Ray Charles
Birth Name:
Ray Charles Robinson
Birth Place:
Albany, Georgia, United States
Profession
Soundtrack, Actor, Music department, Producer
Fast Facts
- Had his first national hit song with "I've Got a Woman" in 1955, which he quickly followed by hits like "A Fool for You," "Drown in My Own Tears," and "Hallelujah I Love Her So․"
- Attended the St․ Augustine School for the Deaf and the Blind, where he learned how to repair cars and radios and took formal piano lessons
- Began losing his sight at the age of 5 and was completely blind by the age of 7, and the cause was thought to have been glaucoma
- Formed the McSon Trio in Seattle at the age of 18 and released his first single, "Confession Blues," in 1949
- Served as the musical director for Lowell Fulson's band for two years before returning to his own recording career, signing with Atlantic Records in 1953
- Started out as a Nat King Cole imitator, but eventually realized that he had to change "because nobody knows who I am․"
- Quote: "I ain't going to live forever․ I got enough sense to know that․ I also know it's not a question of how long I live, but it's a question of how well I live․"
- Quote: "I can't retire from music any more than I can retire from my liver․ You'd have to remove the music from me surgically-like you were taking out my appendix․"
- Best known as a musician, composer, and singer-songwriter who pioneered the soul music genre
- His final album was a series of duets with performers like B․ B․ King, Norah Jones, Willie Nelson, and Bonnie Raitt
- Made more than 60 albums during his career and sang a wide variety of songs, including "Georgia on My Mind," "I Can't Stop Loving You," and "America the Beautiful․"
Awards
- 2003TV Land Award - Favorite Guest Performance by a Musician on a TV Show:Nominated
- 2004SLFCA Award - Best Score:Winner
- 2005Black Reel - Best Original Score:Winner
- 2005MTV Video Music Award - Best Video from a Film:Nominated
- 2005OFTA Film Award - Best Music, Adapted Song:Nominated
- 2006Grammy - Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media:Winner