- Title: GEORGIA: RAY CHARLES GIVES SPECIAL CONCERT IN TBILISI
- Date: 17th October 1996
- Summary: TBILISI, GEORGIA (OCTOBER 17, 1996) (RTV) RAY CHARLES DESCENDING AIRCRAFT STEPS / BEING GREETED BY WOMEN GIVING HIM FLOWERS RAY CHARLES' MOTORCADE PULLING AWAY FROM AIRPORT WOMEN RUNNING AFTER CAR EXTERIOR OF HOTEL CHARLES DRINKING WINE FROM TRADITIONAL GEORGIAN CUP RAY CHARLES LEAVING ELEVATOR, BEING GREETED BY GEORGIAN PRESIDENT EDUARD SHEVARDNADZE CHARLES SEATED ALONGSIDE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR TO GEORGIA, OPPOSITE SHEVARDNADZE AND GEORGIAN GOVERNMENT DELEGATION EXTERIOR OF STADIUM / SHEVARDNADZE ARRIVING FOR CONCERT RAY CHARLES BEING LED OUT ONTO STAGE OF GEORGIAN PHILHARMONIC CHARLES PERFORMING AUDIENCE LISTENING, SHEVARDNADZE IN AUDIENCE
- Embargoed: 1st November 1996 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: TBILISI, GEORGIA
- Country: Georgia
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA1M6NDH7QUR4BW5GTJRAZCLGFH
- Story Text: Legendary blues performer Ray Charles made a rare appearance in Georgia on Thursday (October 17) -- not the southern American state known for peaches and grits, but the former Soviet republic known for wine and recent ethnic and civil wars.
Charles gave a special concert in the capital Tbilisi to thousands of fans crammed into the state Philharmonic complex.
Tickets for the show sold for more than 200 Lari (150 US dollars) despite average salaries of less than 10 US dollars monthly throughout the mountainous republic of five million.
Charles had been urged to visit Georgia by Georgian-American emigres and American friends of the former Soviet republic.
Among other numbers, he sang his trademark "Rainy night in Georgia" ballad to the deight of the crowd. Earlier he was given an audience by President Eduard Shevardnadze, the former Soviet foreign minister - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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