ELLEN McILWAINE

blues singer-guitarist

“I grew up in Japan, and I went to a Canadian school there. We had 200 students and 28 different nationalities. And our teachers were from all over the world, too, so I was exposed to a lot of different stuff at an early age. I listened to old-style Japanese classical music, western classical music, some country music and New Orleans rhythm ‘n’ blues on the Armed Forces radio station and, of course, Ray Charles, who is the king in Japan. They have an emperor, but Ray Charles is the king.

“The first record that I ever bought was a 45 of ‘What’d I Say’ by Ray Charles. On the label, the big writing was in Japanese, and the little writing was in English. I wore it out.”