1959 Soul Classic Was Improvised to Fill 12 Minutes

If there's one song that perhaps best represents the genius of Ray Charles, it's one that the late musical heavyweight made up entirely on the spot.

"What I'd Say," an early blues song, was born onstage in December 1958, as the 28-year-old Charles played for a crowd at a four-hour concert in Pittsburgh. At this stage of his career, the young Charles had yet to enjoy much mainstream success, with the musician moving to ABC Records the following year, where he would later achieve 3 #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

Playing for a "meal dance," where Charles and his orchestra would play into the small hours while crowds danced for over double the length of a standard concert, the band has 12 minutes left on their contractually obligated four-hour slot. However, there was an issue - they had been through the entire setlist.

"I began noodling-just a little riff that floated into my head," Charles later recalled (via HISTORY). "One thing led to another and I found myself singing and wanting the girls to repeat after me… Then I could feel the whole room bouncing and shaking and carrying on something fierce."

A hot-blooded six-minute track, Charles' abilities as a generational pianist and composer ensured the improvisation never dropped its electric energy, even with its opening instrumental lasting 90 seconds. In addition to his ability to think on his feet, Charles' skills as a showman and his ability to connect with audiences ensured the track would land.

"You start 'em off, you get 'em just first tapping their feet. Next thing they got their hands goin', and next thing they got their mouth open and they're yelling, and they're singin' and they're screamin,'" Charles said. "It's a great feeling when you got your audience involved with you."

Ranked the 10th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone, "What I'd Say" saw its success extend far beyond its quantitative metrics. The song, which helped shape the blues genre during its infancy, was later cited by rock giants such as The Beatles' Paul McCartney and George Harrison, as well as Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, as a formative track during their adolescence and early interest in music.

Even after his career breakthrough, Charles ended all of his concerts with "What I'd Say" - a fitting nod to his creative trajectory, reaching far beyond his own artistry and changing the future of modern music for good.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM.