Chelsea Willard #11

Ms. Laborde
October 5, 2014
772 Words
Thelonious Monk and Ray Charles

Thelonious Monk was an iconic legend and the inventor of the genre bebop. His musical
talents and unique sense of style were so diverse, during his reigning era, that they could easily
be compared to other well-known icons from other time periods, for example, Ray Charles.
Though both of these historical African American musicians may come off as complete opposites
with their physical and theatrical appearances, they were southern-born men that were influential
pianist that shared a love for their exceptional music, flamboyance attire, and occasional
skeletons in their closets.
First is the way they talked. Thelonious and Ray shared a common southern accent. Both
were born in the southern region of the United States, where grammar seemed to be a lacking
factor of life for many during their time. The annunciation of their words came out in a fast
mumbling slur; Monks being a low, deep pitch tone while Charles was a bit more high pitch.
Family and close friends were the only ones that seemed to able to pick up on their words more
clearly than others, but both gentlemen made sure that their verbal thoughts were understood by
everyone. They both men were outspoken and had no problem putting their foot down when it
came to expressing their beliefs, especially when it came to their music.
Thelonious and Ray each composed their own songs. As a child, Thelonious taught
himself to play the piano, as well as other instruments, by ear. As he grew as a musical genius, he

gradually increased his intelligence in the music industry by educating himself to read sheet
music. Ray, as well, learned to play the piano by ear, literally. After being completely blind as a
child, Ray had to rely on his other senses to help him survive. He learned to play the instrument
by learning the sounds of each key. When his music career prospered, he began to learn how to
read sheet music using Braille. Both musicians made sure that their music met their standards, as
well as their audiences, before they hit the stage to craft memorable performances.
The church attire was a major must-have during this period and this did not exclude for
Monk and Charles. It was sort of a sign of wealth and professionalism to dress that way. It would
have been near impossible to find either one of these men outside of a suit and tie with polished
shoes, but their styles shared different flairs. Thelonious topped his outfit with a signature domelike hat while Ray kept a chic pair of sunglasses on whenever he performed. During their
performances, each male had a unique signature move that depicted them from other musicians
and made them more special in the publics eyes. Monk was known for his random outburst of
spins during a concert and Ray Charles was always seen hugging his self before or after and
successful show. Still, they both were always seen tapping the feet to their catchy melodies. After
each successful performance, Monk and Charles stepped off to stage and went back to the
everyday lifestyles, even if they were undignified ones.
Like many of the male specie, both musical legends soon seemed to have hit a depressing
road in their careers, causing both pianists turned to scandalous lifestyles to help them get by
with their internal entities. Both men came from struggle backgrounds, especially being black
men during this period where racism was still at its peak. Other factoring issues could have been
stress, fears, emotional neglect, peer-pressure, and temptation. While married with children,
Thelonious Monk and Ray Charles stepped out on their families and had secret love affairs

during their golden and later years. Along with that, each dealt with their depressing situations
differently. Slowly Monk faded from the limelight and went into hiding with his only known
lover, Nica. Multiple women, drugs, and alcohol helped to ease the mental pains in Charles life.
The appalling coping methods these men practiced helped to temporarily remove the
psychological bounds from their minds, and it also made their life stories seem more humanistic
to their fans.
Today, many people still mourn the passing of Thelonious Monk and Ray Charles; these
two influential musicians left behind an untouchable legacy and a growing fan base. It is easy to
say that they shared many similar titles of accomplishments during their time here on earth. Their
style of music created a new epidemic in the musical world and brought more success to the
African American race that will never be forgotten.