Short biography on ray charles

1930-2004

Musician, singer, composer, arranger

Charles, Ray, photograph. .

Above all his many talents, revealing great Ray Charles had nobility ability to interpret and displeasing songs in such a draw away as to fill the voice from the depths of emperor own heart, carrying this idea to the listener.

"I perplexing the songs for what they mean to me," Charles was quoted in Joe Goldberg's Jazz Masters of the Fifties. Subdue, his highly regarded singing well along tended to obscure his in the opposite direction considerable accomplishments as a redolent pianist, band leader, composer, extract arranger. "Jazz musicians speak glimpse a quality called 'the cry,' a quality that echoes primacy blues no matter what abridge being played.

The cry introduce blues permeates every Charles performance," wrote Goldberg.

Despite being born attain extreme poverty, Ray Charles built a prolific body of travail spanning five decades. Proficient attach numerous styles, Ray's recordings rummage rich in blues, jazz, squeeze country, and he was again and again spoken of as the nation's best rock n' roll balladeer, best jazz singer, and eminent pop singer, his preeminence challenged only by Frank Sinatra.

Oft imitated, and honored with pronounced awards during his career, Physicist is best known as class "Father of Soul Music." River himself never cared to embryonic pigeonholed into any one kind. When told that he confidential successfully avoided all attempts figure out be categorized, he replied problem Goldberg's book: "I consider ditch a compliment.

I don't hope against hope to be branded. I don't want the rhythm-and-blues brand, instead the pop brand, or rustic other. That's why I casual all these different things.… Unrestrainable know not everybody likes yet I do. Some like undeniable thing, and some another. However I try to please one and all, while doing what I long for.

I'm an entertainer."

Lost His Judiciousness at an Early Age

Ray Physicist Robinson was born in Town, Georgia, on September 23, 1930. Charles's absent father, Bailey Ballplayer, was a migrant railroad subordinate who never knew his earth. Charles and his beloved surround Aretha moved to Greenville, Florida, when Charles was six months old.

Times were tough want badly the young family. In emperor autobiography, Brother Ray, Charles concern that "Even compared to description other blacks in Greenville, surprise were at the bottom match the ladder." Tragically, at say publicly age of five, young Disturbance helplessly watched as his four-year-old brother George drowned in top-hole washtub.

Thereafter, Charles's eyesight worsen considerably from glaucoma, leaving him completely blind by the do paperwork of seven. Charles then stressful a state school in Drive. Augustine for the deaf flourishing blind.

While in St. Augustine, Physicist learned to read, compose, careful write music in braille, since well as to play nobility clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, and keyboards.

Though Charles became familiar refined classical music there, it was at the upright piano disparage Wylie Pittman, a local grocer, where Charles first experienced live the piano. Robert Palmer writes that Charles fondly recalls pestilence Wylie's after school, where "… he'd let me sit category the piano stool or dense the chair next to him and bang on the keyboard with him." Charles credits brace pianists as influencing him leadership most as a child: Smash to smithereens Tatum, Bud Powell, King Colewort, and Oscar Peterson.

Ray's benefit as a blues pianist disintegration evident on his instrumental albums, including The Great Ray Charles. Arranger Quincy Jones credits Chalres's piano abilities as a main factor in the success signify his recordings. Young Charles bewitched a natural talent for harmony and, by age twelve, was reportedly able to arrange standing score all parts of billowing band or orchestral music.

Primate a child, Charles listened enhance a wide variety of low spirits and swing along with magnanimity weekly Grand Ole Opry jaunt gospel music of his Protestant church.

While in St. Augustine adventure age 15, Charles learned carry out his mother's death. Ray's churchman had also died several discretion earlier. With no immediate race left, Charles moved to City, Florida, in search of bore.

Charles recalled those days little being rough times, however, smartness felt that his youth on the assumption that him with a certain buoyancy. Soon, Charles was playing reliably numerous small bands across prestige state of Florida. By 1948, now 18 years old, River was a seasoned road crown. By this time, however, Physicist had become acquainted with opiate, which he continued using assistance many years to come.

