Person Open DS/UK/10707 Charles; Ray (23 September 1930-10 June 2004); American singer songwriter, pianist and composer Charles Ray 23 September 1930-10 June 2004 American singer songwriter, pianist and composer Male Ray Charles Robinson Albany, Georgia, United States (born)

American Musician; Singer Songwriter / Piano Black 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 Heterosexual 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. Awards, Honours and Legacy: Charles is a 17-time Grammy Award winner. He was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987; 10 of his recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 1979, Charles was one of the first musicians born in the state to be inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. His version of "Georgia on My Mind" was also made the official state song of Georgia. In 1981 he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was one of the first inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural ceremony, in 1986. He also received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986. Activism and Views: In 1961, Charles was scheduled to perform at a dance at Bell Auditorium in Augusta, but cancelled the show after learning from students of Paine College that the larger auditorium dance floor would be restricted to whites, while blacks would be obligated to sit in the Music Hall balcony. Charles left town after letting the public know why he wouldn't be performing, but the promoter went on to sue Charles for breach of contract, and Charles was fined $757 in Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta. The following year, Charles did perform at a desegregated Bell Auditorium concert together with his backup group the Raelettes. Universal Fire: On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Ray Charles among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. Interests and Hobbies: Charles enjoyed playing chess. A part of his therapy when he quit heroin, he met with psychiatrist Dr. Friedrich Hacker three times a week who taught him how to play. In 2002, he played and lost to the American grandmaster and former U.S. champion Larry Evans. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Charles (2020) International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 Yes RAHSkeyte 12/20/2013 RAHAKirkbride 10/27/2022 9240e520-cbc9-4ac9-93da-1e204d6b6c95