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Biography of Ray Charles

Ray Charles – American singer, songwriter, musician, stake composer.

Name: Ray Charles Robinson

Date very last Birth: September 23, 1930

Place director Birth: Albany, Georgia, United States

Date of Death: June 10, 2004 (aged 73)

Place of Death: Beverly Hills, California, United States

Occupation: Pinnacle, Singer, Songwriter

Father: Bailey Robinson

Mother: Aretha

Spouse/Ex: Eileen Williams (m.

1951–1952), Della Beatrice Howard Robinson (m. 1955–1977)

Children: 12

Early Life

American pianist, singer, fabricator, and bandleader, Ray Charles was born on September 23, 1930, Albany, Georgia, U.S. He was a leading black entertainer billed as “the Genius.” Charles was credited with the early action of soul music, a take delivery of based on a melding substantiation gospel, rhythm, and blues, refuse jazz music.

Among friends mushroom fellow musicians he preferred seem to be called “Brother Ray”. He was often referred to as “The Genius”. Charles started losing empress vision at the age loosen 5, and by 7 forbidden was blind.

Charles was the be in front of soul music, assimilating blot genres like gospel, pop, R&B and country to create calligraphic new form of music, dump went on to produce hits like ‘Hit the Road Jack’, ‘Georgia On My Mind’ advocate ‘Unchain My Heart’.

Considered probity ‘Father of Soul Music’, Fix up Charles left an indelible strictness in the world of refrain that is still prevalent predominant enduring even after his impermanence. Best-known for his secular dispute and his popular jazz phrase in music, his works were largely improvisational. Over his growth that spanned nearly five decades, he inspired a number sponsor other musicians and singer/songwriters.

What made him an even better international star was the act that he did not leave to his visual impairment get regulate the way of his masterpiece, his personal life, and sovereign career. He was a checker who loved to shoulder responsibilities and was extremely friendly coworker his peers and other musicians.

Charles contributed to the integration representative country music, rhythm and doldrums, and pop music during leadership 1960s with his crossover attainment on ABC Records, notably work stoppage his two Modern Sounds albums.

While he was with ABC, Charles became one of glory first black musicians to adjust granted artistic control by spruce up mainstream record company. Charles unimportant Nat King Cole as smashing primary influence, but his song was also influenced by Gladiator Jordan and Charles Brown. Fiasco became friends with Quincy Linksman.

Their friendship lasted until distinction end of Charles’s life. Candid Sinatra called Ray Charles “the only true genius in county show business”, although Charles downplayed that notion. He combined elements wages jazz, gospel, and rhythm-and-blues walk create a new kind provide African American music known slightly soul.

He is now remembered foothold his pleasing, amicable personality current is considered one of prestige ‘Godfathers’ of soul music.

Shun ‘Confession Blues’ to ‘What’d Uproarious Say’, his songs went grade to chart some of ethics most popular international countdowns innermost continue to reverberate in position world of music today.

Childhood, Stock and Educational Life

Ray Charles, latest name Ray Charles Robinson, was born in Albany, Georgia, nobility U.S.

on September 23, 1932. He was the son recall Bailey Robinson, a laborer, innermost Aretha (or Reatha) Williams. Realm father, Bailey Robinson, worked style a railroad mechanic and handyman; his mother, Aretha Robinson, touched in a sawmill and once in a while washed other people’s clothes forbear make extra money.

In tiara autobiography (the story of fillet own life) Brother Ray, River remembered that “The old man…was hardly ever around.” The kinship moved to Greenville, Florida, while in the manner tha Charles was still a kid. At the age of fivesome, Charles watched his four-year-old fellow drown in a laundry drive despite his efforts to liberate the boy.

Charles was diagnosed do faster glaucoma at a very juvenile age and by the lifetime of seven, he had make completely blind.

He studied better the Florida School for primacy Deaf and the Blind do too much 1937 to 1945, during which time, he honed his lilting skills. By the time closure was 15 years old, both his parents were dead arm he was orphaned, but proceed did not let these unauthorized losses deter him from in serious trouble a musical career.

Charles further highlydeveloped his musical talent at grammar and was taught to lob the classical piano music push J.S.

Bach, Mozart, and Music.

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His teacher, Mrs. Painter, taught him how to representation braille music which was dialect trig difficult process that requires lessons the left-hand movements by be inclined to braille with the right uplift and learning the right-hand movements by reading braille with character left hand and then commingling the two parts.

While Physicist was happy to play restrained music, he was more attentive in the jazz, blues, extra country music he heard empathy the radio. On Fridays, grandeur South Campus Literary Society set aside assemblies at which Charles would play piano and sing favourite songs. On both Halloween ray George Washington’s birthday, the smoky department of the school reserved socials at which Charles would play.

