For my birthday a few years ago, my husband surprised me with tickets to see Ray Charles. We saw him at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, a small venue with about 2,500 seats, and a round stage that rotates. For Charles’ performance, the stage only rotated between sets instead of continuously as for other Celebrity performances.

Our seats were in the second row. We were close. When the band had their backs to us, I could read the music on their stands. When Charles was facing us, I could see the wrinkles on his face and the painful-looking angles at which his fingers were bent (presumably due to arthritus). The performance was amazing. The energy and spirit he exuded, and the fun he seemed to have with every song, filled the room with music you could almost touch.

I was sad yesterday when I heard news of Charles’ death at age 73. I feel blessed that I got the chance to see him perform.