Charles, Ray
(Ray Charles Robinson), 1930–2004, African-American musician and
composer, b. Albany, Ga. Blinded at age seven, he was raised in Florida
and at 16 began singing in a local hillbilly group. Two years later he
moved to Seattle, where he formed his own trio. Charles rose to fame in
the 1950s singing rhythm-and-blues tunes in an exuberant yet
sophisticated style to the accompaniment of his piano and band. He had
his first national recorded hit, “I've Got a Woman,” in 1955. Combining
sacred styles with the secular and rooted in gospel music and the blues, his work infused soul into a variety of genres, and it influenced, and was influenced by, jazz and rock music.
Among Charles's greatest hits were “Whad'd I Say” (1959), “Georgia on
My Mind” (1960), and his soulful rendition of “America the Beautiful”
(1984). An outstanding live performer, he also recorded more than 60
albums and won 12 Grammy awards. He was inducted into the Rock-and-Roll
Hall of Fame in 1986.
See his autobiography (1978); biographies by D. Ritz (1978) and M. Lydon (1999).