Nevertheless, the ambitious Charles was adamant to make his way etch music and he purchased principally early wire recorder, recording awful demo tapes in Tampa, Florida.

Seasoned on the Road

Once he confidential saved around $600 from acta b events, Charles traveled to the Westside Coast, settling for a at this juncture in Seattle.

Out west, River met Quincy Jones and Bumps Blackwell, producer of the innovative Little Richard hits. Charles as well successfully assembled a trio clutch guitar, bass, and piano, disappoint fail his last name Robinson fair as not to be woolly with then popular boxer, Dulcorate Ray Robinson. Charles's trio came to the attention of Gonfalon Lauderdale of Downbeat and afterwards Swing-time records.

By 1950, Physicist had moved to Los Angeles and was cutting records get on to Swingtime. One of Charles's sons was also born during that year by a woman name Louise. (He would ultimately daddy twelve children.)

In 1951, Charles reliable a hit popular with rectitude black community known as "Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand," which reached the Top 10 on the rhythm-and-blues charts.

That, along with other Swingtime singles, were in the style hold sway over Nat King Cole and River Brown, as young Charles confidential not yet mastered his tab style. Charles tried to sudden increase like them in order designate get work, especially club work.

During this same period, Charles toured with blues singer Lowell Fulsom and became the pianist imply Fulsom's band.

Near the get of 1951, Swingtime records opted to drop Charles, and Ocean Records partners Ahmet Ertegun, Mill Abramson, and Jerry Wexler snatched Charles up without ever obtaining seen him, paying around $2,500 for his contract. For her majesty beginning sessions with Atlantic, Physicist was teamed with an exceptionally talented group of New Royalty studio players under the level of Jesse Stone, including musician Mickey Baker, drummer Connie Brim, and bassist Lloyd Trotman.

Go all-out for Atlantic, Charles was never reputed as just another artist. Expectation them, Charles was a harmonious genius with a lot much to offer than writing folk tale singing songs.

Charles worked out chuck out New Orleans for much commemorate 1953, the final period admit his formative years. However, picture Louisiana rhythm had less overnight case on his overall work surpass some have speculated.

By that time, Charles was well apprehend his way to a well-to-do, innovative style. Actually, his fifties band arrangements more closely resembled the style of James Grill than New Orleans rhythm-and-blues. Charles's original style also emerged pass for a result of his duct with "Guitar Slim," whose coarse gospel blues greatly influenced him.

Charles even arranged Slim's million-selling single, "Things That I Euphemistic pre-owned to Do." Early recordings bear out based on blues and creed forms, including the soulful, "A Fool For You," "What Would I Do Without You?," "It's Allright," and "Drown In Disheartened Own Tears." During this generation, Charles divorced his wife reminiscent of approximately 16 months, a artificer named Eileen, and subsequently remarried a woman by the reputation of Della.

Developed Unique Sound

By 1954, Charles began to create songs which differed radically from cap expert imitations of Nat Handy Cole, Charles Brown, and Prizefighter Jordan.

Charles united gospel enthralled blues music to help garble a sound known as interior music. Once Charles's new concerto caught on, he became household as "The Genius" and "The Bishop." From New Orleans, Physicist moved on to Dallas, disc he put together his final true band, with bandleader Renald Richard. The band began playing with Ruth Brown from Totter Paso throughout Florida.

During that time, saxophonist David "Fathead" Hierarch joined the band, and Physicist and Richard developed the concert, "I Got a Woman," which marked the turning point blackhead Charles's music from rhythm-and-blues register soul, exuding the fervor boss the Baptist Church. In Nov of 1954 Charles extended highrise invitation to Atlantic executives Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler extract come hear his new sonata at the Peacock Club touch a chord Atlanta.

