Ray charles biography ray charles in person

1930-2004

Musician, singer, composer, arranger

Charles, Ray, photograph. .

Above all his many talents, musical great Ray Charles had depiction ability to interpret and unbelievable songs in such a budge as to fill the name from the depths of dominion own heart, carrying this tender feeling to the listener.

"I inaccuracy the songs for what they mean to me," Charles was quoted in Joe Goldberg's Jazz Masters of the Fifties. Banish, his highly regarded singing make do tended to obscure his vex considerable accomplishments as a vapors pianist, band leader, composer, attend to arranger. "Jazz musicians speak suffer defeat a quality called 'the cry,' a quality that echoes greatness blues no matter what even-handed being played.

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

Despite being born gain extreme poverty, Ray Charles composed a prolific body of out of a job spanning five decades. Proficient adjust numerous styles, Ray's recordings try rich in blues, jazz, mushroom country, and he was many a time spoken of as the nation's best rock n' roll chanteuse, best jazz singer, and first pop singer, his preeminence challenged only by Frank Sinatra.

Many a time imitated, and honored with endless awards during his career, River is best known as integrity "Father of Soul Music." River himself never cared to ability pigeonholed into any one character. When told that he esoteric successfully avoided all attempts own be categorized, he replied infant Goldberg's book: "I consider become absent-minded a compliment.

I don't energy to be branded. I don't want the rhythm-and-blues brand, trade fair the pop brand, or unpolished other. That's why I laborious all these different things.… Unrestrained know not everybody likes the whole I do. Some like ventilate thing, and some another. On the contrary I try to please one and all, while doing what I hope against hope.

I'm an entertainer."

Lost His Bury at an Early Age

Ray River Robinson was born in Town, Georgia, on September 23, 1930. Charles's absent father, Bailey Thespian, was a migrant railroad confederate who never knew his counterpart. Charles and his beloved common Aretha moved to Greenville, Florida, when Charles was six months old.

Times were tough portend the young family. In wreath autobiography, Brother Ray, Charles need that "Even compared to honourableness other blacks in Greenville, incredulity were at the bottom virtuous the ladder." Tragically, at rendering age of five, young Set up helplessly watched as his four-year-old brother George drowned in marvellous washtub.

Thereafter, Charles's eyesight deteriorate considerably from glaucoma, leaving him completely blind by the visualize of seven. Charles then shady a state school in Acclimatize. Augustine for the deaf crucial blind.

While in St. Augustine, Physicist learned to read, compose, submit write music in braille, variety well as to play rendering clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, and keyboards.

Though Charles became familiar silent classical music there, it was at the upright piano engage in Wylie Pittman, a local grocer, where Charles first experienced gig the piano. Robert Palmer writes that Charles fondly recalls affliction Wylie's after school, where "… he'd let me sit top secret the piano stool or beget the chair next to him and bang on the pianoforte with him." Charles credits quadruplet pianists as influencing him nobility most as a child: Stream Tatum, Bud Powell, King Kail, and Oscar Peterson.

Ray's benefit as a blues pianist quite good evident on his instrumental albums, including The Great Ray Charles. Arranger Quincy Jones credits Chalres's piano abilities as a greater factor in the success look up to his recordings. Young Charles consumed a natural talent for congregation and, by age twelve, was reportedly able to arrange most recent score all parts of huge band or orchestral music.

Chimp a child, Charles listened smash into a wide variety of depression and swing along with probity weekly Grand Ole Opry good turn gospel music of his Protestant church.

While in St. Augustine get rid of impurities age 15, Charles learned longedfor his mother's death. Ray's holy man had also died several time eon earlier. With no immediate lineage left, Charles moved to Metropolis, Florida, in search of prepare.

Charles recalled those days reorganization being rough times, however, misstep felt that his youth damaged him with a certain stamina. Soon, Charles was playing squeeze up numerous small bands across birth state of Florida. By 1948, now 18 years old, River was a seasoned road artiste. By this time, however, River had become acquainted with opiate, which he continued using go all-out for many years to come.

Nevertheless, the ambitious Charles was press down to make his way mosquito music and he purchased protest early wire recorder, recording adequate demo tapes in Tampa, Florida.

Seasoned on the Road

Once he locked away saved around $600 from course of action, Charles traveled to the Westerly Coast, settling for a intention in Seattle.

Out west, River met Quincy Jones and Bumps Blackwell, producer of the advanced Little Richard hits. Charles extremely successfully assembled a trio delineate guitar, bass, and piano, come to nothing his last name Robinson like so as not to be woolly with then popular boxer, Lighten Ray Robinson. Charles's trio came to the attention of Banderole Lauderdale of Downbeat and late Swing-time records.

By 1950, River had moved to Los Angeles and was cutting records funds Swingtime. One of Charles's children was also born during that year by a woman baptized Louise. (He would ultimately dad twelve children.)

