Bilal x Bob Marley

The Sounds of VTech / bilal_isthislove_web

Beautiful cover of Bob Marley's "Is This Love" by Bilal and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson.

Banksy x Simpsons

Ray Charles + Willie Nelson + Bill Cosby +++

The latest film on the legendary Ray Charles will air Tuesday, October 12 on A&E's bio channel at 8 PM. The two-hour special, narrated by David Duchovny, commemorates the 80th anniversary of Ray Charles’ birth and explores the life and music of the man behind such hit songs as “What’d I Say,” “Georgia On My Mind,” “Hit The Road Jack,” “America, the Beautiful” and “I’ve Got A Woman.”

A unique partnership between the Grammy-nominated producers of the BIO documentary “Johnny Cash’s America,” and The Ray Charles Foundation, the film features unprecedented access to the Ray Charles archives including a wealth of rare and never-before-seen footage and photos and more than 25 of Charles’ recordings.

The special includes: A yet to be released recording of “It Hurts to Be In Love;” a never-before seen interview at his studio not long before his passing; live video from his recording sessions for “Genius Loves Company” including his duet with Willie Nelson for “It Was a Very Good Year” and his duet with Elton John for “Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word; an amazing performance of “Ring of Fire” on the Johnny Cash Show; and a tour of his private recording studio in LA including his wardrobe, chessboard and personal Braille address book and magazines. The many interviewees in the program include Willie Nelson, Clint Eastwood, Bill Cosby, Fran Drescher, Elton John, James Taylor, Quincy Jones, Ben Harper, Common, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, B.B. King, Taylor Hackford, Glen Campbell, Tom Waits and Norman Lear.

Director Alexis Manya Spraic seeks out provocative and challenging subject matter. Last year, her documentary Shadow Billionaire examined DHL founder Larry Hillblom's mysterious disappearance off the coast of Micronesia (and subsequent estate battle among his many children with bar girls across all of Asia).