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Cong. Charles Rangel today introduced legislation that would honor the late musical great, Ray Charles, with the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress's most distinguished award.

"Ray Charles got a standing ovation wherever and whenever he performed, whether at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem or at the White House. He was not only a musical legend who touched Americans of all races, classes and ages, he was a soulful messenger for America around the world," Cong. Rangel said.

The Rangel bill, H.R. 4633, if passed, will authorize appropriations for the Secretary of the Treasury to strike a gold medal with appropriate emblems and inscriptions honoring the performer.  The award will be presented posthumously to a member of his family.  Duplicates struck in bronze will be made available for sale to the public.

The Congressional Gold Medal is the most distinguished award authorized by Congress.  Since its inauguration in 1776, when the first such honor was bestowed on George Washington, it has been presented to about 300 individuals, including 18 Americans from the arts and the world of entertainment.

Ray Charles, who died in Los Angeles on June 10th, was the recipient of the nation's highest musical honors, including 12 Grammy awards, including the Grammy for Lifetime Achievement in 1987.  In 1986 he was honored by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as one of the most respected singers of his generation.

In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Ray Charles "broke all musical conventions, blending blues, gospel, jazz, pop and rock music to create his own incomparable musical songbook," Congressman Rangel wrote in his legislation.

"Ray Charles, who was as popular among white as Black audiences, shattered traditional divisions between Black and white music," wrote the Congressman. "His multiracial appeal enhanced the movement toward racial equality during the Civil Rights movement."

(Source: tbwt.org)