Ray Charles

Ray Charles
Singer, Pianist

Ray Charles was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and composer.
Ray Charles Robinson was born on September 23, 1930. At the age of three, Pitman taught Charles how to play the piano. Charles started to lose his sight at the age of four or five and was blind by the age of seven. Charles attended at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine from 1937 to 1945.
After leaving school, Charles moved to Jacksonville. He played the piano for bands at the Ritz Theatre in LaVilla for over a year.
At age 16, Charles moved to Orlando, where he lived in borderline poverty and went without food for days.
In 1947, Charles moved to Tampa, where he had two jobs: one as a pianist for Charles Brantley's Honeydippers.
He followed his friend Gossie McKee to Seattle, Washington, in March 1948.
In April 1949, he and his band recorded "Confession Blues", which became his first national hit. Second spot on the Billboard R&B chart.
Charles moved to Los Angeles in 1950, and spent the next few years touring with the blues musician Lowell Fulson as his musical director.
He died at his home in Beverly Hills, California on June 10, 2004, at the age of 73.

Ray Charles Songs

* Baby Let Me Hold Your Hands (1951)

* Come Back (1955)

* Fool For You (1955)

* I've Got a Woman (1955)
* Drown in My Own Tears (1956)

* Hallelujah I Love Her So (1956)

* A Tear Fell (1964)

* Al Di La (1964)

* Busted (1963)

* Crying Time (1966)

* Georgia on My Mind (1960)

* Hard Times No One Knows Better than I (1963)

* Hit the Road Jack (1961)

* I Can't Stop Loving You (1962)

* Love Me with All Your Heart (1964)

* No One (1963)

* No One to Cry to (1964)

* One More Time (1964)

* Take These Chains from My Heart (1963)

* That Lucky Old Sun (1964)

* Together Again (1966)

* Unchain My Heart (1962)

* What'd I Say (part 1, 2) (1959)

* You are My Sunshine (1962)

* You Don't Know Me (1962)

* Your Cheating Heart (1962)

More About Ray Charles

Ray Charles with Patricia in 1960

Ray Charles in London for a concert at the Finsbury Park Astoria on 12th May 1963. He is accompanied by Raina Johnson, a Finnish woman who is writing his life story.

Ray Charles at the piano in 1964.

Ray Charles poses for a portrait with his backup singers Gwen Berry, Merry Clayton, Clydie King, and Alex Brown in New York City in 1965.

Ray Charles performs on stage at the Newport Jazz Festival held in Newport, Rhode Island on July 07, 1968.

Ray Charles perform with singer, actress, and entertainer Barbra Streisand performs as part of her television musical variety show 'Barbra Streisand... And Other Musical Instruments' on August 7, 1973.

Ray Charles performs with Barbra Streisand in a still from her CBS special 'Barbra Streisand and Other Musical Instruments' in London, England on August 8, 1973.

Ray Charles sings along with Cher in a still from her musical/variety program 'Cher' in Los Angeles, California on August 7, 1975.

Ray Charles photograph in 1978.

Ray Charles with Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter Cash, Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter in a promotional portrait from Cash's television special 'Johnny Cash; Spring Fever' in 1978.

Ray Charles and country music singer Kenny Rogers in 1980.

Ray Charles and Michel Baroin in Paris, France on November 22, 1986.

Ray Charles with Madonna at "the tonight show starring Johnny Carson" on June 9, 1987.

Ray Charles and Dee Dee Bridgewater performing on the stage of the 39th Sanremo Music Festival held at the Teatro Ariston in Sanremo, province of Imperia in February 1989.

Ray Charles poses with US President Bill Clinton, First Lady Hillary Clinton during the National Medal of Arts presentation ceremonies on 7th October 1993 at the White House.