spoutin'
promises that he can't keep.
You'd be a fool
to follow him.
Ray, Ray,
we'll make a new deal!
Whatever makes you happy!
The deal is
you can lay the pipe now.
You'll break your neck
going down these stairs
by yourself. Hang on.
Oh, man.
Ray, I ain't never seen you
do nothing like that, man.
Never.
That ain't nothing,
Seven-oh.
Stop cheating, Ray.
George, you can't catch me.
Come on.
Aretha!
Come on, George.
Aretha Robinson,
have you lost your mind?
Eula, you promised to split
every wash basket with me,
fair and square!
And I did!
Hell, you did!
You charge white folks
one thing and pay me another.
Now who's gonna
wash these?
You can.
Now pay me my money!
Okay, I'm a-giving you
your two little dollars.
But don't you be expectin'
no more work out of me!
I got all I need
out of you.
Ray and George, come on!
That's right.
Get out of my yard
and don't y'all
never come back!
Y'all got to learn
to read and write real good,
so you never have to work
for people like that.
Scratch a liar,
find a thief.
Understand?
Yes, Mama.
Smell that, Ray.
Smell the success.
We're in LA, man,
the place where the Negro
comes to spread his wings.
You... you know, man, I know
my ears ain't deceivin' me.
Is that Art Tatum?
It sure is, baby.
You want to meet him?
L... I can't meet him.
A-Art Tatum is the most.
So, Ray, we got to talk
about your name, man:
Robinson.
Sugar Ray got the Robinson
franchise all sewed up.
So I'm thinkin' we go with
your middle name, Charles.
As in, Ray Charles.
I don't care
what you call me, man,
just as long as my name's
on the record.
But we're gonna
toast to that.
Hey, what's the haps, Jack?
Oh, my goodness.
Give me some skin.
What's up, baby?
How you doin'?
Lowell Fulson, meet your new
piano player: Ray Charles.
Ray Charles,
the blind sensation.
Ow! Damn! I'm gonna use that
on the album cover.
He's really
the sensation.
L... I love your music,
Mr. Fulson.
Uh, the man's got taste.
Hey, and the man ain't
been on the road
with a band before,
so now you take care of him.
Like my own brother.
Ray.
I'm gonna be right back.
All right.
Yeah, you got the one
on the left.
Look here,
let me do the talking.
Don't go inside that place.
You know what Mama said.
Go home
and don't tell Mama nothin'.
Go, George.
George, get out of here!
Hey, boy,
who let you in?
You must be
Aretha's son, huh?
Yes, sir.
Ray Charles Robinson.
I've been seeing you
sneakin' around here.
You like the piano, huh?
Come on, you want
to learn how to play?
Come on over here.
Let me show you how to play.
Come on.
I'm gonna teach you
how to play.
What we'll do, I'm gonna teach
you three notes, right?
This is the first note,
right here.
Play that.
And here's the second note,
right here.
Play that.
Here's the third note.
Now, here's the way
it goes.
Listen.
Listen closely, now.
Play that.
Good!
Try the other notes.
Every club we hit,
it's your responsibility
to rehearse the band.
These are some
lazy-ass bastards,
so you gotta make sure
that they don't slough off.
You gotta be ready
and dressed to open the show.
Now, Lowell likes to take
a nap before he goes on.
You just do your thing
until he feels like
comin' out.
And when Lowell's playin',
you keep the band sharp.
Uh... uh, just one thing.
What?
Did Jack tell you that
I have to be paid in singles?
¤¤
You just do your job,
you're gonna get your money.
¤ Baby, come on, down ¤
¤ Your daddy's
in the heart of town ¤
¤ Come on down ¤
¤ Your daddy's
in the heart of town ¤
How'd you get the name
Fathead anyway?
Why do they call me
Fathead?
Nah, you don't want to hear.
But this is what
I really want to know.
Do any of you
fine young ladies know
where we can get a nice steak
this time of night?
You mean something big,
thick, and juicy?
Oh, yeah,
that's just what I mean.
Fathead, where you guys
headed, man?
I ain't babysittin'
no blind cat.