New Zealand Girl Reacts to Ray Charles - America the Beautiful 2001 - World Series 

Ray Charles remains an icon. He seized that opportunity to help sooth and unify a hurting nation. I was in the Army at the time and remember with emotion both the fear people had and elderly veterans walking into recruiting stations saying they were too old to wear the uniform, but "how can I help?"

This song always gets me, especially when Ray Charles sings it. Being emotional when this song plays is a given. Ray was a national treasure, and his voice really conveys the message of this song.

You never have to apologize for being moved by Brother Ray, his soul was in every note he sang.

Ray Charles was completely blind by age 7. So he couldn't see the crowd, but he could certainly feel the crowd.

Courtney, it makes me so proud to watch your love of my country. We were heartbroken at that time and pretty shaken, but as a country we kind of collectively decided to continue living our lives and not let “them” change us. Ray Charles was truly one of our national treasures, and he, along with a few other performers, helped remind us of our country’s specialness in the world. I would never want another 9/11, but I miss the America of the decade or so after it.

There wasn't a sadness as much as a resolve to renew our love and devotion to our country. When I would go on long walks in that season, everyone would greet me, as I greeted them.

Ray Charles is the only one that I can ever hear singing this song in my mind. He truly was a one of a kind artist.

3 things I want to say. 1 this was a beautiful rendition. 2 I had the privilege to see him perform this song in Philadelphia on Independence Day. 3 I feel "America the Beautiful" should be the US national anthem.

I am seriously in tears. Courtney words can't express how much I love you. You are such a blessing. I signed a blank check on September 3rd, 1986 when I enlisted and that check is still good today even though my enlistment ended back in 1989. Thank you for caring about America the way that you do. For someone like me, it means so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Every time I hear this song, I think of Sandlot. The 4th of July baseball game. Ray Charles is an American icon. England has Elton John, we have Ray Charles. Truly an American treasure.

rest piece to Ray Charles you are a legend my great grandfathers always listen to him he is and will always will be a legend this still put tears to my eyes im tearing right now

Courtney, in case you did'nt know, Ray Charles was blind

Ray was an absolute MASTER! Watch him and Willie Nelson do "Seven Spanish Angels"

The one and Ray Charles. He is one of our national treasures.

Ray Charles performance here helped heal a hurting nation less than 2 months after 911 rocked our world. It was incredibly unifying and helped us who witnessed him perform see the bigger picture. Those in attendance were beaming with pride and gave Ray Charles a proper applause. Thank you for reacting to this.

He was awesome that was an awesome world series by the way. Full of drama. Rest in peace Ray . 🇺🇲 Ray Charles doesn't move you emotionally you don't have a soul 😁

The world could need some Ray soulful vibes. ❤️ the reaction.

I cry every time I hear Ray Charles do this song, his version is so very moving !

i remember that night...watching that game...and falling to my knee's as a 33 yr old man...Hearing Ray Charles, such a sweet soul who played in our Southern Home throughout my youth...my wife and had had a 6 month old in addition to 3 older kids...all under 6 though...I remember my 4 yr old little girl ask me why I was crying....because Daddy was always strong, never showed even a hint of emotion as I did...I just held her, told her because many little girls Daddy's were never able to hug them again bc they ended and protected the rest of us...I explained what our flag, country meant to me...and I worried about them, their future and sadly with good reason...I told my kids I grew up each day before school saying the Pledge of Allegiance, standing at attention with our hands over our hearts... explained after we would say a prayer and during music classes, events each year we would sing these songs...all things forbidden, ripped away and banned by the pathetic WOKE in America...I explained to them that is why they were attending the school they did...I explained how cowardly it was for these people to take mothers and fathers, Papaws and Mamaws away from other little boys and girls like them...I tried to explain that as we watched that that there were families, children who had not seen their father, mother since 9-11...which ironically is my oldest daughters Birthday...the little girl who asked me those questions...I tried to not project hate, venom in front of them at that age...they would learn soon enough how fiercely protective and defensive I am over things, people I love.... I also knew, although I was in my mid 30s that based on what I was doing at the time that I would be facing that evil face to face... I saw America eroding...and it has yet to stop...in fact, it has accelerated and washed away nearly all of the support of our foundation within only 14-15 months.... it hurt me that Americans died for nothing...it hurt me knowing the world changed that day...it hurt knowing my children would never experience the America I did...and I also emphasized how they will never hear a voice as powerful, as sincere, as amazing of the old blind man they had just listened too... Ray Charles is part of the American Fabric, similarly to Elvis and BB King...not many would be included but those 3 without a doubt.... I was never afraid about additional attacks..in a strange way I was hoping more of those radicals would expose themselves in my city, area because I would shred them with my bare hands... that was one of only a very few times in my long life that I felt truly enraged...to the point of shaking, tears and adrenaline that if I was between a Taliban POS & any American that POS would have to do much more than any could imagine to keep me from reaching him...I felt literal hatred... I don't think I will ever not harbor that hatred...I tell myself, I try to remove it but anytime I see, hear or think about those days that hate meter max's out... Definitely Miss Ray Charles...miss my family....miss the real America God Bless and take care

Ray Charles hit the nail straight on the head! Absolutely fantastic rendition of America the Beautiful!