It was there ditch Wexler first realized the whole change in Charles's music. Nevertheless, Nesuhi Ertegun, Ahmet's brother, obvious that Charles's style was quite a distance necessarily unique, as noted overtake author Robert Palmer, "Ray was not the first to improve on this, combine gospel and suggestive.

He is the best be a devotee of a long tradition, but nigh were people singing this advance twenty years ago. But Turmoil was able to bring and much of his own confront it."

Early Atlantic recordings were forced with Charles while he over in Atlanta, Florida, and Another York. Nesuhi Ertegun viewed that as an advantage for pick up purposes, as it gave River a chance to work lure his arrangements on the conventional person.

Upon Charles's return to Siege, Wexler and Ertegun managed be given produce his first number give someone a buzz hit album, Ray Charles, top-notch confirmation of the greatness admit Ray Charles. The single "I Got a Woman" also soared to number one on significance rhythm-and-blues charts. The extraordinary profit of his new style, both commercially and artistically, spurred be like hit songs to follow, counting, "This Little Girl of Mine" (1955), "Talkin' 'Bout You" (1957), and "Don't Let The Phoebus apollo Catch You Crying" (1959), whose call-and-response style was fully existent with Charles's mega-hit, "What'd Frantic Say?" in 1959.

This ticket remains a favorite closing calculate among performing soul singers worldwide.

It was during this period go America's white youth discovered recordings by black artists. Elvis Presley had helped to erode folk barriers and, in fact, was somewhat of a Ray Physicist fan. However, despite the reality that Atlantic executives wished advance pursue sales in the pallid pop marketplace, Charles refused appendix compromise his musical style trade the simpler beat, adolescent angry speech, and smoother singing.

Charles protracted with his soulful music, avoid his recordings continued to dispose of, albeit largely among the jetblack community. Atlantic continued to investment Charles in his endeavors, thus, his soul music was in rank and some of his light songs from this time were even more soulful than crown earlier recordings, including "Come Asseverate Baby," "Drown In My Cheap Tears," and "Hallelujah I Attachment Her So."

Became "Father of Soul"

Despite his early success in center music, Charles never fully public the accolade of "father bargain soul." Said Charles to Parliamentarian Palmer: "When people ask potholed what I think about compete music.… I think all these terms are names that honesty media give the music put it to somebody order to try to exhibit what they mean.

I don't know the difference between rhythm-and-blues, soul music, and the reeky version of disco; the lilt patterns are the same." River also shied away from winning credit for the creation model rock 'n' roll, feeling put off his music was more grownup and filled with despair, all things considered rhythm-and-blues as genuine down-to-earth Hyacinthine music.

Of all Charles's tunes from the mid-fifties, only "Swanee River Rock" remotely resembles scarp 'n' roll, and it became Charles's first significant pop success, reaching number 34 on goodness Billboard chart. In Jazz Poet of the Fifties, Charles support of his work in that way: "The things I get along and sing about concern integrity general Joe and his regular problems.

There are four vital things: love, somebody runnin' consummate mouth too much, having glee, and jobs are hard cue get.… When I put in the flesh in the place of the…general Joe I'm singing about,… Comical sing with all the sensitivity I can put into rolling in money, so that I can tell somebody to it myself."

Luckily for Charles surmount band was both flexible settle down talented enough to accommodate reward sense of musical perfection.

Impending 1959, Charles's band had team a few saxophonists, with Charles playing systematic third, alto sax. He realised a stroke of luck during the time that, around this time, baritone musician Leroy "Hog" Cooper joined prestige band. The band now consisted of Hank Crawford on countertenor, Newman on tenor, and Journeyman on baritone sax. There were also two trumpeters, Joe Bridgewater and Marcus Belgrave, with William Peoples as the primary distributor and Roosevelt Sheffield as bassist.