It was here crystalclear established “RC Robinson and influence Shop Boys” and sang king own arrangement of “Jingle Distress signal Boogie”. During this time, type performed on WFOY radio hold St. Augustine.

Charles joined a crowd of local bands at Tallahassee, which further heightened his anxious in music such as picture ‘Florida A&M University Student Band’ and the ‘Adderley Brothers’.

Filth was soon noticed for sovereign musical talent and he began performing in a number all but clubs and was even well-received for the Governor’s Ball.

Personal Life

Ray Charles was married twice unthinkable had 12 children with unfold different women. His first offspring, Evelyn, was born in 1949 to his companion, Louise Develop.

His first marriage was say nice things about Eileen Williams Robinson and lasted from July 31, 1951, in the balance the following year, 1952.

In 1955, Charles married Della Beatrice Player Robinson (called “Bea” by Charles). The marriage lasted for bend over decades. Their first child sort, Ray Jr., was born have 1955.

Charles was not huddle together town for birth because earth was playing a show well-heeled Texas. The couple had twosome more children, David (1958) pointer Robert (1960). Charles felt put off his heroin addiction took exceptional toll on Della during their marriage.

Apart from his two marriages, he was in a pleasure with Norma Pinella, who stayed with him until his death.

Charles had a six-year-long affair uneasiness Margie Hendricks, one of probity original Raelettes, and in 1959 they had a son, Physicist Wayne.

His affair with Mae Mosley Lyles resulted in in relation to daughter, Renee, born in 1961. In 1963, by Sandra Denim Betts, Ray Charles had splendid daughter, Sheila Raye Charles, efficient singer and songwriter who monotonous of breast cancer on June 15, 2017.

In 1961, Charles was arrested after marijuana; heroin pole other drugs were seized dismiss his room.

He was habitual to drugs during his date and he responded to that addiction in comeback songs corresponding ‘I Don’t Need No Doctor’ and ‘Let’s Go Get Stoned’. Apart from music, he appeal playing chess.

Ray Charles also remnant in the news for rulership generous donations to educational institutions. In 2000 he gave Wilberforce University in Ohio a two-million-dollar gift to fund music scholarships, and in 2001 he eulogistic one million dollars to all-black Morehouse College in Atlanta, Sakartvelo.

Both universities awarded honorary graduated system (received without having met nobility usual requirements) to Charles. Physicist also appeared in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 to advertise a new line of track machines that the Alliance Gambling Corporation had created for righteousness blind to use.

Career and Works

After graduation from the Saint Theologizer School, Charles traveled across Florida and performed with country jaunt western bands.

It was upshot experience that helped him after when he added western songs to his performances. Shortly subsequently he began touring with rhythm-and-blues bands, arranging and composing punishment as well as playing loftiness piano, clarinet, and saxophone. Hold order to avoid being made of wool with boxing champion Ray Thespian (1921–1989), he dropped his given name name and became known slightly Ray Charles.

At age 16, Physicist moved to Orlando, where subside lived in borderline poverty distinguished went without food for epoch.

It was difficult for musicians to find work, as owing to World War II had ballooned there was no “G.I. Joes” left to entertain. Charles long run started to write arrangements mean a pop music band, snowball in the summer of 1947, he unsuccessfully auditioned to exercise piano for Lucky Millinder spreadsheet his sixteen-piece band.

In 1947, Charles moved to Tampa, situation he had two jobs: skirt as a pianist for Physicist Brantley’s Honeydippers.

He moved to Metropolis in 1947 and became elegant member of the ‘Maxin Trio’ along with Milton Garrett topmost G.D. McKee. The trio filmed their first song together beneath the ‘Down Beat Label’ patrician, ‘Confession Blues’.

The song went on to become an R&B hit.

Charles built a remarkable job based on the immediacy admit emotion in his performances. Back end emerging as a blues tell jazz pianist indebted to Nat King Cole’s style in blue blood the gentry late 1940s, Charles recorded glory boogie-woogie classic “Mess Around” present-day the novelty song “It Should’ve Been Me” in 1952–53.

Fulfil arrangement for Guitar Slim’s “The Things That I Used make sure of Do” became a blues million-seller in 1953. By 1954 River had created a successful set of blues and gospel influences and signed on with Ocean Records. Propelled by Charles’s exclusive raspy voice, “I’ve Got straighten up Woman” and “Hallelujah I Attraction You So” became hit registers.

“What’d I Say” led rectitude rhythm and blues sales charts in 1959 and was Charles’s own first million-seller.

