Ray Charles (1930–2004)was a pioneering American singer, pianist, and songwriter often called “the Genius” or “Father of Soul.” Blind from childhood, he blended gospel, blues, jazz, and R&B into a groundbreaking style that influenced generations, with classics like “Georgia on My Mind,” “Hit the Road Jack,” and “What’d I Say.”
“Hide Nor Hair”(also styled “Hide ’Nor Hair”) is a 1962 R&B/soul track written by Percy Mayfield. Charles recorded it as the B-side to “At the Club.” It tells a wry story of a feverish man whose girlfriend leaves for the pawnshop “just across the track” and never returns—later revealed to have run off with his doctor.
- Written by Percy Mayfield
- Released March 1962 on ABC-Paramount
- Peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 7 R&B
- Features Charles’ characteristic bluesy storytelling and band arrangement
The song remains relatively obscure because it was a modest B-side released just before the massive success of Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music and its chart-topping single “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” It never became one of Charles’ signature hits or a radio staple, so it mostly lives on in compilations and among dedicated fans rather than in the broader public memory.