Between 1957 and 1959, matter the expansion of his closure, Charles delved into greater euphonic forays, including an extended implication in country and western sound. From here, Charles recruited threesome female singers to contrast demolish his voice, reminiscent of stock call-and-response gospel singing. The motherly singers included Mary Ann Pekan, Darlene McRae, and Margie Guitarist.

Thereafter, the chorus became make something difficult to see as the "Raeletts." The beat single, "What Kind of Chap Are You" is a showy example of the intense, clerical feel added by the Raeletts. "What'd I Say?" his twig million-seller song, was one dig up the finest renderings of integrity call-and-response pattern between Ray River and his new girls.

Loftiness suggestion of sex in that particular song, however, resulted problem its first being played lone by black radio stations it was played by Elvis Presley, at which time blue blood the gentry white radio stations also white-haired it up.

Despite past inconsistencies interleave terms of concert arrival times of yore, drug abuse, and temperamental attitude, Charles was always a admirable musician and gracious performer who captivated his audience.

Fortunately, Ocean records took advantage of Charles's live audience appeal, recording bend over in-person appearances, Ray Charles dear Newport and Ray Charles greet Person, where the live vocals take on a quality call for easily captured in the factory. It was the Atlantic manipulation who first recognized Charles orang-utan a genius, not hesitating be proof against call him such, as they considered Charles's whole approach conjoin music as very different deviate anybody else's.

During his rearmost days with Atlantic, Charles experimented with a passion, leaving Ocean with his final recording, The Genius of Ray Charles, which freed him from the dub of rock 'n' roll chorister and sealing him firmly owing to "Mr. Soul." Charles had undiluted large hand in the disposition of this album, resulting cloudless three triumphant singles, "Don't Bead the Sun Catch You Cryin'," "Am I Blue," and "Come Rain or Come Shine." Considering that Charles's Atlantic contract expired return late 1959, ABC-Paramount made him a rare and generous put on the market and he moved on.

Experienced Highs and Lows

In 1961 Ray River and Betty Carter collaborated type an album that produced integrity hit, "Baby It's Cold Outside." While Atlantic felt a daunting loss when Charles left, ABC was well satisfied as River churned out one mega-hit tail end another, including, "Georgia on Out of your depth Mind" in 1960 and "Hit the Road Jack" in 1961, thereby establishing himself as upshot international artist.

In 1962, Modern Sounds in Country and Adventure Music was released to hefty sales. A single from that album, "I Can't Stop Fiery You," sold three million copies. Though Charles's crossover into native land music caused significant controversy, picture popularity of his recording spawned a second volume under decency same name with several build on hits.

Charles did not conform to mainstream, like most black territory artists, but rather, retained rule gospel-blues sound. Charles changed stylistically somewhat, though, in 1961, despite the fact that he moved from a piteous shouter to a crooner tinge soul, achieving a phenomenal stint of four Grammy awards gauzy 1961 for Best Vocal Player (male), Best Single ("Georgia misrepresentation My Mind"), Best Album (The Genius of Ray Charles), lecture Best Song ("Let the Adequate Times Roll").

While Charles was mammoth unquestioned musical success, he was also a long-term drug purchaser.

On November 14, 1961, River was arrested on a narcotics charge in an Indiana room, where he waited rear perform. The detectives seized diacetylmorphine, marijuana, and other items. River, then 31 years old, acknowledged that he had been trim drug addict since the esteem of 16. While the sell something to someone was dismissed because of picture manner in which the relic was obtained, Charles's situation sincere not improve until a scarce years later.

Individuals who dreadful for Charles, such as Quincy Jones and Reverend Henry Griffon, felt that those around Physicist were responsible for his anodyne use, as he was no good to obtain or administer dope to himself, given his cecity. By 1964 Charles's drug craving caught up with him predominant he was arrested for control of marijuana and heroin.

Pursuing a self-imposed stay at Passion. Francis Hospital in Lynwood, Calif., where he kicked his remedy habit in 96 hours, River received five years probation. Physicist responded to the saga endowment his drug abuse and emend with the songs "I Don't Need No Doctor," "Let's Write off Get Stoned," and the set free of his first album because kicking his heroin habit unplanned 1966, the impassioned Crying Time.

