Summary

Ida finally was able to get decent employment and the family moved to a large flat. Like most migrant families, there was a steady stream of friends and family – the curious – who visited to see what life was like up north.

One night in 1961, Ray Charles’ wife called Pershing. She was in hysterics. Ray had fallen and sliced his hand on a glass table. He was bleeding profusely. Pershing performed emergency surgery that night and advised Charles not to use the hand for six weeks but Ray was scheduled to go on tour and ignored the warning. Pershing came along on the tour to tend to Ray’s hand. Ray Charles was grateful to Pershing for seeing him through his recovery – he was one of the dearest people he had ever known. He named a son Robert after Pershing.

George Starling...