Ray Charles Biography
Ray Charles Robinson was born September. 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia.
Ray Charles died June 11, 2004 (At his home in Beverly Hills, California.He was 73)
His parents were simple but hard working people who raised their son to become an independt, responsible citizen.
Father : Bailey Robinson (mechanic and handyman)
Mother : Aretha Robinson (stacked boards in a sawmill)
One brother: George (Ray was only five when he saw his four-year-old brother accidentally drown in a washtub)
Marriages:
July 31,1951 : Eileen Williams. Ended in divorce in 1952. One child.
April 5, 1955: Della Beatrice Howard Robinson. Ended in divorce in 1977. Three children. Della was one of his original Raelettes.
Ray Charles has twelve children, 21 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren (see below for a detailed list with names of his children)
More often than not he wasn't called by his name: his is simply "The Genius".
Ray Charles Autobiography Audio Book
Here are some great audio books with the autobiography of Ray Charles and other great musicians.
Brother Ray: Ray Charles' Own Story - Ray Charles and David Ritz | Biography Audio Books | Audio Book
Ray Charles led one of the most extraordinary live more...1 point
Chronicles - Volume One - Bob Dylan | Biography Audio Books / Autobiography | Audio Book
Download this Audio Book: "I'd co more...0 points
Ray Charles Biography - Part I
Ray Charles' time up to the 1950's
Went to the St. Augustine, Florida School (a school for the blind, where he learned to read and write music in braille, studies composition, classical piano, organ,trumpet, alto sax and clarinet)
At 15, orphan, he left school and began playing music to earn a living,moving to Seattle in 1947 where he met Quincy Jones
1940: Started his recording career
1946: Begins his professional career(Played with local bands in Jacksonville, Florida)
1948: In Seattle formed light jazz and blues combo "The Maxim Trio"
1955: His career took of. The title "I Got a Woman." was released
1951: Enters the R&B chart. "Baby Let Me hold Your Hand"
1952: Atlantic Records purchases Charles' Swingtime contract for $2,500 (Roll With Me Baby is released).
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Ray Charles Songs from 1954 to 1994
List of Ray Charles Songs
The Things I use to do (1954)
Is should have been me (1954)
Swannee River Rock (first crossover hit) (1957)
What'I'd Say (1959)
Georgia on my mind (1959)
Legendary Album The Genius of Ray Charles (1960)
Hit the Road Jack (1961)
Unchain my heart (1962)
"I Can't Stop Loving You" and "You Don't Know Me" (1962)
Crying Time (1966)
Let's Go Get Stoned (1966)
In the heat of the Night (1967)
Elanor Rigby (from the Beatles - 1968)
Feel so Bad (1971)
Interpretation of Gerschwin's Porgy and Bess (with jazz singer Cleo Laine. 1976)
Friendship (1985)
Ella Fitzgerald & Ray Charles Concert at the Moulin Rouge - Video
Route 66 and more ...
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Ray Charles Grammy Awards and Other Awards
1961: Takes home 4 Grammy Awards. Two for "Georgia on my mind", one for "The genius of Ray Charles" and one "Let the good times Roll"
1963: "I Can't Stop Loving You," wins the Grammy for Best R&B Recording for 1962
1967: "Crying Time" is selected Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance and Best R&B Recording for 1966
1975: Golden Plate Award given by the American Academy of Achievement (outstanding artistic contributions)
1975: Receives from The National Association for Sickle Cell Disease's first "Man of Distinction" Award
1986: Second youngest recipient of the coveted Kennedy Center lifetime achievement award in Washington, D.C.
1988: Nominated for an Emmy Award by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (his performance on a TV special honoring Irving Berlin's 100th birthday)
1994: Wins his 12th Grammy Award in "The Best R&B Vocal by a Male Performer" category for "A Song For You".