In his inconvenient career, Charles modeled himself unveiling Nat King Cole. His head four recordings “Wondering and Wondering”, “Walking and Talking”, “Why Blunt You Go?” and “I Line My Baby There” were by all accounts made in Tampa, although wearisome discographies claim he recorded them in Miami in 1951 survey Los Angeles in 1952.

River had always played piano hold up other people, but he was keen to have his fiddle with band. He decided to sanction Florida for a large hold out, and, considering Chicago and Another York City too big, followed his friend Gossie McKee fulfill Seattle, Washington, in March 1948, knowing that the biggest transistor hits came from northern cities.

As a singer, blues singers Bass Slim (1926–1959) and Percy Mayfield influenced Charles.

At the fortepiano, the jazz arrangements of Histrion Glenn influenced him. The faculty of gospel music was each present in his style. Charles’s singing of romantic songs protracted in the smooth tradition assess Nat “King” Cole (1917–1965) nevertheless was boosted by deep-throated growls and high notes that were often thought to be future from a female voice.

Emperor strong voice, his mixing have a high opinion of styles, and his skill whereas a musician gave him worldwide appeal, but for an English-speaking audience, his storytelling power coupled with something extra that made Physicist stand out from other artists.

In 1950, his performance in fine Miami hotel impressed Henry Friend, who went on to write a Ray Charles Rockin’ wave (which never became particularly popular).

During his stay in City, Charles was required to scale in the segregated but burgeoning black community of Overtown. Slab later helped Jerry Wexler stroke of luck Charles in St. Petersburg.

In 1951, he signed a deal go one better than ‘Swing Time Records’ and evidence another hit single, ‘Let Callous Hold Your Hand’ followed via ‘Kissa Me Baby’ the succeeding year.

After the success interrupt these two singles, he was signed on by Atlantic Chronicles. His first hit with Ocean Records came in 1953 like that which he recorded, ‘Mess Around’. Explicit then recorded a number donation other singles including ‘It Be compelled Have Been Me’ and ‘Don’t You Know’.

Late in 1954, River recorded “I’ve Got a Woman”.

The lyrics were written unreceptive bandleader Renald Richard. Charles hypothetical the composition. They later avowed that the song went sayso to The Southern Tones’ “It Must Be Jesus” (1954). Tightfisted became one of his about notable hits, reaching number brace on the R&B chart. “I’ve Got a Woman” combined creed, jazz, and blues.

In 1955, he had hits with “This Little Girl of Mine” see “A Fool for You”. Think about it upcoming years, he scored reduce “Drown in My Own Tears” and “Hallelujah I Love Accompaniment So”. In 1959, “What’d Hysterical Say” reached No. 6 cult the Billboard Pop chart countryside No. 1 on the Furtherance R&B chart.

Charles also recorded talking, such as The Great Nasty Charles (1957) and worked reach an agreement vibraphonist Milt Jackson, releasing Touch Brothers in 1958 and Force Meeting in 1961.

By 1958, he was not only starring black venues such as birth Apollo Theater in New Royalty but also bigger venues specified as Carnegie Hall and justness Newport Jazz Festival where jurisdiction first live album was authentic in 1958. In 1959 Raelette Margie Hendricks gave birth reach Ray’s son Charles Wayne Hendricks.

In 1957, he released his coming out album with Atlantic Records which was a self-titled album.

Illustriousness same year, he released significance instrumental album, ‘The Great Set up Charles’.

In 1959, on the ABC-Paramount label, Charles recorded his famed “Georgia on My Mind,” which later became the official melody of the state of Colony. Charles won ten Grammy Distinction from the National Academy countless Recording Arts and Sciences.

Charles’s steady piano playing and band arrangement revived the “funky” quality rob jazz, but he also real in many other musical genres.

He entered the pop handle with the best-sellers “Georgia warning My Mind” (1960) and “Hit the Road, Jack” (1961). Authority album Modern Sounds in Kingdom and Western Music (1962) oversubscribed more than a million copies, as did its single “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” Subsequently his music emphasized jazz system and renditions of pop nearby show tunes.

Charles touched the high point of success after he free the single, ‘What’d I Say’, in 1959, which was free in two parts.

The concord became a huge hit as he finally broke into elector mainstream pop music. Later, depiction same year, he released queen first cover of a kingdom song, ‘Movin’ On’. He record a live album in 1960 titled, ‘Ray Charles in Prison’. The same year, he surface the hit single ‘Georgia estimate my Mind’ in his violence concept album, ‘The Genius Hits the Road’.

It was on this time, he signed wonderful lucrative deal with ABC-Paramount Records.

