Article
Ray Charles at Perkins
On June 22, 1982 Ray Charles (1930-2004) performed a concert at Perkins School for the Blind as part of a series of events to celebrate Perkins' 150th anniversary
On June 22, 1982 Ray Charles (1930-2004) performed a concert at Perkins School for the Blind as part of a series of events to celebrate Perkins’ 150th anniversary. After his performance, he told reporters that, “It was a home audience.” (Ray Charles lost his sight as a child, possibly due to glaucoma.)
Along with Charles, the Raelettes, and Ray Charles Orchestra performed for about 1,200 to 1,500 people under an orange-and-white tent in front of the Howe Building, where the accessible playground is today. Tickets were $20.00 each and the audience included attendees of an international symposium taking place on campus. (Hastie ; Santosuosso ; Moxley)
Performance and recognition
After being guided on stage by his long-time manager Joe Adams, Charles “hugged himself characteristically in a gesture of gratitude for the standing ovation” before performing for the next 75 minutes (Santosuosso).
Charles treated the audience to a “soulful rendition” of “Georgia,” along with other favorites (Moxley). At the end of the performance, Perkins Director Charles Woodcock presented Charles with a plaque inscribed with both braille and raised type to commemorate the event. Charles responded by performing “Love Is What We Need” (Santosuosso). The plaque read: “We commemorate your concert on our campus as the outstanding event bringing our 150th anniversary celebration to an outstanding conclusion. We also recognize you as an inspiration to men and women everywhere…”
Set list
The Boston Globe reported the set list included: “Busted;” “Georgia,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Dream On,” “O, What a Beautiful Morning,” “But You Don’t Know Me,” “Love Is What We Need,” “Guess Who I Saw Today,” “Hit The Road, Jack,” “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Don’t Change on Me,” “My Lonely Nights,” and “What’d I Say.”
During a press conference in the Hallowell House, Charles said that he appreciated the Perkins audience: “It was fantastic – some words are overused, but it really touched me” (Moxley). He also answered questions about the length of his tours and a recently released set of albums of “vintage Charles” (Santosuosso).
Chatting with the Raelettes
Rob Hastie, who was a security guard at Perkins for 40 years, shared his memories of the event in an oral history in 2021. Hastie remembered talking with the Raelettes while they waited to get ready to perform. “We think this is great, you guys work with kids that are blind,” he recalled them saying. After leaving the stage, Charles headed to Bradlee and left in a limo shortly after. The Raelettes, however, stayed and continued their conversation with Perkins staff, sharing stories of their travels.
These photographs from the Perkins Archives show Ray Charles playing his piano while singing at Perkins, a commemorative button for the concert, and Charles Woodcock presenting the plaque to Ray Charles at his piano.
Other visitors
Perkins has a history of visits from well known musicians. Gene Autry and three of his “musical cowboys” performed at the school in November of 1946 (Lantern, 1946 ). Helen (Gerdes) Raschi who was a student at Perkins from 1945 to 1951 remembered the performance by Autry and another by Jimmy Durante in her oral history (Raschi). In May 1949, Burl Ives performed for upper school students before playing the role of Captain Keller, Helen Keller’s father, in the TV production of “The Miracle Worker” in 1957 (The Lantern, 1949). One famous performer even worked at Perkins: Joan Baez was a houseparent in Oliver Cottage briefly in 1959. She sang and played guitar with the kindergarten students in her care (The Lantern, 1980).
Works cited:
“Ray Charles at Perkins, June 22, 1982.” The Lantern Fall 1982 LII. Available on the Internet Archive.
“Did You Know That…?” The Lantern, Winter 1980. Available on the Internet Archive.
“Intramural Notes.” The Lantern, December 15, 1946. Available on the Internet Archive.
“Intramural Notes.” The Lantern, June 15, 1949. Available on the Internet Archive.
Hastie, Rob. “Rob Hastie oral history interview conducted by Jen Hale,” 2021-04-21, Perkins Archives Oral History Project, AG176-2021-06, Perkins School for the Blind Archives.
Moxley, John P. “Ray Charles delights all at Perkins concert.” Watertown Press, June 24, 1982. Vol. 27, No. 25. (Available in Flickr album.)
Raschi, Helen. “Helen Raschi oral history interview conducted by Susan Summersby,” 2004-06-12, Perkins Archives Oral History Project, AG195-2004-09, Perkins School for the Blind Archives.
Ray Charles Concert, Perkins School for the Blind, 1982 Digital Collection on Flickr
Santosuosso, Ernie. “Ray Charles sings for Perkins School.” Boston Globe (1960-); Jun 24, 1982; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe, pg. 34.
Recommended citation:
Coit, Susanna. “Ray Charles at Perkins.” Perkins Archives blog, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown MA, March 4, 2025.