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Ray Charles Biography - Part II
1994: Receives the Helen Keller Personal Achievement Award from the American Foundation for the Blind
1995. Honored with the Horatio Alger Award given to distinguished American citizens who have succeeded despite adversity
1995: Is given the Governor's Performing Arts Award
Distinctions :
1968: Playboy Magazine Jazz Hall of Fame (Youngest member)
1976: Named "Man of the Year" by the Beverly Hills Lodge of the B'nai B'rith
1976: Songwriters' Hall of Fame
1976: "I Got A Woman" is nominated for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame
1979: "Georgia On My Mind" is adopted as the official Song of the State of Georgia. Same year Georgia Music Hall of Fame
1981: Receives a Star on Hollywood Boulevard's "Walk of Fame"
1983: Is bestowed with the "Hall of Fame Award" at the 1983 NAACP's Image Awards
1985: "We are the World": Is a major vocal contribution to USA For Africa's star-studded hungry-relief charity single
1985 : "We are the World" reaches #1 on music charts the world over (Millions of Dollars were raised to aid African famine
1986: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
1986: Made a highly prestigious Commander of Fine Arts and Letters, by the French government
1987: Announces the formation of the (Ray Charles) Robinson Foundation for Hearing Disorders (personal endowment of $1 million)
1990: Receives an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of South Florida in Tampa
1992: Honored by the County Board of Supervisors as the 1992 Black History Month honoree. Presented
with Los Angeles County's Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of his "outstanding contributions."
1992: Florida Artists Hall of Fame
1993: Releases the hit album My World (which includes the title "A song for you")
1993: Ardent admirer, President Bill Clinton, presented him the National Medal of Arts in Washington, D.C
1996: Receives an Honorary Doctorate Degree in performing Arts from Occidental College
2004: RPM Studios is an historic Los Angeles landmark
Ray Charles - Song for you - Video
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Ray Charles Biography - Part III
Ray Charles is a national treasure and a global phenomenon for this reason: He is music; he is himself; he is a master of his soul.
On the 10th of June 2004 Ray Charles died at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He had reached the age of 73.
Only a few months later, the movie about Ray Charles, with the simple title "Ray" is released and becomes in instant success...
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Ray Charles Quotes
Ray Charles
"I was born with music inside me . . . Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my liver, my kidneys, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me -- like food or water."
Ray Charles
Ray Charles - Hit the road Jack! - Video
Hit the road Jack!
In memory of Jack Hagelin Sept. 04, '02 - Mar. 27, '07 * I posted this video June 03, '06 after he was discharged from the transplant unit. Jack Passed away peacefully surrounded with Love at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, from complications from pneumonia and after a 4 and ½ year battle, a diagnosis of NEMO Primary Immune Deficiency and Ectodermal Displasia, two rare genetic disorders. His treatment included a Stem Cell Bone Marrow transplant. In his short 4 and ½ years he helped science gain more knowledge for this rare genetic condition and through this knowledge to help other children with this same condition. Support NEMO research here http://www.andy.org.mx www.andy.org.mx
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Books about Ray Charles
Ray Charles Printed Books
Ray Charles - I Can't Stop Lovin You - Video
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The children of Ray Charles
- Charles Wayne (son of Marge Hendricks.One of the Raelettes)
- Evelyn (daughter of Louise Mitchell)
- Raenee (daughter of Mae Mosely Lyles)
- Sheila (daughter of Sandra Jean Betts)
- Vincent (son of Arlette Kotchounian)
- David Robinson (son of Della Robinson)
- Ray Charles Robinson, Jr. (son of Della Robinson) - Reverend Robert Robinson (son of Della Robinson)
- Reatha
- Alexandria
- Robyn
- Corey Robinson den Bok (son of Mary Anne den Bok)
From these children Ray Chalres has twenty-one grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
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Ray Charles and Willie Nelson Video
Seven Spanish Angels
Willie Nelson - Ray Charles - Seven Spanish Angels
Recorded in 1986
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Ray Charles - America The Beautiful - Video
America The Beautiful
**HATE WILL BE DELETED** This is a movie I made for 4th of July in 2006 to Ray Charles' version of America The Beautiful. If you would like to link this video to your site, please send me an email first. I'm a vetern from OIF III and created this video for my first 4th of July back in the US in 2006. Please do not post hateful messages. They will be deleted. Wow, 300k Hits. Thanks :P
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488300 views
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Blues News
- Life, times, tunes of a song-writing team
- Atlantic Records originally did not want to release it because of those strings, but it became a huge hit that permanently changed rhythm-and-blues music. ...
- Duke Robillard Band brings blues to kick off Cortland music series
- Robillard is a four-time Blues Music Award winner for Best Blues Guitarist between 2000 and 2004, and he is featured in the cover story of the June/July ...
- John Hammond has a feel for New York State blues music
- "From country blues to uptown stuff. I play my acoustic guitars and my electric guitar. It'll be a nice little mix." He'll also bring original songs and ...
Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder - Living for the city
Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles living for the city
tribute to ray charles living for the city
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Ray Charles Biography Children
by biography
Hi and welcome! I love to read and listen about famous people, people who did something special and have been an example for us all. So I'm making pag...
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