I'm SO proud of your love for celebrations and tributes to the USA, I consider you a citizen!! You demonstrate so much respect for this country, I love your heart and sentiments, God bless you, Young Lady!! 🙏🏻😇🎶💞

That was a very, very sad time, and an emotional one. I do appreciate things like what Ray did, even though I have a lot of criticisms about my country. I love his jazzy, blues-y style just making America smile, if even for one night. The crowd was CLEARLY feeling the energy. It's electric.

Hi Miss Courtney, I'd like to suggest watching Lee Greenwood sing "God Bless The USA" before Game 4 of the 2001 World Series.

I remember when he sang this song back in the 80's too. He was definitely a musical treasure!

Ray had a voice like no other! Truly a soul singer. You should check out a live version of Georgia on my Mind.

This man is a legend and legends never die. Though he was blind he saw the world as clear as a person with scent. RiP Ray Charles

Courtney don't be embarrassed about your feelings.Your best reactions are the ones your emotionally attached to.Happy Easter.

Ray was and always will be a true American treasure.

Thank you Courtney for covering this. As we have since been attacked by forces inside and out to destroy this country, this was nice to see.

Thank you for the love and respect you show our country, we love you back Courtney! 💕

No one could sing this song quite like Ray Charles could. A true legend, RIP Ray Charles.

Such a powerful moment! After seeing this, I reenlisted for 6 more years. Ray Charles is a national treasure!

RIP, Ray. I always loved your ability to connect with our souls. You will always be a true legend and a giant among men.

Doesn’t matter what pant job job God gave us, we’re ALL Americans, and no one says it better than the great Ray Charles! RIP 🙏🇺🇸 Ray Charles is now with God’s All Star Band God is smiling!!!🙏👍👍

Nothing will ever top this. A soul that the nation needed. Unbelievable❤

😭😭😭🇺🇸 God Bless America & thank you Ray for all the love youve given us throught the years. RIP brother 💙

One of the great iconic voices of the 20'th century.

Hey Courtney! Hope you are great! This one made me shed a tear..

Your sweet ability to be empathetic with others is the endearing quality that made me become a subscriber....don't change.

I wish our nation would pull together like they were back then and get the ones out of politics and the country trying to do away with America.

Courtney, you should never worry about how you articulate your emotions, we, (your fans) know how you love and respect America, we know the gracious and sweet heart that you have. We love you Courtney, Ed.

If you want to know what Americans are like in a time of national crisis watch the 1991 NHL All Star Game National Anthem. Almost cancelled and finally played a couple days after the start of Desert Storm the fans showed their love to the soldiers half a world away in Kuwait.

Never seen that before, gave me goose bumps and a tingly sensation

Mr. Ray Charles will forever be America’s national treasure. God bless him

thank you for the dignity and the respect you showed; don't think we didn't notice and appreciate it!!!

Sept 11th truly was a shared trauma, I would say even more so than “the date which will live in infamy,” when Pearl Harbor was attacked, 12-7-1941, because even if we weren’t there witnessing it in person, most Americans were like me that day: glued to the TV, just trying to process the magnitude of the situation, the fear as they announced more planes were believed taken, wondering where they were going to go, how many were there? I remember sitting there watching live as the twin towers fell...the horror. The whole thing was overwhelming, unbelievable. My parents were at one of mom‘s doctors appointments and didn’t know what was going on; dad saw the TV on with no sound in the waiting room and at first thought he was watching a movie, of course. Mom, btw, was born two days after Pearl Harbor. I’m sure the stress, knowing what it meant to be joining World War II when your husband-the soon-to-be new father-is in the Marine reserves, didn’t help my grandmother.

You can never go wrong with Ray Charles.

The thing about "America the Beautiful" is. There's a lot of people and countries that think it's U.S. national anthem. There's a clip showing the U.S. President visiting a foreign country. At a ceremony they played "America the Beautiful" instead of the "Star Spangled Banner" by mistake. The Presidents reaction is hilarious. He just smiles the whole time. The foreign leadership made a big apology to the U.S. over it. Once they learned the mistake.

Wow that was beautiful I remember that thank you for showing that one love peace

I remember that game played here in Phoenix Arizona. The Arizona Dimond Backs vs the New York Yankees. Arizonas first time in the world series and Arizona won it all. I don't remember who won that game and it dosnt really matter who won the game but we all were tearing up during this performance.

Thank you for reacting to this beautiful moment

I saw Ray do this live in the early 90's, backed by the Rayettes and a full symphony orchestra. It definitely didn't suck

I flew my American flag, on the front of our parsonage, every day for a year, after 9/11. My parents when young adults, before I was born, had attended a Ray Charles show, and people would go up and hide under his piano (including my mother) because he can't see.

