Ray Charles

Ray Charles (born Ray Charles Robinson) (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American musician.

Ray Charles
Ray Charles at his last concert
Background information
Birth name	Ray Charles Robinson
Born	(1930-09-23)September 23, 1930 Albany, Georgia, United States
Origin	Greenville, Florida, United States
Died	June 10, 2004(2004-06-10) (aged 73) Beverly Hills, California, United States
Genres	R&B, soul, blues, jazz, gospel
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, musician
Instruments	Singing, piano, alto saxophone
Years active	1947–2004
Labels	Atlantic, ABC, Warner Bros. Records
Website	www.raycharles.com

Charles was born in Albany, Georgia and was raised in Greenville, Florida. When he was six he started going blind and was completely blind by age 7. He played jazz, soul, and R&B music. Charles never knew exactly why he lost his sight, though there are sources which suggest his blindness was due to glaucoma. He attended school at the St. Augustine School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, Florida. He also learned how to write music and play various musical instruments. While he was there, his father died, and his mother died five years later. Charles died in 2004 from liver failure.

Singles

• "Roll with Me Baby" (1952)
• "The Sun's Gonna Shine Again" (1953)
• "Feelin' Sad" (1953)
• "It Should've Been Me" (1954)
• "Don't You Know" (1954)
• "I've Got a Woman" (1954)
• "Come Back" (1954)
• "This Little Girl of Mine" (1955)
• "A Fool for You" (1955)
• "Blackjack (song)" (1955)
• "Greenbacks" (1955)
• "Drown in My Own Tears" (1956)
• "Mary Ann" (1956)
• "Hallelujah I Love Her So" (1956)
• "What Would I Do Without You" (1956)
• "Lonely Avenue" (1956)
• "Ain't That Love" (1957)
• "It's All Right" (1957)
• "Swanee River Rock" (1957)
• "Talkin' 'bout You" (1958)
• "Yes Indeed" (1958)
• "My Bonnie" (1958)
• "Rockhouse" (Part 2) (1958)
• "Night Time Is the Right Time" (1959)
• "That's Enough" (1959)
• "What'd I Say (Part 1)" (1959)
• "I'm Movin' On" (1959)
• "Let the Good Times Roll" (1960)
• "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'" (1960)
• "Just for a Thrill" (1960)
• "Tell the Truth" (1960)
• "Come Rain or Come Shine" (1960)
• "Doodlin' (Part 1)" (1960)

• "My Baby! (I Love Her, Yes I Do)" (1960)
• "Sticks and Stones" (1960)
• "Georgia on My Mind" (1960)
• "Ruby (song)" (1960)
• "Hardhearted Hannah" (1960)
• "Them That Got" (1960)

• "Early in the Mornin'" (1961)
• "Am I Blue" (1961)
• "Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I)" (1961)

• "One Mint Julep" (1961)
• "I've Got News for You" (1961)
• "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town" (1961)
• "Hit the Road Jack" (1961)
• "Unchain My Heart" (1961)
• "But on the Other Hand Baby" (1961)

• "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (1962)
• "Hide Nor Hair" (1962)
• "At the Club" (1962)
• "I Can't Stop Loving You" (1962)
• "Born to Lose" (1962)
• "You Don't Know Me" (1962)
• "Careless Love" (1962)
• "You Are My Sunshine" (1962)
• "Your Cheatin' Heart" (1962)
• "Feelin' Sad" (1963)

• "Don't Set Me Free" (1963)
• "The Brightest Smile in Town" (1963)
• "Take These Chains from My Heart" (1963)
• "No Letter Today" (1963)
• "No One" (1963)
• "Without Love (There Is Nothing)" (1963)
• "Busted (song)" (1963)
• "Making Believe" (1963)
• "Talkin' 'bout You" (1964)

• "That Lucky Old Sun" (1964)
• "My Heart Cries for You" (1964)
• "Baby, Don't You Cry" (1964)
• "My Baby Don't Dig Me" (1964)
• "A Tear Fell" (1964)
• "No One to Cry To" (1964)
• "Smack Dab in the Middle" (1964)

Since 1965

• "Makin' Whoopee" (1965)
• "Cry (song)" (1965)
• "Teardrops from My Eyes" (1965)
• "I Gotta Woman" (Part One)(1965)
• "Without a Song" (Part 1)(1965)
• "I'm a Fool to Care" (1965)
• "The Cincinnati Kid (song)" (1965)
• "Crying Time" (1966)
• "Together Again" (1966)
• "You're Just About to Lose Your Clown" (1966)
• "Let's Go Get Stoned" (1966)
• "I Chose to Sing the Blues" (1966)
• "Please Say You're Fooling" (1966)
• "I Don't Need No Doctor" (1966)
• "I Want to Talk About You" (1967)
• "Something Inside Me" (1967)
• "Here We Go Again" (1967)
• "Somebody Ought to Write a Book About It" (1967)
• "In the Heat of the Night" (1967)
• "Yesterday" (1967)
• "Come Rain or Come Shine" (Published again)(1968)

• "That's a Lie" (1968)
• "Eleanor Rigby" (1968)
• "Understanding" (1968)
• "Sweet Young Thing Like You" (1968)
• "Listen, They're Playing My Song" (1968)
• "If It Wasn't for Bad Luck" (1969)
• "When I Stop Dreaming" (1969)
• "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" (1969)
• "Let Me Love You" (1969)
• "We Can Make It" (1969)
• "Claudie Mae" (1970)
• "Laughin and Clownin" (1970)
• "If You Were Mine" (1970)
• "Don't Change on Me" (1971)
• "Sweet Memories" (1971)
• "Booty Butt" (1971)
• "Feel So Bad" (1971)
• "What Am I Living For" (1972)
• "Look What They've Done to My Song, Ma" (1972)
• "Hey Mister" (1972)
• "I Can Make It Thru the Days (But Oh Those Lonely Nights)" (1973)
• "Come Live with Me" (1973)
• "Louise" (1974)
• "Living for the City" (1975)
• "America the Beautiful" (1976)
• "I Can See Clearly Now" (1977)
• "Game Number Nine" (1978)
• "Ridin' Thumb" (1978)
• "Some Enchanted Evening (song)" (1979)
• "Just Because" (1979)
• "Compared to What" (1980)

Ray Charles Media

• 

  Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie AnefoReportage / Serie : [ onbekend ]*Beschrijving : Aankomst Ray Charles (kop) op Schiphol*Datum : 5 oktober 1968*Locatie : Noord-Holland, Schiphol*Trefwoorden : KOPPEN, aankomsten*Persoonsnaam : Charles, Ray*Fotograaf : Koch, Eric / Anefo*Auteursrechthebbende : Nationaal Archief *Materiaalsoort : Negatief (zwart/wit)*Nummer archiefinventaris : bekijk toegang 2.24.01.05*Bestanddeelnummer : 921-7410

• 

  Ray Charles in der Hamburger Musikhalle, September 1971

• 

  Charles meeting with President Richard Nixon, 1972 (photo by Oliver F. Atkins)

• 

  Star honoring Charles on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 6777 Hollywood Boulevard

Related pages

• List of country musicians from Georgia (U.S. state)

Other websites

• Ray Charles official website
• Hear Ray Charles on the Pop Chronicles
• Ray Charles on IMDb