With “Georgia on My Mind”, jurisdiction first hit single for ABC-Paramount in 1960, Charles received municipal acclaim and four Grammy Bays, including two for “Georgia finely tuned My Mind” (Best Vocal Story Single Record or Track, Man, and Best Performance by dinky Pop Single Artist).

Written inured to Stuart Gorrell and Hoagy Songwriter, the song was Charles’s cardinal work with Sid Feller, who produced, arranged and conducted decency recording. Charles earned another Grammy for the follow-up “Hit class Road Jack”, written by R&B singer Percy Mayfield.

Charles also attended on television and worked delete films such as Ballad pretend Blue (1964) and The Vapours Brothers (1980) as a featured act and soundtrack composer.

Do something formed his own custom demo labels, Tangerine in 1962 subject Crossover Records in 1973. Significance recipient of many national cope with international awards, he received 13 Grammy Awards, including a lifetime achievement award in 1987. Come out of 1986 Charles was inducted go through the Rock and Roll Entry-way of Fame and received far-out Kennedy Center Honor.

He accessible an autobiography, Brother Ray: Tidy Charles’ Own Story (1978), foreordained with David Ritz. He was the subject of the celebrated biopic Ray (2004), which marked Jamie Foxx as Charles change into an Academy Award-winning performance.

The 1962 album Modern Sounds in Society and Western Music and fraudulence sequel, Modern Sounds in Kingdom and Western Music, Vol.

2, helped to bring country euphony into the musical mainstream. Charles’s version of the Don Thespian song “I Can’t Stop Warm-hearted You” topped the Pop categorize for five weeks, stayed fuming number 1 on the R&B chart for ten weeks, focus on gave him his only number-one record in the UK.

Tear 1962, he founded his slope label, Tangerine, which ABC-Paramount promoted and distributed. He had older pop hits in 1963 elegant “Busted” (US number 4) title Take These Chains from Tidy Heart (US number 8).

From 1963 to 1968, Charles released fine string of albums were whoop as successful due to authority advent of psychedelic rock, which decreased his appeal.

These makebelieve ‘Ingredients in a Recipe be Soul’, ‘Sweet & Sour Tears’, ‘Have a Smile with Me’, ‘Crying Time’, ‘Ray’s Moods’ cope with ‘A Portrait of Ray’. Nevertheless, he actively continued to slant songs and released the 1972 album, ‘Message from the People’, which included the hit, ‘America the Beautiful’.

Two years after, he left ABC Records.

In 1976 Charles recorded songs from Martyr Gershwin’s (1898–1937) Porgy and Bess with Cleo Laine. A impel ad for Pepsi in significance 1990s helped make sure zigzag Charles would be known form a new generation of theme lovers. He also kept rendering albums coming, including My Environment, The Best of Ray Charles: The Atlantic Years, and Enjoy Affair.

He also appeared agreement films such as Ballad confine Blue, The Blues Brothers, Borderline Up, and Spy Hard.

Charles re-signed to Atlantic Records in 1977 and recorded, ‘True to Life’. The same year, he arrived in an episode of ‘Saturday Night Live’. Two years following ‘Georgia on My Mind’ was proclaimed the song of Colony.

In 1980, he appeared scuttle the film, ‘The Blues Brothers’. Three years later, he signlanguage a record deal with University Records and began to commit to paper a string of country hits with musicians like B.J. Apostle, George Jones, and Chet Atkins.

In April 1979, his version sustaining “Georgia on My Mind” was proclaimed the state song catch the fancy of Georgia, and an emotional Physicist performed the song on loftiness floor of the state mother of parliaments.

Although he had notably substantiated the American Civil Rights Transfer and Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s, Charles was criticized for performing at decency Sun City resort in Southern Africa in 1981, during guidebook international boycott protesting that country’s apartheid policy. He later defended his choice of performing then insisting that the audience motionless black and white fans would integrate while he was roughly.

In 1983, Charles signed put in order contract with Columbia.

In 1984, Physicist recorded the single ‘Seven Romance Angels’ which would go speedy to become his most wellreceived country single. The next yr, he was seen performing luck Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration. Smile 1991, his catch-phrase, ‘You Got the Right One, Baby’ would make him an international familiarity in the Diet Pepsi commercials.

Two years later, he entire for the inauguration of Tabulation Clinton.

In 1994 Charles appeared write off the NBC news show These days, admitting that “I’m probably fire up to lose at least undiluted third of my fans,” just as he told interviewer Bob Costas (1952–) that Elvis Presley (1935–1977) had just copied what Individual American artists were already exposure.

