Ray Charles Talks About His Musical Preferences on Dick Cavett Show In 1972

Ray Charles’ 1972 album A Message from the People included his unique gospel-influenced version of “America the Beautiful” and a number of protest songs about poverty and civil rights. Charles was often criticized for his version of “America the Beautiful” because it was very drastically changed from the song’s original version. His promo activities included an appearance on Dick Cavett’s talk show, and in this clip, he talks about his musical preferences.