“Hit the Road Jack” is a song written by the rhythm and blues artist Percy Mayfield….which was first recorded in 1960 as an a cappella demo sent to Art Rupe…..but became famous after it was recorded by the singer-songwriter-pianist Ray Charles with The Raelettes vocalist Margie Hendrix….after which it eventually became one of Charles’ signature songs.
Charles’s recording hit # 1 for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961…..while winning a Grammy award for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording the same year….as the song was # 1 on the R&B Sides chart for five weeks….thus becoming Brother Ray‘s sixth # 1 on that chart….plus the song is ranked # 387th on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time“.
In this video seen herewith….Ray Charles and The Raelettes perform “Hit The Road Jack”….while live on stage at Austin City Limits in 1980….which we at ImaSportsphile are “tickled pink” to have in our sensational Music Library here on our site.
