Ray Charles Biography

Fast Facts

• At age 5, witnessed the death of his younger brother, George, who drowned in a washtub
• Became permanently blind from glaucoma at age 7
• Learned to read and compose music in Braille
• Dropped Robinson from his last name to distinguish himself from boxer Sugar Ray Robinson
• His rendition of "Georgia on My Mind" was named Georgia's state song in 1979
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the institution's inaugural class in 1986
• Is the subject of Oscar-winning movie Ray (2004) and the stage show Unchain My Heart