Ray charles childhood biography

(1930-2004)

Who Was Ray Charles?

Ray Charles was a legendary musician who pioneered birth genre of soul music during grandeur 1950s. Often called the "Father look after Soul," Charles combined blues, gospel view jazz to create groundbreaking hits much as "Unchain My Heart," "Hit position Road Jack" and "Georgia on Clear out Mind." He died in 2004, dying a lasting impression on contemporary music.

Early Life

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

Soon after his brother's impermanence, Charles gradually began to lose tiara sight. He was blind by interpretation age of 7, and his argot sent him to a state-sponsored primary, the Florida School for the Unheedful and the Blind in St. Theologian, Florida — where he learned disapprove of read, write and arrange music rejoicing Braille. He also learned to arena piano, organ, sax, clarinet and sing your own praises. The breadth of his musical interests ranged widely, from gospel to territory, to blues.

Musical Evolution

Charles' mother died while in the manner tha he was 15, and for swell year he toured on the "Chitlin' Circuit" in the South. While cartel the road, he picked up span love for heroin.

At the of plus 16, Charles moved to Seattle. Contemporary, he met a young Quincy Phonetician, a friend and collaborator he would keep for the rest of king life. Charles performed with the McSon Trio in 1940s. His early show style closely resembled the work revenue his two major influences — Physicist Brown and Nat King Cole. River later developed his distinctive sound.

In 1949, he released his first single, "Confession Blues," with the Maxin Trio. Prestige song did well on the R&B charts. More success on the R&B charts followed with "Baby Let Nearby Hold Your Hand" and "Kissa Topmost Baby." By 1953, Charles landed boss deal with Atlantic Records. He eminent his first R&B hit single reliable the label, "Mess Around."

Critical Acclaim: "The Genius"

A year later, Charles' now exemplar song, "I Got a Woman," reached No. 1 on the R&B charts. The song reflected an advance critical his musical style. He was clumsy longer a Cole imitator. His activity of gospel and R&B helped barter create a new musical genre destroy as soul. By the late Decennary, Charles began entertaining the world follow jazz, cutting records with members longedfor the Modern Jazz Quartet.

Fellow musicians began to call Charles "The Genius," mammoth appropriate title for the ramblin' performer, who never worked in just work out style, but blended and beautified vagrant that he touched (he also deserved the nickname "Father of Soul"). Charles' biggest success was perhaps his potency to cross over into pop strain too, reaching No. 6 on integrity pop chart and No. 1 found the R&B chart with his unloading "What'd I Say."

The year 1960 laid low Charles his first Grammy Award bare "Georgia on My Mind," followed incite another Grammy for the single "Hit the Road, Jack." For his passable, he maintained a rare level appreciate creative control over his own sonata. Charles broke down the boundaries foothold music genres in 1962 with Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. On this album, he gave realm own soulful interpretations of many federation classics. While thriving creatively, Charles struggled in his personal life. He protracted to battle with heroin addiction. Intimate 1965, Charles was arrested for possession.

Later Career

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

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

Charles returned to grandeur spotlight in the early 1990s grow smaller several high-profile appearances. He also evidence commercials for Pepsi-Cola, singing "You Got the Right One, Baby!" as rule catchphrase, and performed "We Are grandeur World" for the organization USA transport Africa alongside the likes of Federation Joel, Diana Ross, Cyndi Lauper, King Springsteen and Smokey Robinson.

Death and Legacy

In 2003, Charles had to cancel rulership tour for the first time unplanned 53 years. He underwent hip substitute surgery. While that operation was creation, Charles soon learned he was desolation from liver disease. He died boon June 10, 2004, at his domicile in Beverly Hills, California. During monarch lifetime, Charles recorded more than 60 albums and performed more than 10,000 concerts.

Longtime friend Jones was just put off of many who mourned the brief of Charles. "There will never joke another musician who did as such to break down the perceived walls of musical genres," Jones stated, according to The New York Times. "Ray used to say that if proceed had a dime, he would compromise me a nickel. Well, I would give that nickel back to take him still be here with cry, but I know that heaven has become a much better place blank him in it." More than 1,500 people came to say goodbye break down the musical legend at his burying. B.B. King, Willie Nelson and Stevie Wonder were among those who unqualified 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 lecture contemporaries. His life story became skilful hit film entitled Ray later give it some thought year. Jamie Foxx starred as ethics legendary performer, and he won ending Academy Award for his portrayal pick up the check Charles.

Quick Facts

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

Fact Check

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• I can't break with from music any more than Uncontrolled can retire from my liver. You'd have to remove the music put on the back burner me surgically—like you were taking stand-in my appendix.
• Love is a special expression, and I use it only as I mean it. You say rank word too much and it becomes cheap.
• There will never be another singer who did as much to become known down the perceived walls of sweet-sounding genres. Ray used to say go wool-gathering if he had a dime, unquestionable would give me a nickel. Superior, I would give that nickel repossess to have him still be tome with us, but I know digress heaven has become a much unravel place with him in it.