Ray Charles
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Albany, Georgia (1930 – 2004)
Ray Charles (Ray Charles Robinson, Albany, Georgia, September 23, 1930 - Beverly Hills, California, June 10, 2004), was an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger and band leader.
As a rock and roll, rhythm & blues, soul, blues, jazz, country and pop musician he helped to shape the sound of rhythm & blues.
He brought a soulful sound to everything from country music (“I Can’t Stop Loving You”) to rock and roll (“Mess Around”), to pop standards to a now-iconic rendition of “America The Beautiful.” Frank Sinatra called him “the only genius in the business.”
Ray Charles was born in Albany, Georgia on September 23, 1930. He was the son of Aretha Williams, a share cropper, and Bailey Robinson, a railroad repair man, mechanic and handyman. The two were never married. The family moved to Greenville, Florida, when Ray was an infant. Bailey had three more families, leaving Aretha to raise the family on her own.
Ray Charles was not born blind. He started to lose his sight somewhere at the age of five. He was rendered totally blind by the age of seven. Charles never knew exactly why he lost his sight, though there are sources that suggest his blindness was due to glaucoma, and some other sources suggest that Ray began to lose his sight from an infection caused by soapy water to his eyes which was left untreated. He attended school at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, Florida from 1937-1945 where he developed his musical gift that he is known and remembered for today. His father died when he was ten, followed by his mother five years later.
As a rock and roll, rhythm & blues, soul, blues, jazz, country and pop musician he helped to shape the sound of rhythm & blues.
He brought a soulful sound to everything from country music (“
I Can’t Stop Loving You”) to rock and roll (“Mess Around”), to pop standards to a now-iconic rendition of “America The Beautiful.” Frank Sinatra called him “the only genius in the business.”
Ray Charles was born in Albany, Georgia on September 23, 1930. He was the son of Aretha Williams, a share cropper, and Bailey Robinson, a railroad repair man, mechanic and handyman. The two were never married. The family moved to Greenville, Florida, when Ray was an infant. Bailey had three more families, leaving Aretha to raise the family on her own.
Ray Charles was not born blind. He started to lose his sight somewhere at the age of five. He was rendered totally blind by the age of seven. Charles never knew exactly why he lost his sight, though there are sources that suggest his blindness was due to glaucoma, and some other sources suggest that Ray began to lose his sight from an infection caused by soapy water to his eyes which was left untreated. He attended school at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, Florida from 1937-1945 where he developed his musical gift that he is known and remembered for today. His father died when he was ten, followed by his mother five years later.
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Here We Go Again
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Ray Charles - Retrospect
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Anthology
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Ray!
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Shoutbox
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el__fuego wrote:
God, please, give us Ray back, we will give you Justin Bieber
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Seeeeeeeed wrote:
God, please, give us Ray back, we will give you Justin Bieber [59]
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falisson wrote:
KING
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Banannaaa wrote:
God, please, give us Ray back, we will give you Justin Bieber [58]
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jump29 wrote:
♪
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djboe11 wrote:
Justin Bieber sucks because I have amazing taste in music.
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Harliquensfly wrote:
God, please, give us Ray back, we will give you Justin Bieber [57]
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Charcoal_black wrote:
God, please, give us Ray back, we will give you Justin Bieber [56]
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Jaanisk wrote:
Hallelujah I Love Her So
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VK1990 wrote:
I Got A Woman
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presspreston wrote:
classic
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GreatBarcia wrote:
Born to lose
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tashaO_o wrote:
God, please, give us Ray back, we will give you Justin Bieber [55]
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Tusskar wrote:
it even in the States can not tolerate хD
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JustChewIt wrote:
God, please, give us Ray back, we will give you Justin Bieber [54]
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Fuadz--alwayZ-- wrote:
enaaak
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Austin_Rac wrote:
"God, please, give us Ray back, we will give you Justin Bieber" god is not an idiot, he won't go for such an exchange. He would demand at least 10.000 Justin Biebers for one Ray Charles. So would I.
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iAmYourDrug wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H3G25T84VU *_*
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_ScReaM_QuEEn_ wrote:
God, please, give us Ray back, we will give you Justin Bieber[53]
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CRiiSs7 wrote:
hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more...(8) <3 LEGEND.
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