"I never got to know Ray Charles, but I did shake his hand at an airport once, which was a profound moment for me. He was surrounded by a cadre of very scary-looking people. It was like a president was in town, everyone on walkie-talkies, but for some reason I just walked though and grabbed Ray's hand. It felt like the biggest thing I ever held, just this huge hand.
And I squeezed it and just said,
Thanks, Ray. Thanks for everything."
—Tom Waits