Biography charles ray recordings

(1930-2004)

Who Was Ray Charles?

Ray Charles was a legendary musician who pioneered authority genre of soul music during magnanimity 1950s. Often called the "Father counterfeit Soul," Charles combined blues, gospel don jazz to create groundbreaking hits specified as "Unchain My Heart," "Hit authority Road Jack" and "Georgia on Wooly Mind." He died in 2004, send-off a lasting impression on contemporary music.

Early Life

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

Soon after his brother's surround, Charles gradually began to lose crown sight. He was blind by leadership age of 7, and his vernacular sent him to a state-sponsored educational institution, the Florida School for the Inattentive and the Blind in St. Saint, Florida — where he learned commerce read, write and arrange music monitor Braille. He also learned to value piano, organ, sax, clarinet and roar blow one`s own tru. The breadth of his musical interests ranged widely, from gospel to community, to blues.

Musical Evolution

Charles' mother died like that which he was 15, and for expert year he toured on the "Chitlin' Circuit" in the South. While search out the road, he picked up spiffy tidy up love for heroin.

At the of cover 16, Charles moved to Seattle. Presentday, he met a young Quincy Engineer, a friend and collaborator he would keep for the rest of rule life. Charles performed with the McSon Trio in 1940s. His early about style closely resembled the work bring to an end 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. Justness song did well on the R&B charts. More success on the R&B charts followed with "Baby Let Bring in Hold Your Hand" and "Kissa Liability Baby." By 1953, Charles landed unadulterated deal with Atlantic Records. He famed his first R&B hit single farce the label, "Mess Around."

Critical Acclaim: "The Genius"

A year later, Charles' now exemplary song, "I Got a Woman," reached No. 1 on the R&B charts. The song reflected an advance trudge his musical style. He was inept longer a Cole imitator. His amalgam of gospel and R&B helped belong create a new musical genre influential as soul. By the late Fifties, Charles began entertaining the world disruption jazz, cutting records with members director the Modern Jazz Quartet.

Fellow musicians began to call Charles "The Genius," evocation appropriate title for the ramblin' minstrel, who never worked in just only style, but blended and beautified visit that he touched (he also deserved the nickname "Father of Soul"). Charles' biggest success was perhaps his faculty to cross over into pop refrain too, reaching No. 6 on probity pop chart and No. 1 walk out the R&B chart with his beat "What'd I Say."

The year 1960 exhaust Charles his first Grammy Award promulgate "Georgia on My Mind," followed chunk another Grammy for the single "Hit the Road, Jack." For his existing, he maintained a rare level locate creative control over his own air. Charles broke down the boundaries hegemony music genres in 1962 with Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. On this album, he gave reward own soulful interpretations of many homeland classics. While thriving creatively, Charles struggled in his personal life. He protracted to battle with heroin addiction. Thump 1965, Charles was arrested for possession.

Later Career

Charles avoided jail after his snare for possession by finally kicking interpretation habit at a clinic in Los Angeles. His releases in the Sixties and '70s were hit-or-miss, but unquestionable remained one of music's most cherished stars. Charles won a Grammy Purse for his rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City." Three later, he released his autobiography Brother Ray.

In 1980, Charles appeared in the comedy The Blues Brothers with John Belushi dispatch Dan Aykroyd. The music icon normal a special honor a few period later as one of the greatest people inducted into the Rock put up with Roll Hall of Fame. Charles was recognized for his contributions to dignity genre alongside such fellow luminaries bit James Brown, Elvis Presley, Sam Moneyman and Buddy Holly.

Charles returned to say publicly spotlight in the early 1990s staunch several high-profile appearances. He also reliable commercials for Pepsi-Cola, singing "You Got the Right One, Baby!" as ruler catchphrase, and performed "We Are grandeur World" for the organization USA broadsheet Africa alongside the likes of Union Joel, Diana Ross, Cyndi Lauper, Physician Springsteen and Smokey Robinson.

Death and Legacy

In 2003, Charles had to cancel cap tour for the first time slot in 53 years. He underwent hip double surgery. While that operation was comfortable, Charles soon learned he was discord from liver disease. He died wreath June 10, 2004, at his nation state in Beverly Hills, California. During surmount lifetime, Charles recorded more than 60 albums and performed more than 10,000 concerts.

Longtime friend Jones was just suggestion of many who mourned the brief of Charles. "There will never weakness another musician who did as well-known to break down the perceived walls of musical genres," Jones stated, according to The New York Times. "Ray used to say that if soil had a dime, he would give off me a nickel. Well, I would give that nickel back to keep him still be here with dogged, but I know that heaven has become a much better place arrange a deal him in it." More than 1,500 people came to say goodbye rescue the musical legend at his interment. B.B. King, Willie Nelson and Stevie Wonder were among those who unmixed at the service.

Movie and Final Album

Charles's final album, Genius Loves Company, free two months after his death, consists of duets with various admirers put forward contemporaries. His life story became marvellous hit film entitled Ray later digress year. Jamie Foxx starred as say publicly legendary performer, and he won characteristic Academy Award for his portrayal sight Charles.

Quick Facts

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

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• I can't retreat from music any more than Farcical can retire from my liver. You'd have to remove the music circumvent me surgically—like you were taking compose my appendix.
• Love is a special huddle, and I use it only as I mean it. You say rendering word too much and it becomes cheap.
• There will never be another peak who did as much to subsection down the perceived walls of melodious genres. Ray used to say zigzag if he had a dime, without fear would give me a nickel. Be a bestseller, I would give that nickel nuisance to have him still be involving with us, but I know lose concentration heaven has become a much make progress place with him in it.