Contributor Terri Winaught – Ray Charles: A Brief Biography
Ray Charles’ life was so rich with musical genius, filled with challenges overcome and replete with relationship dynamics that one article just can’t capture it all.
To offer a more complete picture of the talent and tumult, success and sadness that made Ray the man he was, this article has been divided into the following four parts: A Brief Biography, Humble Beginnings, Soaring to Success and A Lifelong Legacy.
Ray Charles, Pop Musician
Born: 23 September 1930
Birthplace: Albany, Georgia
Died: 10 June 2004 (complications from liver disease)
Best Known As: The singer of “Hit the Road, Jack” Ray Charles is famous for soulful pop hits like “Georgia On My Mind,” “Hit the Road, Jack,” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You.”
Blind from the age of seven, Charles was a gifted pianist and saxophonist who taught himself to compose and arrange music by Braille, then went on to become one of the most successful African-American artists of the 20th century.
He began recording in the late 1940s, and in the 1950s had success with soul and gospel-influenced originals such as “Hallelujah I Love Her So” and “I Got a Woman” (covered by Elvis Presley). Charles had a 1959 rock hit with “What’d I Say” and in the 1960s had a string of hits that blended jazz, rock, soul, country and gospel. He won his first of a dozen Grammys in 1961 and was voted best male singer five years in a row (1961-66) by jazz critics in Downbeat magazine.
In 1978, Ray Charles wrote his autobiography, Brother Ray, in collaboration with David Ritz.
In 1979, Ray Charles’s much-loved “Georgia On My Mind” became Georgia’s official state song.
With his reputation as one of the greats secure, Charles spent the rest of his career touring and releasing occasional records, including compilations, jazz and country duets.
His many famous songs include “Busted,” “Ruby” “Take These Chains From My Heart” and “Crying Time.”
Charles’ last album, Genius Loves Company, won 7 Grammy awards in 2005, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year (for “Here We Go Again,” his duet with Norah Jones).
In 2004, Ray, a biographical movie about the life and legacy of Ray Charles, was released, with Charles being portrayed by actor Jamie Foxx. For his skilled portrayal of “The Genius,” as Ray Charles came to be known, Foxx won an Oscar as the year’s best actor.
In Part Two, Humble Beginnings, we’ll explore Ray’s move from Georgia to a poor community in Florida, the death of Ray’s younger brother, Ray’s loss of sight and the beginning of his career.
Writer’s Note: Since this writer rearranged the information in what she considered better chronological order, you may read this biography as written and follow links to other biographies by going to www.answers.com/topic/ray-charles.