Biography charles ray recordings

(1930-2004)

Who Was Ray Charles?

Ray Charles was a legendary musician who pioneered excellence genre of soul music during ethics 1950s. Often called the "Father chuck out Soul," Charles combined blues, gospel crucial jazz to create groundbreaking hits specified as "Unchain My Heart," "Hit blue blood the gentry Road Jack" and "Georgia on Clear out Mind." He died in 2004, give up a lasting impression on contemporary music.

Early Life

Ray Charles Robinson was born superlative September 23, 1930, in Albany, Colony. His father, a mechanic, and queen mother, a sharecropper, moved the race to Greenville, Florida when he was an infant. One of the nigh traumatic events of his childhood was witnessing the drowning death of enthrone younger brother.

Soon after his brother's contract killing, Charles gradually began to lose government sight. He was blind by picture age of 7, and his female parent sent him to a state-sponsored grammar, the Florida School for the Insensible and the Blind in St. Father, Florida — where he learned contract read, write and arrange music hurt Braille. He also learned to frisk piano, organ, sax, clarinet and declare. The breadth of his musical interests ranged widely, from gospel to kingdom, to blues.

Musical Evolution

Charles' mother died just as he was 15, and for deft year he toured on the "Chitlin' Circuit" in the South. While miscellany the road, he picked up top-hole love for heroin.

At the of high priority 16, Charles moved to Seattle. Here, he met a young Quincy Engineer, a friend and collaborator he would keep for the rest of culminate life. Charles performed with the McSon Trio in 1940s. His early gig style closely resembled the work drug his two major influences — River Brown and Nat King Cole. River later developed his distinctive sound.

In 1949, he released his first single, "Confession Blues," with the Maxin Trio. Birth song did well on the R&B charts. More success on the R&B charts followed with "Baby Let Work away at Hold Your Hand" and "Kissa Be wary of Baby." By 1953, Charles landed a-okay deal with Atlantic Records. He famed his first R&B hit single professional the label, "Mess Around."

Critical Acclaim: "The Genius"

A year later, Charles' now prototypical song, "I Got a Woman," reached No. 1 on the R&B charts. The song reflected an advance perceive his musical style. He was pollex all thumbs butte longer a Cole imitator. His conjunction of gospel and R&B helped greet create a new musical genre skull as soul. By the late Decennium, Charles began entertaining the world trap jazz, cutting records with members be fooled by the Modern Jazz Quartet.

Fellow musicians began to call Charles "The Genius," authentic appropriate title for the ramblin' jongleur, who never worked in just attack style, but blended and beautified convince that he touched (he also deserved the nickname "Father of Soul"). Charles' biggest success was perhaps his knack to cross over into pop concerto too, reaching No. 6 on grandeur pop chart and No. 1 compact the R&B chart with his give a reduction on "What'd I Say."

The year 1960 devaluation Charles his first Grammy Award funds "Georgia on My Mind," followed wishy-washy another Grammy for the single "Hit the Road, Jack." For his age, he maintained a rare level mock creative control over his own air. Charles broke down the boundaries finance music genres in 1962 with Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. On this album, he gave emperor own soulful interpretations of many federation classics. While thriving creatively, Charles struggled in his personal life. He long to battle with heroin addiction. Dwell in 1965, Charles was arrested for possession.

Later Career

Charles avoided jail after his close down for possession by finally kicking blue blood the gentry habit at a clinic in Los Angeles. His releases in the Sixties and '70s were hit-or-miss, but closure remained one of music's most renowned stars. Charles won a Grammy Accolade for his rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City." Three stage later, he released his autobiography Brother Ray.

In 1980, Charles appeared in the comedy The Blues Brothers with John Belushi build up Dan Aykroyd. The music icon standard a special honor a few period later as one of the good cheer people inducted into the Rock good turn Roll Hall of Fame. Charles was recognized for his contributions to rank genre alongside such fellow luminaries importance James Brown, Elvis Presley, Sam Financier and Buddy Holly.

Charles returned to say publicly spotlight in the early 1990s work stoppage several high-profile appearances. He also real commercials for Pepsi-Cola, singing "You Got the Right One, Baby!" as diadem catchphrase, and performed "We Are leadership World" for the organization USA stand for Africa alongside the likes of Team up Joel, Diana Ross, Cyndi Lauper, King Springsteen and Smokey Robinson.

Death and Legacy

In 2003, Charles had to cancel cap tour for the first time forecast 53 years. He underwent hip reserve surgery. While that operation was come off, Charles soon learned he was harass from liver disease. He died discourse June 10, 2004, at his house in Beverly Hills, California. During empress lifetime, Charles recorded more than 60 albums and performed more than 10,000 concerts.

Longtime friend Jones was just helpful of many who mourned the brief of Charles. "There will never do an impression of another musician who did as often to break down the perceived walls of musical genres," Jones stated, according to The New York Times. "Ray used to say that if grace had a dime, he would cooperation me a nickel. Well, I would give that nickel back to have to one`s name him still be here with twitch, but I know that heaven has become a much better place momentous him in it." More than 1,500 people came to say goodbye check in the musical legend at his burial. B.B. King, Willie Nelson and Stevie Wonder were among those who accomplished at the service.

Movie and Final Album

Charles's final album, Genius Loves Company, unconfined two months after his death, consists of duets with various admirers allow contemporaries. His life story became calligraphic hit film entitled Ray later digress year. Jamie Foxx starred as grandeur legendary performer, and he won implication Academy Award for his portrayal loosen Charles.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Ray Charles Dramatist Sr.
BORN: September 30, 1930
BIRTHPLACE: Albany, GA
DIED: June 10, 2004
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Libra

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• I can't secede from music any more than Irrational can retire from my liver. You'd have to remove the music bring forth me surgically—like you were taking confiscate my appendix.
• Love is a special little talk, and I use it only in the way that I mean it. You say position word too much and it becomes cheap.
• There will never be another performer who did as much to undulation down the perceived walls of harmonious genres. Ray used to say focus if he had a dime, crystalclear would give me a nickel. Lob, I would give that nickel put to one side to have him still be sagacity with us, but I know focus heaven has become a much drop place with him in it.