Early years Ray Charles Robinson was born in Albany, Georgia to Bailey and Aretha Robinson. Bailey had two more families, leaving Aretha to raise the family. When Ray was five his four-year-old brother George drowned in an outside washing tub.[1] Not long after this event, Ray began to go blind, becoming totally blind by the age of seven.[4] Charles never knew exactly why he lost his sight[1], though there are sources which suggest Ray's blindness may have been due to glaucoma.[4] He attended school at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, Florida, and he learned how to read braille there.[4] He also learned how to write music and play various musical instruments.[4] While he was there, his mother died. His father died two years later. After he left school, Charles began working as a musician in Florida in several bands that played in various styles, including jazz and country music. Charles moved to Seattle in 1947[4] or 1948[5]. He soon started recording, first for the label Swingtime Records, achieving his first hit with "Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand" in 1951, then signed with Ahmet Ertegun at Atlantic Records a year later.[4] When he entered show business, his name was shortened to Ray Charles to avoid confusion with boxer Sugar Ray Robinson.[citation needed] [edit] Middle years Charles scored his first Atlantic hit in 1953 with the release of the Ahmet Ertegun-composed "Mess Around." He had another hit with his rap-like version of "It Should Have Been Me." Charles' career went into high gear with the gospel drive of "I Got a Woman" (1955). This was followed by "This Little Girl of Mine," "Drown in My Own Tears," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," and "Lonely Avenue." Many of his songs at that time were gospel songs with secular lyrics. He also recorded many blues ballads. Charles' landmark album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music The essence of this phase of his career[citation needed] can be heard on his live album Ray Charles In Person, recorded before a mostly African American audience in Atlanta in 1959. This album also features the first public performance of "What'd I Say." It broke out as a hit in Atlanta from the tape, months before being recorded in the studio in a two-part version with better fidelity. Shortly afterward, in an appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival he achieved mainstream success with "The Night Time (Is the Right Time)" which appeared on Ray Charles at Newport (1959) and his signature song, "What'd I Say". Charles had already begun to go beyond the limits of the blues-gospel synthesis while still at Atlantic. He recorded with very large orchestras and with jazz artists like Milt Jackson and even made his first country music cover song with Hank Snow's "I'm Movin' On." He then moved on to ABC Records in 1959[4], where he was given a greater amount of control over his music. Charles went on to broaden his approach, not on experimental side projects, but with pop music, resulting in such hits as "Unchain My Heart", "You Are My Sunshine", and the #1 hits on the Billboard pop charts, "Georgia On My Mind" and "Hit the Road Jack." In 1962, Charles surprised his new, broader audience with his landmark album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, which included the Don Gibson penned "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "You Don't Know Me". In 1961, Charles canceled a concert scheduled to take place in the Bell Auditorium in Augusta, Georgia to protest against segregated seating required by Jim Crow laws. Later years In 1965, Charles was arrested for possession of heroin, a drug to which he had been addicted for 17 years.[citation needed] It was his third arrest for the offense, but he avoided prison time after kicking the habit in a clinic in Los Angeles.[1] He spent a year on parole in 1966. During the 1960s and 1970s, Charles' releases were hit-or-miss[4], with some big hits and critically acclaimed work, and some music that was dismissed as unoriginal and staid.[citation needed] His version of "Georgia On My Mind," was proclaimed the state song of Georgia on April 24, 1979, with Charles performing it on the floor of the state legislature.[4] This act was significant in that it symbolized to many[citation needed] the move away from segregation and racism. He also had success with his unique version of "America the Beautiful." In the late 1980s, a number of events increased Charles' recognition among young audiences. He made a cameo appearance in the popular 1980 film The Blues Brothers. In 1985, "Night Time is the Right Time" was featured in the episode "Happy Anniversary" of The Cosby Show on NBC. The cast members used the song to perform a wildly popular lip-synch that helped the show secure its wide audience.[citation needed] In 1986, he performed his rendition of "America the Beautiful" at WrestleMania 2. Charles' new connection with audiences helped secure an advertising spot for Diet Pepsi.[citation needed] In a Pepsi Cola commercial of the early 1990s, Charles popularized the catchphrase "You Got the Right One, Baby!" In the late '80s and early '90s, Charles made appearances on The Super Dave Osbourne Show, where he performed and appeared in a few vignettes where he was somehow driving a car, often as Super Dave's chauffeur. At the height of his newfound fame in the early nineties, Charles did guest vocals for quite a few projects. He also appeared (with Chaka Khan) on long time friend Quincy Jones' hit "I'll Be Good To You" in 1990, from Jones' album Back on the Block. Final appearances Gladys Knight performed Charles' "Georgia On My Mind" during the Opening Ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2002 Charles headlined during the Blues Passions Cognac festival in southern France. At one point in the performance a young fan rose to his feet and began to sing an a cappella version of Charles' early song, "Mess Around"; Charles responded by performing the song.[citation needed] In June, 2003, Ray Charles presented one of his greatest admirers and influences, Van Morrison with his award upon being inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the two sang Morrison's song from the Moondance album, "Crazy Love." In 2003 Charles performed "Georgia On My Mind" and "America the Beautiful" at a televised annual electronic media journalist banquet held in Washington, D.C., at what may have been his final performance in public. Ray Charles' final public appearance came on April 30, 2004, at the dedication of his music studio as a historic landmark in the city of Los Angeles.