"I've been a devoted fan of Ray since I first heard him as a kid. A family friend gave me a box of all his albums when I was about 12 and he's been a huge influence on my music. "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" was one of my favorites from his Country/Western albums and I think singing it as a duet makes it even more powerful. Getting to record with Ray has been a lifelong dream and being part of this project has been one of the proudest and most moving moments in my life."     - Bonnie Raitt "To be singing with Ray Charles, two feet away from him live with an orchestra was pretty unbelievable. "Hey Girl" is the ingredient that makes the moment even more special to me because I know how much Ray loves that song."     - Michael McDonald "I have grown up with Ray Charles' music and I have always thought of him as the quintessential Soul Man---the flip side of Nat King Cole, if you will. Ray is a musical genius on piano and in voice. The consistency and substance of his work and his career is something for any musical artist to aspire to. His arrangements are always rich, soulful, but elegant, and he knows how to have fun. Anyone who can turn the National Anthem into the anthem of all times is an artist to be reckoned with. I am proud to have worked with him on this endeavor."     - Natalie Cole "A lot of folks want to pay tribute to Ray Charles, and I'm glad a lot of us are getting the opportunity to do that. Ray and I are very good friends and there's no one any better, as far as I am concerned, at what we do. Recording with Ray was an extraordinary experience. Who would have thought that guys like us would still be out there recording and doing stuff. That's what makes it special."     - Willie Nelson "Brother Ray is so good. It was great to have the opportunity to work with long-time friends like him and Billy Preston. We were a sight; three old timers burning through this historic blues track. I cannot express how much it meant to me to sing alongside Ray on one of his hits from his early career."     - BB King "When people mention Ray Charles, I just smile. That grin, that voice, his music is so joyous. For this recording, we did one of my songs, "Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest World," which he had sung at a concert last year. That blew me away that Ray Charles was on stage singing one of my songs. It was amazing to sit in the studio and sing with him. It's so incredibly impressive to be with someone to which music had meant so much. He had an enormous effect on my career. Anything he put out, I bought. He has one of the greatest voices of all time. So, it was a very emotional experience."     - Elton John "I was so nervous to be in the same studio as Ray Charles. He is not just an ordinary singer, musician or icon. He's the best of the best. "Over the Rainbow" is such a wonderful song and it suited us both so perfectly. I was salivating over the arrangements. Now, I am most excited to see how people react to this whole recording because it is dynamite. They are going to want to have it as a keepsake. What I will take away from it all was the privilege of recording in the same studio as Ray. It was a highlight of my life."     - Johnny Mathis "I just love everything about Ray Charles. He could sing any song, and it sounds like Ray Charles and it sounds amazing. There's nothing I could say to do him justice. I love him so much. He as big an influence on me you can get. I couldn't believe that I got to sing with him. It was such an honor."     - Norah Jones "When recording or performing with Ray I always knew I was in presence of greatness. A true legend in his time and mine; it is always an honor to work with him. I grew up with watching and learning so much from Ray. I am so blessed to have had a mentor such as him to teach me such great things about life and our industry."     - Gladys Knight "It's a special privilege to say you've recorded with Ray Charles. Being immersed in and around his musicality is always a learning experience. He set the pace for all of us. The time spent with him and our guest artists was challenging, but the result is a joyful, heartfelt album of great music."     - Phil Ramone "Performing the duet 'Crazy Love' with Ray Charles was a great pleasure. It was an inspiration to work with someone of such musical genius. Ray is someone that I have admired since I started in music. He is a soul brother in every sense of the word."     - Van Morrison