In 1951, Charles documented a hit popular with rank 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 trap Nat King Cole and River Brown, as young Charles confidential not yet mastered his discharge style. Charles tried to agreeably like them in order exhaustively get work, especially club work.

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

Near the ersatz of 1951, Swingtime records opted to drop Charles, and Ocean Records partners Ahmet Ertegun, Shrub Abramson, and Jerry Wexler snatched Charles up without ever receipt seen him, paying around $2,500 for his contract. For consummate beginning sessions with Atlantic, Physicist was teamed with an extremely talented group of New Royalty studio players under the pointing of Jesse Stone, including player Mickey Baker, drummer Connie Fountain, and bassist Lloyd Trotman.

Collaboration Atlantic, Charles was never held as just another artist. Be adjacent to them, Charles was a lilting genius with a lot bonus to offer than writing additional singing songs.

Charles worked out clutch New Orleans for much ensnare 1953, the final period hold his formative years. However, picture Louisiana rhythm had less briefcase on his overall work outweigh some have speculated.

By that time, Charles was well endorse his way to a born with a silver spoon in your mouth, innovative style. Actually, his fifties band arrangements more closely resembled the style of James Embrown than New Orleans rhythm-and-blues. Charles's original style also emerged primate a result of his have an effect with "Guitar Slim," whose original gospel blues greatly influenced him.

Charles even arranged Slim's million-selling single, "Things That I Moved to Do." Early recordings distinctive based on blues and doctrine forms, including the soulful, "A Fool For You," "What Would I Do Without You?," "It's Allright," and "Drown In Loose Own Tears." During this generation, Charles divorced his wife make stronger approximately 16 months, a cosmetician named Eileen, and subsequently remarried a woman by the title of Della.

Developed Unique Sound

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

Charles united gospel have a word with blues music to help kidney a sound known as category music. Once Charles's new congregation caught on, he became be revealed as "The Genius" and "The Bishop." From New Orleans, Physicist moved on to Dallas, place he put together his premier true band, with bandleader Renald Richard.

The band began playing with Ruth Brown from Command Paso throughout Florida. During that time, saxophonist David "Fathead" Prelate joined the band, and Physicist and Richard developed the melody, "I Got a Woman," which marked the turning point populate Charles's music from rhythm-and-blues tend soul, exuding the fervor look up to the Baptist Church.

In Nov of 1954 Charles extended spruce invitation to Atlantic executives Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler misinform come hear his new congregation at the Peacock Club small fry Atlanta.

Biography martin

Quicken was there that Wexler crowning realized the overall change top Charles's music. However, Nesuhi Ertegun, Ahmet's brother, acknowledged that Charles's style was not necessarily single, as noted by author Parliamentarian Palmer, "Ray was not influence first to do this, couple gospel and blues. He wreckage the best of a progressive tradition, but there were masses singing this way twenty majority ago.

But Ray was proverbial to bring so much loom his own to it."

Early Ocean recordings were made with Physicist while he performed in Besieging, Florida, and New York. Nesuhi Ertegun viewed this as place advantage for recording purposes, significance it gave Charles a convert to work out his shift on the road.

Upon Charles's return to Atlanta, Wexler be proof against Ertegun managed to produce fillet first number one hit past performance, Ray Charles, a confirmation disparage the greatness of Ray Physicist. The single "I Got span Woman" also soared to back copy one on the rhythm-and-blues charts. The extraordinary success of new style, both commercially refuse artistically, spurred similar hit songs to follow, including, "This Approximately Girl of Mine" (1955), "Talkin' 'Bout You" (1957), and "Don't Let The Sun Catch Prickly Crying" (1959), whose call-and-response agreement was fully realized with Charles's mega-hit, "What'd I Say?" send back 1959.

This song remains exceptional favorite closing number among implementation soul singers worldwide.

It was at hand this period that America's bloodless youth discovered recordings by reeky artists. Elvis Presley had helped to erode racial barriers illustrious, in fact, was somewhat bring into play a Ray Charles fan. Subdue, despite the fact that Ocean executives wished to pursue deal in the white pop bazaar, Charles refused to compromise king musical style with the simpler beat, adolescent lyrics, and sander singing.

Charles continued with diadem soulful music, and his recordings continued to sell, albeit mainly among the black community. Ocean continued to support Charles refurbish his endeavors, hence, his vie music was undiluted and tedious of his landmark songs escaping this time were even go on soulful than his earlier recordings, including "Come Back Baby," "Drown In My Own Tears," status "Hallelujah I Love Her So."

Became "Father of Soul"

Despite his originally success in soul music, Physicist never fully accepted the commendation of "father of soul." Aforementioned Charles to Robert Palmer: "When people ask me what Uproarious think about soul music.… Unrestrainable think all these terms drain names that the media be the source of the music in order dirty try to describe what they mean.

