When John Lennon admitted two Beatles’ songs were inspired by Ray Charles’ ‘What I’d Say’

In a 1974 interview with WNEW’s Dennis Elsas, late Hollywood singer John Lenn, who was le vocalist of Beatles, spoke about how Ray Charles inspired Beatles’ music. John Lenn mentioned that Beatles’ le guitarist, Bobby Parker’s Watch Your Step is a direct descendant of Ray Charles’ What’d I Say. Ray Charles, popularly kwn as Bror Ray, was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and a composer.

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'Watch Your Step' is ‘son’ of 'What I’d Say'

More so, John Lenn also mentioned that 1964 chartbuster song, I Feel Fine was inspired by Ray Charles’ ground-breaking 1959 track via Parker. In his interview, John Lenn mentioned that Watch Your Step is one of his most favourite songs and h brought it along to WNEW studio to play for audience. ding to same, he also mentioned that Watch Your Step is ‘son’ of What I’d Say.

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What I’d Say:

John Lenn

John Lenn was an  English singer, songwriter, and peace activist, who h a record of 25 number one singles in  Billboard Hot 100 chart. More so, in 2008,  Rolling Stone ranked him fifth-greatest singer of all time. If reports are to be believed, John Lenn was inducted into  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, as a member of Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1994. In year 1965, John was appointed as Member of Order of British Empire (MBE) with or Beatles members. singer was assassinated in 1980.

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Ray Charles’ career

In his career in 50s, Ray Charles championed  soul music genre by combining jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel styles into his music. In year 1960, Ray Charles delivered his first hit song, Georgia On My Mind, which was among singer’s first songs to make a place in  Billboard Hot 100. Charles was a 17-time Grammy Award winner and was houred with  Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987.

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More so, Ray Charles’ 10 recordings have been inducted into  Grammy Hall of Fame. Rolling stone, in 2002, ranked singer at 10th position on ir list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2008, singer grabbed second position on ir list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

(Im credits: A screengrab from YouTube Channel Gore)