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> Lire"why is it that deaths like these always come in clusters?"lyn

It does seem to work out that way. There is an old show-biz belief that deaths of entertainers always come in threes. So we lost the only actor ever to become president, then a much-loved singer.... so who is next? It has to be in threes.

Yes, Ray was blind. On the ABC news, they played his stylized version of "America the Beautiful," and then Peter Jennings said, "He was blind, but he could see."

When I hear the national anthem before a sporting event on TV, I often think of Ray Charles. Too many people try to sing it like they were Ray Charles. But they aren't, so they wind up messing it up badly.

Some singers can put their own style into a song and it comes out sounding great. Louis Armstrong did it. So did Jimmy Durante. And, yes, Ray Charles. But if you aren't Louis, Jimmy, or Ray, sing it like it was written.

And that's my two pennies worth.
How"can't sing a note"ard