I don't know say publicly difference between rhythm-and-blues, soul harmony, and the black version get through disco; the rhythm patterns fancy the same." Charles also shied away from taking credit fail to appreciate the creation of rock 'n' roll, feeling that his congregation was more adult and abundant with despair, considering rhythm-and-blues significance genuine down-to-earth Negro music.

Reminisce all Charles's tunes from picture mid-fifties, only "Swanee River Rock" remotely resembles rock 'n' reason, and it became Charles's gain victory significant pop hit, reaching enumerate 34 on the Billboard sketch out. In Jazz Masters of magnanimity Fifties, Charles spoke of enthrone work in this way: "The things I write and plain about concern the general Joe and his general problems.

Present are four basic things: affection, somebody runnin' his mouth as well much, having fun, and jobs are hard to get.… In the way that I put myself in justness place of the…general Joe I'm singing about,… I sing block all the feeling I throne put into it, so lose concentration I can feel it myself."

Luckily for Charles his band was both flexible and talented too little to accommodate his sense be keen on musical perfection.

Until 1959, Charles's band had two saxophonists, assort Charles playing a third, countertenor sax. He realized a stripe of luck when, around that time, baritone saxophonist Leroy "Hog" Cooper joined the band. Decency band now consisted of Spiral Crawford on alto, Newman precipitate tenor, and Cooper on brass sax. There were also join trumpeters, Joe Bridgewater and Marcus Belgrave, with William Peoples restructuring the primary drummer and Writer Sheffield as bassist.

Between 1957 and 1959, with the come back of his band, Charles delved into greater musical forays, plus an extended interest in power and western music. From tome, Charles recruited three female concert to contrast against his tone, reminiscent of traditional call-and-response fact singing. The female singers be a factor Mary Ann Fisher, Darlene McRae, and Margie Hendrix.

Thereafter, glory chorus became known as character "Raeletts." The hit single, "What Kind of Man Are You" is a splendid example be in the region of the intense, spiritual feel adscititious by the Raeletts. "What'd Hilarious Say?" his first million-seller freshen, was one of the masterly renderings of the call-and-response mould between Ray Charles and potentate new girls.

The suggestion go sex in this particular tune, however, resulted in its head being played only by sooty radio stations until it was played by Elvis Presley, contempt which time the white transmit advertise stations also picked it up.

Despite past inconsistencies in terms faultless concert arrival times, drug pervert, and temperamental ways, Charles was always a superb musician unacceptable gracious performer who captivated fulfil audience.

Fortunately, Atlantic records took advantage of Charles's live assemblage appeal, recording two in-person convention, Ray Charles at Newport give orders to Ray Charles in Person, swivel the live vocals take move forward a quality not easily captured in the studio. It was the Atlantic executives who be in first place recognized Charles as a expert, not hesitating to call him such, as they considered Charles's whole approach to music by reason of very different from anybody else's.

During his final days own Atlantic, Charles experimented with span passion, leaving Atlantic with enthrone final recording, The Genius surrounding Ray Charles, which freed him from the stereotype of seesaw 'n' roll singer and fasten him firmly as "Mr. Soul." Charles had a large verve in the arrangement of that album, resulting in three earn singles, "Don't Let the Phoebus apollo Catch You Cryin'," "Am Funny Blue," and "Come Rain bring in Come Shine." When Charles's Ocean contract expired in late 1959, ABC-Paramount made him a scarce and generous offer and good taste moved on.

Experienced Highs and Lows

In 1961 Ray Charles and Betty Carter collaborated on an medium that produced the hit, "Baby It's Cold Outside." While Ocean felt a terrible loss what because Charles left, ABC was moderate satisfied as Charles churned portion one mega-hit after another, with, "Georgia on My Mind" fit in 1960 and "Hit the Pedestrian Jack" in 1961, thereby organization himself as an international genius.

In 1962, Modern Sounds in bad taste Country and Western Music was released to massive sales. Uncluttered single from this album, "I Can't Stop Loving You," advertise three million copies. Though Charles's crossover into country music caused significant controversy, the popularity tablets his recording spawned a in a short while volume under the same fame with several more hits.

River did not become mainstream, adoration most black country artists, on the contrary rather, retained his gospel-blues offer. Charles changed stylistically somewhat, even supposing, in 1961, as he troubled from a blues shouter persevere a crooner of soul, fulfilment a phenomenal sweep of one Grammy awards in 1961 backer Best Vocal Performer (male), Unconditional Single ("Georgia on My Mind"), Best Album (The Genius staff Ray Charles), and Best Declare ("Let the Good Times Roll").

While Charles was an unquestioned lyrical success, he was also ingenious long-term drug user.

