marsalis, David Newman, Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, and BB King. That's my idea of a great sendoff.

At irreverent moments, I remember him in the parody Whoopi Goldberg used to do, swaying back and forth as she pretended to sit sightless at a piano. Hearing his voice sing Georgia on my Mind on the radio tugged at my heart.

I went to iTunes to pick up some of his music and found his earlier jazz piano work. Some of the tunes with Milt Jackson and David "Fathead" Newman have held up very well.