Photo: William Morris Agency (management)/Photo by Maurice Seymour, New York. / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Ray Charles is, for my money, the most important translator in American music, the man who taught gospel and blues to speak the same language and called the result soul. What moves me most is the audacity of it: a blind kid from Albany, Georgia, who refused every box the industry built for him and crossed into country, jazz, and pop on his own terms. Georgia on My Mind still stops me cold; few recordings carry that much longing in a single vocal. They called him The Genius, and for once I think the nickname actually undersold the man.
Overview
Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Genius". Among friends and fellow musicians, Charles preferred being called "Brother Ray". He lost his vision as a child, possibly due to glaucoma, and consequently wore dark glasses.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ray Charles
- Name (Japanese)
- レイ・チャールズ
- Reading
- れい・ちゃーるず
- Born
- September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Horse
- Origin
- Albany, Georgia, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- pianist / composer / singer-songwriter / singer / jazz musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 1998 Polar Music Prize
- 1988 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- Library of Congress Living Legend
- 1986 Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
- 1992 Florida Artists Hall of Fame
- 1986 Kennedy Center Honors
- 1993 National Medal of Arts
- 1986 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Georgia on My Mind / Carry Me Back to Old Virginny | — |
6. Links
Pianist — see all → · Composer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.