Ray Charles(1930 — 2004)
Ray Charles
États-Unis
7 min read
Ray Charles was an American singer, pianist, and composer, blind since childhood. A pioneer of soul, he blended gospel, blues, jazz, and rhythm and blues, becoming one of the major figures of 20th-century popular music.
Frequently asked questions
Famous Quotes
« I was born with music inside me.»
Key Facts
- Born on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia; blind from around the age of 7
- Recorded “I Got a Woman” in 1954, considered a founding act of soul music
- Released the album “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music” in 1962, a major success blending country and soul
- Received numerous Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986
- Died on June 10, 2004, in Beverly Hills, California
Works & Achievements
A revolutionary fusion of gospel and rhythm and blues, regarded as one of the founding acts of soul music.
An electrifying hit built on gospel call-and-response, which became an enduring classic and a high point of his stage energy.
A cover that became his anthem; the official state song of Georgia since 1979.
A worldwide hit with biting humor, driven by the back-and-forth between Ray and the Raelettes.
A daring album in which Ray Charles makes country music his own, breaking down the boundaries between genres and audiences.
A ballad taken from his country album, a huge international hit that cemented his gift as a melodist.
An album of duets released shortly after his death, honored with multiple Grammy Awards.
Anecdotes
Ray Charles gradually went blind between the ages of 5 and 7, most likely from untreated glaucoma. Rather than overprotecting him, his mother forced him to learn to fend for himself: doing his chores, getting around, listening to the world. Ray would later say that her demands saved him.
In 1954, with “I Got a Woman,” Ray Charles had the daring idea of blending the fervor of church gospel with the secular lyrics of rhythm and blues. The mix shocked some preachers, who deemed it sacrilege to use sacred music to sing of earthly love, but it laid the foundations of soul.
In 1962, while he was a soul star, Ray Charles surprised everyone by releasing an entire country music album, “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music.” The gamble seemed risky for a Black artist during the height of segregation, but the album became a huge success and broke down boundaries between genres.
In 1961, Ray Charles refused to perform before a racially segregated audience in Augusta, Georgia, his home state. In retaliation, he was banned from performing there. Years later, the State of Georgia would apologize to him and adopt his rendition of “Georgia on My Mind” as its official song.
Passionate about mechanics and electronics despite his blindness, Ray Charles took apart and repaired devices himself, identifying parts by touch and by ear. He also insisted on counting his money personally, sometimes folding bills in different ways to tell them apart.
Primary Sources
“I didn't want to be treated differently because I was blind. My mother taught me to fend for myself, and that's the finest thing she ever did for me.”
“Georgia, Georgia, the whole day through / Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind.”
The State of Georgia officially recognizes Ray Charles' version and adopts “Georgia on My Mind” as the state song.
Key Places
City in the segregated South where Ray Charles was born in 1930. He then grew up in the nearby small town of Greenville, Florida.
School for the blind and deaf where Ray learned braille, piano, and composition. It was there that he built his solid musical foundations.
Northwestern city where the young Ray, still a teenager, truly launched his musical career in the late 1940s. It was there that he met the young Quincy Jones, among others.
Ray Charles settled here and built his musical empire, notably his RPM International studios. He lived and worked here until his death.
Capital of the state that had banned him from performing after he refused to play a segregated concert, and which later apologized to him and adopted “Georgia on My Mind” as its official song.