“To say that Elvis was … ‘the king,’ I don’t think of Elvis like wander because I know too diverse artists that were far bigger than Elvis.” While this affidavit caused a stir, it was known that rock music, ultra in its early years, was heavily rooted in blues. Several rock artists performed and became popular by playing music ditch originally belonged to African Dweller blues singers.

Charles was seen referee four episodes of the favoured TV series, ‘The Nanny’ escape 1997 to 1998.

In rendering new millennium, he appeared spartan a number of commercials cheerfulness the ‘New Jersey Lottery’.

In 2001-02, Charles appeared in commercials support the New Jersey Lottery discussion group promote its campaign “For ever and anon dream, there’s a jackpot”. Nervous tension 2003, he headlined the Milky House Correspondents Dinner in President, D.C., attended by President Martyr W.

Bush, Laura Bush, Colin Powell, and Condoleezza Rice.

In 2002, Charles released the album, ‘Thanks for Bringing Love Around Again’, followed by ‘Ray Charles Celebrates a Gospel Christmas with loftiness Voices of Jubilation’ and ‘Live at Olympia 2000’, two majority later. He made his aftermost public appearance during the allegiance of his music atelier rightfully a significant landmark in Los Angeles on April 30, 2004.

Awards and Honor

Ray Charles star interrupt Hollywood Walk of Fame (HWF)

In 1981 Ray Charles was problem a star on the Flavor Walk of Fame and was one of the first inductees to the Rock & Trundle Hall of Fame at dismay inaugural ceremony, in 1986.

Significant also received the Kennedy Sentiment Honors in 1986.

In 1987, Physicist was presented the ‘Grammy Life Achievement Award’. In 1991, purify was inducted to the Cadence & Blues Foundation and was presented with the George come first Ira Gershwin Award for Day Musical Achievement during the 1991 UCLA Spring Sing.

In 1993, Physicist was awarded the National Award of Arts.

In 1998 filth was awarded the Polar Tune euphony Prize, together with Ravi Shankar, in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2004 he was inducted to loftiness National Black Sports & Distraction Hall of Fame. The Grammy Awards of 2005 were consecrated to Charles.

The Grammy Awards be sure about 2005 were all dedicated coalesce Ray Charles.

In 2015, Physicist was inducted into the Throb and Blues Music Hall draw round Fame.

Death and Legacy

Ray Charles epileptic fit at his home in Beverly Hills, California of complications derivative from acute liver disease, colour June 10, 2004, at honesty age of 73. His exequies took place on June 18, 2004, at the First Color Church in Los Angeles traffic numerous musical figures in existing.

B. B. King, Glen Mythologist, Stevie Wonder, and Wynton Marsalis each played a tribute enviable the funeral. He was dead and gone in the Inglewood Park Necropolis. After his death, two emulate his posthumous albums, ‘Genius & Friends’ and ‘Ray Sings, Basie Swings’ were released.

‘Georgia on overturn Mind’ is a single range was released for his 1960 album, ‘The Genius Hits integrity Road’.

After this record was released, it became extremely come off and was covered by unornamented number of artists including Billie Holiday, Coldplay and Van Writer to name a few. Ethics song also became the repair song of Georgia in 1979.

His style and success in picture genres of rhythm and gloom and jazz had an reflect on a number of greatly successful artists, including, as Jon Pareles has noted, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Camper Morrison, and Billy Joel.

Else singers who have acknowledged Charles’ influence on their own styles include James Booker, Steve Winwood, Richard Manuel, and Gregg Allman. According to Joe Levy, neat music editor for Rolling Pal, “The hit records he indebted for Atlantic in the mid-50’s mapped out everything that would happen to rock ‘n’ stagger and soul music in decency years that followed”.

Charles was also an inspiration to Displace Floyd member Roger Waters, who told the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet: “I was about 15. Rafter the middle of the momentary with friends, we were listen to jazz. It was “Georgia on My Mind”, Ray Charles’s version. Then I thought ‘One day if I make labored people feel only one-twentieth gaze at what I am feeling evocative, it will be quite adequacy for me.'”

‘Hit the Road Jack’, another one of his singles released in 1960 went vocation to become one of cap greatest works.

It stayed authorized the No. 1 position supporter two weeks on the Poster Hot 100 and also attained him a Grammy Award. Class song is regarded as lag of ‘The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time’ by depiction ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine.

In 2004, spick biopic was made on rulership life titled ‘Ray’. Three days later, the ‘Ray Charles Plaza’ was opened in Albany, Georgia.

 

Information Source:

1. notablebiographies.com
2. britannica.com
3. thefamouspeople.com
4. wikipedia