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Ray Charles Robinson | |
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Born: September 23, 1930 City and Country of Origin: Albany, Georgia Music Training: St. Augustine's School for the Deaf and Blind Awards: 1993 Grammy Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male, "A Song For You;" 1990 Grammy Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal with Chaka Khan, "I'll Be Good To You;" 1975 Grammy Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male; "Living For The City;" 1996 Grammy Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, "Crying Time;" Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male Or Female, "Crying Time;" 1963 Grammy Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, "Busted;" 1962 Grammy Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, "I Can't Stop Loving You;" 1961 Grammy Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, "Hit The Road Jack;" 1960 Grammy Best Vocal Performance Single Record Or Track, Male, "Georgia On My Mind;" Best Performance By A Pop Single Artist, "Georgia On My Mind;" Grammy Best Vocal Performance Album, Male, "The Genius Of Ray Charles;" Best Rhythm & Blues Performance "Let The Good Times Roll" Top Recordings: "I Got A Woman," "What'd I Say," "Unchain My Heart," and "Hit the Road Jack," "I Can't Stop Loving You" Ray Charles Biography: "I was born with music inside me. That's the only explanation I know of..."--Ray Charles In an ego driven business Ray was simply known as the "The Genius." That is quite a compliment to get from your peers. He was not born blind. He lost his sight, it is believed to glaucoma, at the age of 6. It was at St. Augustine's, the Florida state school for the deaf and blind, where young Ray learned to read Braille and to type. It was also here that his musical gift was both encouraged and polished. Like many musicians Ray was good at math and learned the correlation between the 2 subjects. This enabled him to compose music in his head. After his mother's death he left St. Augustines and set out on the road as a struggling musician. He first found small gigs around Florida, but often went hungry. He tried to emualte Nat King Cole building his own solo act. When he felt that the time was right he chose to move as far away from Florida as possible, so he setteld in Seattle, WA. This is where he not only would become a minor local celebrity, but also where he would meet the most influential person in his career Quincy Jones. He took the younger musician under his wing. He cut his first recording in 1948 in Los Angeles and changed his name to avoid confusion with the boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. In 1951, he had his first hit record "Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand," although if you heard it today you probably might think it was Nat King Cole and not Ray. In the early '50s he toured with Lowell Fulsom's band as Ray Charles. In 1955 he had his first major hit song with "I Got a Woman" on Atlantic Records. The remainder of the decade proved successful for Ray with R&B hits like "This Little Girl of Mine," "Drown in My Own Tears," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Lonely Avenue," and "The Right Time." However, it wasn't until he recorded "What'd I Say," that he was able to capture the pop audience. By the early '60s he had perfected his musical style to the point that he was rapidly becoming an icon in the recording industry. His style is a merger of black pop '50s R&B with powerful gospel driven vocals. He was probably the singer most responsible for the development of soul music. Besides singing he was also an accomplished keyboard player, arranger and bandleader. In the early '60s he moved to ABC Records where he quickly hit the charts with "Unchain My Heart" and "Hit the Road Jack." In 1962 he hit the top of the charts with a country and western track "I Can't Stop Loving You." Through the mid '60s he scored hits like "Busted," "You Are My Sunshine," "Take These Chains From My Heart," and "Crying Time," By the late '60s he seemed to turn his attention towards the easy listening market. As a result his hit record production dwindled, until his latest album Genius Loves Company won 8 awards at the 2005 Grammys. Died: June 10, 2004 |
 
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