[REMOVE ADS]




Results 1 to 11 of 11
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2021
    Posts
    101
    Rep Power
    53

    Ray Charles or Stevie Wonder?

    I didn't know where to post this question because Stevie Wonder is from Motown and since this site has a Motown section but Ray Charles isn't so I was lost on where to post this question. If please forgive if I made a mistake by lol. Anyways, Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles?

    In terms of:

    Bigger impact

    Better discography

    Vocals

    Musicianship

    Live performances

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Posts
    3,944
    Rep Power
    436
    I'm going with Ray Charles on this one since he was one of the Founding Fathers of Soul Music in the '50s.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Posts
    8,637
    Rep Power
    525
    Comparing these two is unfair. Two very different artists, although in my opinion, most artists can't be compared to one another anyway, which is the point...art. As a huge fan of both, I'll take a stab at it for conversation's sake.

    Bigger impact- Equally as impactful. Ray inspired a generation, and so did Stevie.

    Better discography- Equally as good. Both were artists who enjoyed innovating and taking chances with their catalog.

    Vocals- I definitely don't compare voices, in terms of one being better than another. How would one quantify that?

    Musicianship- Both were multi instrumentally talented, geniuses at more than one instrument.

    Live performances- I'll give the edge to Ray here. Stevie's shows can sometimes be very synth heavy and the hits don't always have the same feel for my tastes, where Ray usually stayed pretty true to the soulful spirit of whatever he was singing.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    77
    Rep Power
    171
    Stevie. He's one of a handful of songwriters who truly has his own take on harmonic language - I'd go as far to say that he's the greatest singular songwriter ever.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Posts
    5,666
    Rep Power
    312
    It's an interesting concept and difficult to decide. As of this minute if forced I'd have to vote for Ray Charles, even though between the two I prefer Stevie Wonder. I will reserve my right to change my mind after I've thought a bit more. Both are incredible musicians and a great addition to musical development and culture, for sure.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Posts
    1,281
    Rep Power
    168
    Forgive me for going off topic but I read something rather interesting a couple of weeks ago. "Living for the City" won back-to-back Grammy awards in 1974 and 1975. Stevie won in 1974 and Ray won in 1975.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2021
    Posts
    101
    Rep Power
    53
    Quote Originally Posted by lockhartgary View Post
    Forgive me for going off topic but I read something rather interesting a couple of weeks ago. "Living for the City" won back-to-back Grammy awards in 1974 and 1975. Stevie won in 1974 and Ray won in 1975.

    Damn, I didn't know Ray won a Grammy in 75. Years after his prime and he was still doing pretty well.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Posts
    1,281
    Rep Power
    168

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    9,279
    Rep Power
    519

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Posts
    1,281
    Rep Power
    168
    Quote Originally Posted by reese View Post
    This is FABULOUS!! Thanks for posting!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    1,973
    Rep Power
    229
    Ray Charles was a big influence on Stevie. Stevie even had an LP "Tribute to Uncle Ray".

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

[REMOVE ADS]

Ralph Terrana
MODERATOR

Welcome to Soulful Detroit! Kindly Consider Turning Off Your Ad BlockingX
Soulful Detroit is a free service that relies on revenue from ad display [regrettably] and donations. We notice that you are using an ad-blocking program that prevents us from earning revenue during your visit.
Ads are REMOVED for Members who donate to Soulful Detroit. [You must be logged in for ads to disappear]
DONATE HERE »
And have Ads removed.