| Code | DS/UK/10707 |
| Name | Charles; Ray (23 September 1930-10 June 2004); American singer songwriter, pianist and composer |
| Variations of Name | Ray Charles Robinson |
| Dates | 23 September 1930-10 June 2004 |
| Gender | Male |
| Place of Birth/Origin | Albany, Georgia, United States (born) |
| Relationships | Son of Bailey Robinson (laborer) and Aretha Williams (sharecropper)
Former husband of Eileen Williams and Della Beatrice Howard Robinson
Former partner of Margie Hendricks, Mae Mosley Lyles, Sandra Jean Betts, Arlette Kotchounian and Norma Pinella |
| Biography | Ray Charles was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer. Among friends and fellow musicians he preferred being called "Brother Ray". He was often referred to as "The Genius." Charles started losing his vision at the age of 6 due to glaucoma.
Charles pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s by combining blues, rhythm and blues, and gospel styles into the music he recorded for Atlantic. He contributed to the integration of country music, rhythm and blues, and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, notably with his two Modern Sounds albums. While he was with ABC, Charles became one of the first black musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company.
Charles' 1960 hit "Georgia On My Mind" was the first of his three career No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. His 1962 album, Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music, became his first album to top the Billboard 200. Charles had multiple singles reach the Top 40 on various Billboard charts: 44 on the US R&B singles chart, 11 on the Hot 100 singles chart, 2 on the Hot Country singles charts. |