I grew up singing Ray Charles and Jimmy Reed.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
If nothing else, we grew up loving the old blues artists and Ray Charles.
My dad has always been a big Ray Charles fan, and I've grown up listening to all kinds of music.
I actually started singing those songs six or seven years ago, when I was an opening act for Frank Sinatra.
I was a kid, and I remember my mother singing. She was also a radio soap opera actress, but my mother sang.
The first piece of music that captured my imagination was probably Ray Charles Live At Newport.
My influences were Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry.
I remember singing around the house to records that were playing. All kinds of music. And the great James Cleveland was often in our house, and I grew up with his sound as well.
I didn't even respect singers until I heard Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong.
I grew up on Loretta Lynn and Dusty Springfield. I remember lying about it; it wasn't cool to listen to country when I was 12.
I grew up listening to Barney Kessel and Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, guys with blues backgrounds.