Ray Charles, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

Ray Charles

American musician

Date of Birth: 23-Sep-1930

Place of Birth: Albany, Georgia, United States

Date of Death: 10-Jun-2004

Profession: composer, singer, arrangement, pianist, singer-songwriter, musician, vocalist, saxophonist, jazz musician

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Libra

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About Ray Charles

  • Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, 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 5, and by 7 he was blind. 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.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.Charles cited Nat King Cole as a primary influence, but his music was also influenced by Louis Jordan and Charles Brown.
  • He became friends with Quincy Jones.
  • Their friendship lasted until the end of Charles's life.
  • Frank Sinatra called Ray Charles "the only true genius in show business," although Charles downplayed this notion.
  • Billy Joel said, "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley".In 2002, Rolling Stone ranked Charles #10 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time," and #2 on their list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" in 2008.

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