Ray Charles 1930-2004  All of us at Stereophile were saddened by
the death of Ray Charles. The giant of music passed away
Thursday, June 10 at his home in Beverly Hills, surrounded by
friends and family. He was 73.  The official cause of death was
liver failure, according to The Los Angeles Times. Charles had
undergone successful hip replacement surgery last fall, and his
liver ailment was discovered during his recovery. In April, he
worked on a recording of duets with performers from a wide range
of genres, and on the 30th of that month made his last public
appearance at a ceremony hosted by the city of Los Angeles
designating his recording studio as a historic landmark. Failing
health caused him to cancel a planned summer concert tour.  He
has been fully and deservedly eulogized by mainstream media
throughout the world, to an extent that needn't be rehashed
here. His achievements—a performing career that spanned six
decades, over 60 albums, innumerable hit songs, and dozens of
Grammy Awards—comprise a recor