This is a re-worked, secular version of a gospel song called "My Jesus Is All the World to Me," which was the first hit song to use secular lyrics in a gospel style. Some people consider this fusion of R&B, gospel and jazz the first-ever soul record.
Ray Charles wrote this with his bandleader Renald Richard after hearing a spiritual on the radio while his band was on the road.
The mix of gospel in blues on this track was shocking in some circles, but also made the song accessible to a wider audience. The decision to mix styles happened organically. "I was just being myself," Charles said. "Of course it created a lot of static from a lot of people. But then, on the other hand, it was a hit. It was a hit in the black community and the white community."
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