(1930–2004). Music lovers call pianist and singer Ray Charles the Father of Soul Music. A gifted musician from a young age, Charles also played jazz, country, and other forms of popular music. He remained a leading entertainer from the 1950s until his death. Early lifeRay Charles Robinson was born on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia. (He later dropped his last name, Robinson.) When Ray was a baby his family moved to the small town of Greenville, Florida. Ray began losing his sight at a young age. By age 7 he was blind. Ray had begun playing the piano when he was 5. At the School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine, Florida, he studied music. He developed his piano skills, learned to play the clarinet and other instruments, and memorized music. He also composed musical scores in Braille—a system of writing made up of raised dots. When Ray was 15, his mother died. His father had died when Ray was 10. Ray decided to leave school and begin working as a musician. CareerIn the late 1940s Charles played blues and jazz music with bands. He made his first recordings in the early 1950s. Charles wrote or arranged most of his own music. By blending gospel, rhythm and blues, and jazz music, he created a new sound called soul. In 1954 he signed a deal with Atlantic Records, a major music label. Charles soon released a string of hits. Beginning in 1955 Charles toured throughout the United States and in other countries. A band and four female backup singers called the Raelettes accompanied him. With such hits as
"Georgia on My Mind"
and
"Hit the Road, Jack,"
Charles's music grew in popularity. Charles went on to form two record labels and release more music, including a stirring version of
"America the Beautiful"
in 1972. Charles won 13 Grammy awards for his recordings. He also performed on television shows and in the movies. He published his autobiography, Brother Ray, Ray Charles' Own Story, in 1978. In 1986 Charles entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. DeathCharles died on June 10, 2004, in Beverly Hills, California. Ray, released months after Charles's death, was a popular film based on his life. |