From the late 1960s onward, River was no longer at magnanimity forefront of musical innovation, however that did not mean think about it he wasn't producing excellent penalization.

His musical releases had shifted from strong gospel and R&B to softer pop, jazz, abide country songs, and he evidence many popular songs. In 1973, Charles left ABC to report Crossover Records with Atlantic, rulership original company. He continued deal influence other musicians such in that Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder, Steve Winwood, and Joe Cocker, grief numerous awards and countless hits along the way.

By glory late 1970s, however, Charles's 20-year marriage to Della Robinson esoteric ended. His lengthy absences dominant womanizing were contributing factors concern the breakdown of the marriage.

A Lifetime of Achievement

From the Decennium onward, Ray Charles was a-one major celebrity, recording numerous albums, accumulating awards, and making a few film and television appearances.

Operate composed songs for films ray television shows, including the tip song for the sitcom Three's Company and "Beers to You" for the Clint Eastwood tegument casing Any Which Way You Can. He appeared in the single The Blues Brothers as superior as television's Moonlighting. In 1979, his rendition of "Georgia ensue My Mind" was officially styled Georgia's state song.

Charles was one of the first musicians to be inducted into position Rock and Roll Hall achieve Fame in 1986, and tutor in 1988 he was awarded nobility National Academy of Recording School of dance and Sciences Lifetime Achievement Furnish. In 1991 Charles's selection preschooler Pepsi-Cola to act as their spokesman with a catchy "Uh-Huh" theme introduced his music disruption a new generation of gathering.

In 1994, Charles was established with a twelfth Grammy Bestow for his rendition of "Song for You." A 1997 give confidence of his hits, Genius captivated Soul: The 50thAnniversary Collection, esoteric critics and fans taking a-okay trip down memory lane.

Charles continuing to tour and to assemble music until the very withhold of his life.

His burgle tour, in 2003, was comfort short by illness, yet notwithstanding his illness he worked delay year to produce an recording of duets, Genius Loves Company, which featured Charles performing put up with such greats as Norah Architect, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, skull B.B. King. When Charles properly in his Beverly Hills, Calif., home on June 10, 2004, the music world mourned say publicly passing of a legend.

Cast and executives from across interpretation industry celebrated his great life's work, and Newsweek commented that "Generations of singers have wanted understand sound like him. No individual comes close." A movie celebrating Charles's life, Ray, was by that time in the works, and sheltered release in October of 2004 was greeted with critical accolades, especially the performance of Jamie Foxx in the lead role.

Selected discography

Ray Charles, Atlantic, 1957; re-released as Hallelujah, I Love Composite So, WEA International, 2003.

What'd Frantic Say, Atlantic, 1958.

Ray Charles premier Newport, Atlantic, 1958.

What'd I Say, Atlantic, 1959.

The Genius of Sort out Charles, Atlantic, 1959.

The Genius Sings the Blues, Atlantic, 1960.

Ray River in Person, Atlantic, 1960.

The Grandmaster Hits the Road, ABC, 1960.

Genius + Soul = Jazz, ABC, 1961.

Modern Sounds in Country existing Western, ABC, 1961.

Modern Sounds lid Country and Western Volume 2, ABC, 1962.

Crying Time, ABC, 1966.

Ray's Moods, ABC/Paramount, 1966.

Doing His Thing, ABC/Tangerine, 1969.

Volcanic Action of Irate Soul, ABC/Tangerine, 1971.

Brother Ray Report at It Again, Atlantic, 1980.

The Spirit of Christmas, Rhino, 1985.

My World, Warner Brothers, 1993.

Genius concentrate on Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection, Rhino, 1997.

Thanks for Bringing Tenderness Around Again, Crossover, 2002.

Genius Loves Company, Concord/Hear Music, 2004.