[4] Cover of Genius Loves Company, an album released posthumously. He died on June 10, 2004 of "liver disease"[4], at his home in Beverly Hills, California, surrounded by family and friends. His death was not due to liver cancer as was erroneously reported on certain websites[6] He was interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. His final album, Genius Loves Company, released two months after his death, consists of duets with various admirers and contemporaries: B.B. King, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, James Taylor, Gladys Knight, Michael McDonald, Natalie Cole, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, Diana Krall, Norah Jones, Idina Menzel, and Johnny Mathis. The album won eight Grammy Awards, including five for Ray Charles for Best Pop Vocal Album, Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Here We Go Again" with Norah Jones, and Best Gospel Performance for "Heaven Help Us All" with Gladys Knight; he also received nods for his duets with Elton John and B.B. King. The album included a version of Harold Arlen's "Over the Rainbow", sung as a duet by Charles and Johnny Mathis; that recording was later played at his memorial service.[7] Another posthumous album, Ray Sings, Basie Swings, was released in October of 2006. This album consists of archived vocals of Ray Charles from a live 1973 performance, recorded from the concert mixing board, combined with new accompaniment by the Count Basie Orchestra (among others) and produced by Gregg Field, who had performed as a drummer with both Charles and Basie. Discography See Ray Charles discography
Promotional poster for Ray, with Jamie Foxx in the title role. [edit] Ray: The Film Charles was significantly involved in the biopic Ray, an October 2004 film which portrays his life and career between 1930 and 1966 and stars Jamie Foxx as Charles. Foxx won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Actor for the role. Before shooting could begin, however, director Taylor Hackford brought Foxx to meet Charles, who insisted that they sit down at two pianos and play together. For two hours, Charles challenged Foxx, who revealed the depth of his talent, and finally, Charles stood up, hugged Foxx, and gave his blessing, proclaiming, "He's the one... he can do it." Charles was able to attend a showing of the completed film, but he died before it opened in theaters. As noted in the film's final credits, Ray is based on true events, but include some characters, names, locations, events which have been changed and others which have been "fictionalized for dramatization purposes." One example of the film's use of dramatic license are the scenes which refer to Charles as being banned from Georgia.[8] The film's credits note that he is survived by 12 children, 21 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren. Halls of Fame and other honors Besides winning dozens of Grammy Awards in his career, Charles was also honored in many other ways. In 1979, he was one of the first honorees of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame being recognized for being a musician born in the state.[9] Ray's version of "Georgia On My Mind" was made into the official state song for Georgia.[10] In 1981, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was one of the first inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural ceremony in 1986.[11] He received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986.[12] In 1991, he was inducted to the Rhythm & Blues Foundation, in 2004 he was inducted to the Jazz Hall of Fame, and inducted to the National Black Sports & Entertainment Hall of Fame.[13] Also in 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #10 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[14]. In August 2005, the United States Congress honored Charles by renaming the former West Adams Station post office in Los Angeles the "Ray Charles Station". The Grammy Awards of 2005 were dedicated to Charles. Controversies and criticisms Despite his support of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s and his support for the American Civil Rights Movement, Charles courted controversy when he toured South Africa in 1981[4], during an international boycott of the country because of its apartheid policy. Personal life Charles was married twice and fathered twelve children by seven different women. He was married for the first time to Eileen Williams on July 31, 1951. This marriage produced no children and ended in divorce in 1952. Three children are from his second marriage to Della Beatrice Howard Robinson, whom he married on April 5, 1955. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1977.  References ^ a b c d e "The Genius Of Ray Charles", an article about an 1986 segment on Charles from 60 Minutes ^ Alex Regnery. "'Ray Charles' scheduled to 'Hit the Road,' come to Austin", The Daily Texan, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-25. ^ Adam Bernstein. "A Singular Blend of Styles", Washington Post, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-25. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Bohème Magazine Obituary: Ray Charles (1930 - 2004) ^ "Charles, Ray (1930-2004)", HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2006-11-25. ^ Ted Drozdowski. "Ray Charles", The Boston Phoenix, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-11-25. ^ "Many Pay Respects To Ray Charles", CBS News, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-11-25. ^ "'Ray' appears to stretch truth with ban, protest scenes", The Associated Press, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-08-24. ^ "List of Inductees", Georgia Music Hall of Fame, 1979. Retrieved on 2006-11-25. ^ "State Song", Georgia Secretary of State, 1979. Retrieved on 2006-11-25. ^ "Inductees", Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum. Retrieved on 2006-11-25. ^ "List of Kennedy Center Honorees", Kennedy Center, 1986. Retrieved on 2006-11-25. ^ "Hall of Fame", National Black Sports & Entertainment, 2004. Retrieved on 2006-11-25. ^ The Immortals: The First Fifty. Rolling Stone Issue 946. Rolling Stone. [edit] External links Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Ray Charles Ray Charles biography and video interview excerpts by the National Visionary Leadership Project [1] Autobiography Ray Charles at Find A Grave Ray Charles Discography at QuasimodoBell Original UK & US Covers, Lyrics and... Copyright © 2007 Positive Progression Productions! All rights reserved