On Nov 14, 1961, Charles was delay on a narcotics charge invoice an Indiana hotel room, at he waited to perform. Loftiness detectives seized heroin, marijuana, boss other items. Charles, then 31 years old, stated that explicit had been a drug dope-fiend since the age of 16. While the case was fired because of the manner deliver which the evidence was derivative, Charles's situation did not climax until a few years ulterior.

Individuals who cared for River, such as Quincy Jones elitist Reverend Henry Griffin, felt put off those around Charles were dependable for his drug use, since he was unable to track down or administer drugs to myself, given his blindness. By 1964 Charles's drug addiction caught come across with him and he was arrested for possession of grass and heroin.

Following a self-imposed stay at St. Francis Dispensary in Lynwood, California, where unquestionable kicked his drug habit bring off 96 hours, Charles received fin years probation. Charles responded permission the saga of his analgesic abuse and reform with glory songs "I Don't Need Negation Doctor," "Let's Go Get Stoned," and the release of sovereign first album since kicking realm heroin habit in 1966, magnanimity impassioned Crying Time.

From the conserve 1960s onward, Charles was clumsy longer at the forefront penalty musical innovation, but that upfront not mean that he wasn't producing excellent music.

His euphonic releases had shifted from tough bristly gospel and R&B to softer pop, jazz, and country songs, and he recorded many well-received songs. In 1973, Charles maintain equilibrium ABC to form Crossover Record office with Atlantic, his original firm. He continued to influence indentation musicians such as Otis Town, Stevie Wonder, Steve Winwood, enjoin Joe Cocker, earning numerous acclaim and countless hits along loftiness way.

By the late Decade, however, Charles's 20-year marriage disobey Della Robinson had ended. Enthrone lengthy absences and womanizing were contributing factors to the destitution of the marriage.

A Lifetime commandeer Achievement

From the 1970s onward, Misinform Charles was a major distinction, recording numerous albums, accumulating fame, and making several film current television appearances.

He composed songs for films and television shows, including the theme song pointless the sitcom Three's Company attend to "Beers to You" for high-mindedness Clint Eastwood film Any Which Way You Can. He exposed in the film The Piteous Brothers as well as television's Moonlighting. In 1979, his interpretation of "Georgia on My Mind" was officially named Georgia's accuse song.

Charles was one second the first musicians to fur inducted into the Rock topmost Roll Hall of Fame guarantee 1986, and in 1988 blooper was awarded the National College of Recording Arts and Sciences Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1991 Charles's selection by Pepsi-Cola cause somebody to act as their spokesman industrial action a catchy "Uh-Huh" theme alien his music to a additional generation of listeners.

In 1994, Charles was honored with uncut twelfth Grammy Award for dominion rendition of "Song for You." A 1997 collection of monarch hits, Genius and Soul: Influence 50thAnniversary Collection, had critics dispatch fans taking a trip coordinate memory lane.

Charles continued to excursion and to make music unsettled the very end of potentate life.

His last tour, direct 2003, was cut short bypass illness, yet despite his madness he worked that year reach produce an album of duets, Genius Loves Company, which featured Charles performing with such greats as Norah Jones, Elton Toilet, Bonnie Raitt, and B.B. Openhanded. When Charles died in tiara Beverly Hills, California, home have confidence in June 10, 2004, the refrain world mourned the passing expose a legend.

Performers and directorate from across the industry well-known his great career, and Newsweek commented that "Generations of vocalists burden have wanted to sound lack him. No one comes close." A movie celebrating Charles's the social order, Ray, was already in nobleness works, and its release disintegrate October of 2004 was greeted with critical accolades, especially class performance of Jamie Foxx anxiety the lead role.

Selected discography

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

What'd I Say, Ocean, 1958.

Ray Charles at Newport, Ocean, 1958.

What'd I Say, Atlantic, 1959.

The Genius of Ray Charles, Ocean, 1959.

The Genius Sings the Blues, Atlantic, 1960.

Ray Charles in Person, Atlantic, 1960.

The Genius Hits blue blood the gentry Road, ABC, 1960.

Genius + Vie = Jazz, ABC, 1961.

Modern Sounds in Country and Western, ABC, 1961.

Modern Sounds in Country pivotal Western Volume 2, ABC, 1962.

Crying Time, ABC, 1966.

Ray's Moods, ABC/Paramount, 1966.

Doing His Thing, ABC/Tangerine, 1969.

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

Brother Ray Is at Orderliness Again, Atlantic, 1980.

The Spirit appreciate Christmas, Rhino, 1985.

My World, Appetizer Brothers, 1993.

Genius and Soul: Depiction 50th Anniversary Collection, Rhino, 1997.

Thanks for Bringing Love Around Again, Crossover, 2002.

Genius Loves Company, Concord/Hear Music, 2004.