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MEMORIES:
Overcoming blindness to become a pioneer in American music, Ray Charles shaped the landscape of rhythm and blues, bringing his soulful touch to genres ranging from country to pop. Ray Charles set the standard for musical genius that his fans inside and out of the music and entertainment industry adhere to.
Born in Albany, Georgia and raised without a father, Ray lost his 4 year old brother, George. Not long after, following complications from undiagnosed glaucoma and the stress of losing his brother, Ray went blind. As a child, he began to develop his musical gift, modeling himself after another prominent black entertainer, Nat “King” Cole. His career got its start when he met a young Quincy Jones in Seattle, Washington, and soon Ray was establishing a name for himself in nightclubs.
He began his recording career in the late 40s, experimenting and mixing genres and evolving his own style. Ray scored his first hit in 1953 with the single “Mess Around” and “It Should Have Been Me.” His 1955 gospel-driven “I Got a Woman” proved to be the breakthrough he needed. His songs of that time were primarily gospel songs converted over with secular lyrics, as well as many blues numbers. In Atlanta, Georgia, in 1956, he recorded a live album, Ray Charles In Person, which was performed in front of a mostly African American audience. It features the first public performance of “What’d I Say” which broke out as a hit on its own, months before it was recorded in-studio.
Ray took his career beyond the standard gospel and blues norms while with Atlantic. He recorded with large orchestras as well as with jazz artists like Milt Jackson. Ray even performed his first country music song – a cover of Hank Snow’s “I’m Movin’ On.” Once he moved to ABC records, Charles was giving more control over his music. He broadened his horizons by venturing further into popular music, creating such hits as “Unchain My Heart,” “You Are My Sunshine” and chart toppers “Georgia On My Mind” and “Hit the Road Jack.” He went on to surprise his fans with the landmark release of the album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music.
After a couple of decades of performing in nightclubs and larger venues, Ray Charles would come up and get recognition with a much younger audience, with cameo appearances in the movie In the Heat of the Night, as well as 1980’s The Blues Brothers. His music was featured in The Cosby Show as well as giving a performance of his rendition of “America the Beautiful” for the very popular WrestleMania 2 in 1986. His newfound popularity helped to secure a position as the spokesman for Diet Pepsi, popularizing the catchphrase “You’ve got the right one, Baby!” In 1990, he appeared long-time friend Quincy Jones’ hit “I’ll Be Good To You” along with Chaka Khan.
Ray Charles passed away at the age of 73 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. His final album, Genius Loves Company, was released two months after his death, giving his fans duets with his admirers and contemporaries, such as Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, James Taylor, Michael McDonald, Natalie Cole, Bonnie Raitt, Diana Krall, and Johnny Mathis. The album took home eight Grammy Awards, including five for Ray himself – Best Pop Vocal Album, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for “Here We Go Again,” his duet with Norah Jones, and Best Gospel Performance for “Heaven Help Us All” with Gladys Knight. He also received recognition for his duets with Elton John and B.B. King. The 2005 Grammy Awards ceremony was dedicated to him. Not long after his passing, a biopic on the life of Ray Charles, Ray came out to theaters. It portrayed his career between 1930 and 1966, and starred Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles. For his work, Foxx won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Actor. With a lifetime of awards, honors to support him, the Ray Charles legacy will remain a part of American culture for generations to come.
