NAME
Ray Charles
OCCUPATION
Singer, Pianist, Songwriter
BIRTH DATE
September 23, 1930
DEATH DATE
June 10, 2004
EDUCATION
Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind
PLACE OF BIRTH
Albany, Georgia
PLACE OF DEATH
Beverly Hills, California
AKA
Ray Charles
Ray Robinson
FULL NAME
Ray Charles Robinson
NICKNAME
"The Genius"
"Father of Soul"
EARLY LIFE
Ray Charles was a pioneer of soul music, integrating R&B, gospel, pop and country to creat hits like "Unchain My Heart," "Hit the Road Jack" and "Georgia on My Mind." A blind genius, he is considered one of the greatest artists of all time.
QUOTES
“I can't retire from music any more than I can retire from my liver. You'd have to remove the music from me surgically—like you were taking out my appendix.”
—Ray Charles
Synopsis
Born in Georgia in 1930, Ray Charles was a legendary musician who pioneered the genre of soul music during the 1950s. Often called the "Father of Soul," Charles combined blues, gospel and jazz to create groundbreaking hits such as "Unchain My Heart," "Hit the Road Jack" and "Georgia on My Mind." He died in 2004, leaving a lasting impression on contemporary music.
Early Life
Ray Charles Robinson was born on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia. His father, a mechanic, and his mother, a sharecropper, moved the family to Florida when he was an infant. One of the most traumatic events of his childhood was witnessing the drowning death of his younger brother.
Soon after his brother's death, Charles gradually began to lose his sight. He was blind by the age of 7, and his mother sent him to a state-sponsored school, the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, Florida—where he learned to read, write and arrange music in Braille. He also learned to play piano, organ, sax, clarinet and trumpet. The breadth of his musical interests ranged widely, from gospel to country, to blues.
Musical Evolution
Charles's mother died when he was 15, and for a year he toured on the "Chitlin' Circuit" in the South. While on the road, he picked up a love for heroin.
At the of age 16, Charles moved to Seattle. There, he met a young Quincy Jones, a friend and collaborator he would keep for the rest of his life. Charles performed with the McSon Trio in 1940s. His early playing style closely resembled the work of his two major influences—Charles Brown and Nat King Cole. Charles later developed his distinctive sound.
In 1949, he released his first single, "Confession Blues," with the Maxin Trio.
The song did well
.
.
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Although Ray Charles was a huge success in most areas of his professional life, he was unable to have the same success in his own complicated private life.
Born:
Ray Charles Robinson: September 23, 1930 in Albany, Georgia.
Death:
Ray: On June 10, 2004 in Beverly Hills, California, Ray Charles died of liver disease.
Memorial Service:
Los Angeles' First AME Church.
Burial:
Inglewood Cemetery
Marriages:
Ray Charles was married twice, first at age 21, second at age 25.
Eileen Williams: Eileen, a beautician from Columbus, Ohio, and Ray met through his friend Billy Brooks. Eileen and Ray were married on July 31, 1951 in Georgia before a Fulton County justice of the peace. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1952. We could not find verification of claims that Ray and Eileen had a child together.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson: Della and Ray met in Houston, Texas. "B" was his nickname for her. Ray and Della were married on April 5, 1955. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1977. Three children.
