all
the choices in the world.
God gave you
the gift to sound
like anybody you please,
even yourself.
We're here.
This is where I live.
Well, you think
the preacher'd let me in?
I mean, uh, I'm a sinner,
but I need a little prayer.
His wife don't like
me having male company.
Well, tell him there's
a soul out here
that needs savin'.
You know what, Miss Antwine,
you really got me thinkin'.
About what?
About my life.
About my music.
About everything.
Ray, don't... don't you think
we're movin' a little fast?
Listen, I'm... I'm gonna
go to New York
for a couple of weeks,
and when I get back,
you can take it as
slow as you want.
All right, Mr. Charles.
All right, Miss Antwine.
I'll see you
in a couple of weeks.
Well, hold on, now.
Let me call you a cab.
I got it. Three blocks up,
left for two, right for one.
Fifteen giant steps,
and I'm at the
Crystal White Hotel. Hello.
Mess Around was
a positive step for us, Ray.
We're making progress.
Oh, come on, Ahmet.
Now, you've been nice to me.
But I haven't given
you guys any hits.
Atlantic Records
has been good to me,
but if you want me to do
something special,
I'm gonna need my own band.
Oh, man. Taking a band
out on the road
costs a mint, Ray.
I mean, even Joe Morris
is struggling. His band's
had a hit record.
But, Ahmet, listen,
I'm not Joe Morris.
Man, you told me if I think
pennies, I get pennies.
I'm thinking dollars,
man.
Ruth Brown's got
a tour booked in Georgia.
She needs a band.
I... I'll take it.
I could write the charts
for her, l... I could do backup,
and also be an openin' act.
Okay.
But you're going to be
financially responsible.
You're gonna have
to make it work, Ray.
Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna make it
do what it do, baby.
Yeah.
Ray!
Miss Antwine,
it's been two weeks.
It's been three.
Now, where's the preacher at?
And the wife?
They in Dallas till Monday.
Well, hallelujah!
Della Bea.
Kind of like a honey bee,
right?
Can I call you Bea?
Yeah, I'd like that.
There's only been two cats
that I ever really
trusted in my life.
There's Jeff Brown,
he's going to be
my tour manager,
Fathead Newman,
my tenor man
and now you.
But you gotta
do me a favor.
Bea, you gotta
always tell me the truth.
Oh, yeah. Just like
you did before.
Don't feel sorry for me
just 'cause I'm blind.
How could I pity
someone I admire?
Can I play
something for you?
Now?
Yeah.
No, Ray.
Yeah, right now.
Right now. I'm gonna...
Ray!
It's right there.
You got it.
Okay.
Yeah, yeah,
this will work.
Now you go ahead
and play. I'm gonna
close these drapes.
All right.
I don't want no
neighbors looking in.
¤ Well ¤
¤ I got a woman ¤
¤ way over town ¤
¤ She's good to me ¤
¤ Oh, yeah ¤
¤ I got a woman ¤
¤ Way over town ¤
Ray.
¤ She's good to me ¤
¤ Oh, yeah ¤
Ray!
¤ She give me money ¤
Ray. Ray, that's
sacrilegious.
¤ When I'm in need ¤¤
What... what?
It's a gospel song.
I know what it is.
I wrote it.
I mean, you told me
to find my own voice.
Well, Bea, this is it.
But it... it ain't... It ain't
right to be changing
gospel music into this.
Into what? Is it...
Is it devil music?
Evil music? Do you think...
Do you think I'm evil, Bea?
Look, I've been
performing gospel
and blues all my life.
It's who I am.
And if I'm gonna
do my own thing,
l... I gotta be natural, right?
I'm singing about
my feelings for you.
About how I love you.
What could be more
natural than that?
Huh, Bea?
Tell me.
More natural
than me and you.
Ray.
¤ I got a woman ¤
¤ Way over town ¤
¤ good to me ¤
¤ Oh, yeah ¤¤
So we bite the bullet,
we cancel the tour dates.
But what the hell
are we gonna tell Ray?
We just have
to tell him the truth:
Ruth Brown's pregnant,
so there's no tour.
What about LaVern Baker?
Get LaVern Baker
to take the tour.
She doesn't have a record.
There's nothing to promote.
You and Jesse get up there,
write a couple of songs,
let's get her in the