Never be worried about your emotions and showing them on camera. If more people did, it would help break the stupid stigma that showing any emotion other than joy and anger counts as a weakness. You have empathy, and even now with it being over 20 years since it happened, having an understanding of what did happen evokes an emotional response because you've come to, in your own way, respect and love America due to much of what you have seen, learned, and looked up about it. Hell, if I remember correctly, there was a point you planned on moving here! Only one thing I'll correct you on in this, though. Ray Charles was blind, so he wasn't "looking up" at the end, really. He heard the flyover and the crowd was electric. It was difficult for it not to be emotional for people.

It's been 21 years now and I still remember the exact spot on the highway in Denver Colorado I was at, on my way to work when the attack started. Forever seared into my brain...

Courtney, you should listen to the original version Ray Charles did, he originally performed it in the 60s through the 90s

Jack Bucks poem when baseball started back up after 9/11. Is another must watch.

I watched this on tv live. 9-11 was a hard day for me. I was taking care of my folks. My Mom woke me and told me a plane had hit the first tower. When I seen the 2nd plane hit, I said that was a United plane. Could tell be the dark belly. I was working for United a the time. About 20 min later my cousin called and conformed it. He also worked there. Thats when I found out that another United flight may have been high tacked also. The one they crashed in Penn. Heard they were closing down the sky's So I called work about 3 hrs early and said if they needed me in I would be there. They said they were doing ok, just come in on shift. It was so strange going in. First just leaving home was total quiet with no planes in the sky. Got to work and the only people there were the workers, out side was so quiet. That was the way it was until they open back the flights. America the beautiful, came from a poem by Cahterine Lee Bates. She wrote it in 1893 while in Colorado Springs CO. She had went to the top of Pikes Peak. The purple mountain majesty, are the CO Rocky Mountains. And above the fruited plains, are our Great Plains. Yes the Rockys Mountains do turn purple after the sum sets.

i still remember this...it was amazing

Courtney, when Ray sang, everybody listened. He had that endeavoring quality about him. To hear him once and any time after, you would say that's Ray Charles. And a Happy Easter.

If you love "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", you should listen to Ray's version-blows me away every time I hear it '

Nobody, and I mean Nobody could ever do that song any better then or now or in the future. Ray Charles owns it

Courtney Ray Charles was a Blind Man, God Bless You!

Ahhh. The magic of Ray.

Hey Courtney you should consider (Tobey keith) courtesy of the red white and blue.the angry American great song made after 9/11

I hope you have a great Easter Sunday!

Ray Charles was a National Treasure.

to remind us of how it should be....i'm 70 and have never experienced such division....of the people.....not so much the leadership....they've always sown division....but the people have bought into the narrative as never before....tragic.....wake up !

In case you didn't know Courtney, Ray Charles has been blind since birth.

I remember this like it was yesterday

Thank-You and God Bless You.

He's best know for the songs "Hit The Road Jack" and Georgia on My Mind"

You need to remember that as Americans that we were hurt and angry and devastated at the loss of our people. There hadn't been a foreign attack on American soil in almost 200 years, it's just something we didn't know about at that point. But we know now. And every American no matter what color will stand shoulder to shoulder and defend our country and our fellow citizens with everything we got. If you call down the thunder you'll get the lightning too and the storm of which nobody has seen.

The song Georgia on my,mind he wrote that back when ga was still segregated he refused to play to a segregated audience so he wwas banned in ga for years

You should check out a song by Ray and Billy Joel called Baby Grand

😢 I always cry hearing him sing this song .

Brings me right back there to that time. 😢

All airplanes were ordered to land after the towers were hit. My parents were on vacation in Italy and couldn’t fly home for about a month because of airline security.

Look for LeAnn Rhimes singing AMAZING GRACE. there's a video of her singing it in a church and no music. It's my favorite version of it

Courtney, you are going to have to start doing movie reactions. First movie I would recommend for you is the Goonies

There are a lot of great singers from the past

Great job as usual 👍😀

Thanks Courtney 💜

Happy Easter Courtney God bless you Ray Charles was a perfect choice.

Great video 👍 have a wonderful day and hello from Arizona ✌😎👍

you should look up the words to America The Beautiful Ray Charles added some because of 911 its a wonderful song

George Jones doing Take Me from the film A Poem is a Naked Person. Worth a look.

Ray Charles was amazing

And straight to heaven he went ☝️

You should listen to Ray Charle's "Seven Spanish Angels" who he sang with Willy Nelson.

Ray Charles is amazing, forgive me Courtney if you already knew this but Ray Charles is blind and did everything from memory

Brother Ray!

Love Ray Charles, great music, and by the way, you are so beautiful , and I do mean beautiful ❤️ your man is so lucky

I wish people still loved their country like they used to. America can't be replaced

This american stands with Ukraine!!! ✌❤🙏 great video courtney...bless you and yours

Great reaction

2001, when Americans stood together and respected the flag.

I cried

Welcome to us!

This is the America we are going to be again.