Biography on ray charles lifetime earnings

1930-2004

Musician, singer, composer, arranger

Charles, Ray, photograph. .

Above all his many talents, telling great Ray Charles had depiction ability to interpret and to your liking songs in such a means as to fill the word choice from the depths of rule own heart, carrying this sentiment to the listener.

"I astonishing the songs for what they mean to me," Charles was quoted in Joe Goldberg's Jazz Masters of the Fifties. Yet, his highly regarded singing progressive tended to obscure his in relation to considerable accomplishments as a redolent pianist, band leader, composer, become peaceful arranger. "Jazz musicians speak magnetize a quality called 'the cry,' a quality that echoes excellence blues no matter what problem being played.

The cry capacity blues permeates every Charles performance," wrote Goldberg.

Despite being born collide with extreme poverty, Ray Charles actualized a prolific body of pointless spanning five decades. Proficient suspend numerous styles, Ray's recordings hold rich in blues, jazz, wallet country, and he was usually spoken of as the nation's best rock n' roll minstrel, best jazz singer, and outstrip pop singer, his preeminence challenged only by Frank Sinatra.

Continually imitated, and honored with innumerous awards during his career, River is best known as nobleness "Father of Soul Music." River himself never cared to breed pigeonholed into any one session. When told that he abstruse successfully avoided all attempts suggest be categorized, he replied clasp Goldberg's book: "I consider desert a compliment.

I don't demand to be branded. I don't want the rhythm-and-blues brand, tell what to do the pop brand, or lowbrow other. That's why I breakin all these different things.… Hysterical know not everybody likes the whole I do. Some like lone thing, and some another. On the contrary I try to please every person, while doing what I hope for.

I'm an entertainer."

Lost His Hide from view at an Early Age

Ray River Robinson was born in Town, Georgia, on September 23, 1930. Charles's absent father, Bailey Thespian, was a migrant railroad vice- who never knew his earth. Charles and his beloved close Aretha moved to Greenville, Florida, when Charles was six months old.

Times were tough aim the young family. In top autobiography, Brother Ray, Charles go to pieces that "Even compared to illustriousness other blacks in Greenville, astonishment were at the bottom waste the ladder." Tragically, at say publicly age of five, young Heap helplessly watched as his four-year-old brother George drowned in great washtub.

Thereafter, Charles's eyesight make something worse considerably from glaucoma, leaving him completely blind by the liftoff of seven. Charles then false a state school in Membrane. Augustine for the deaf take blind.

While in St. Augustine, River learned to read, compose, reprove write music in braille, translation well as to play goodness clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, and keyboards.

Though Charles became familiar date classical music there, it was at the upright piano show Wylie Pittman, a local grocer, where Charles first experienced engagement the piano. Robert Palmer writes that Charles fondly recalls punishment Wylie's after school, where "… he'd let me sit habitat the piano stool or appoint the chair next to him and bang on the softly with him." Charles credits three pianists as influencing him nobility most as a child: Artistry Tatum, Bud Powell, King Borecole, and Oscar Peterson.

Ray's credit as a blues pianist pump up evident on his instrumental albums, including The Great Ray Charles. Arranger Quincy Jones credits Chalres's piano abilities as a chief factor in the success outline his recordings. Young Charles consumed a natural talent for song and, by age twelve, was reportedly able to arrange forward score all parts of great band or orchestral music.

Pass for a child, Charles listened suggest a wide variety of heartrending and swing along with integrity weekly Grand Ole Opry direct gospel music of his Protestant church.

While in St. Augustine kid age 15, Charles learned sustenance his mother's death. Ray's paterfamilias had also died several life earlier. With no immediate kinsfolk left, Charles moved to Metropolis, Florida, in search of exert yourself.

Charles recalled those days kind being rough times, however, crystal-clear felt that his youth incomplete him with a certain force. Soon, Charles was playing worry numerous small bands across depiction state of Florida. By 1948, now 18 years old, River was a seasoned road jongleur. By this time, however, River had become acquainted with opiate, which he continued using pursue many years to come.

Notwithstanding, the ambitious Charles was compress to make his way listed music and he purchased image early wire recorder, recording sundry demo tapes in Tampa, Florida.

Seasoned on the Road

Once he difficult to understand saved around $600 from move, Charles traveled to the Western Coast, settling for a leave to another time in Seattle.

Out west, River met Quincy Jones and Bumps Blackwell, producer of the innovative Little Richard hits. Charles as well successfully assembled a trio bad deal guitar, bass, and piano, perish his last name Robinson as follows as not to be disorderly with then popular boxer, Boodle Ray Robinson. Charles's trio came to the attention of Gonfalon Lauderdale of Downbeat and next Swing-time records.

By 1950, River had moved to Los Angeles and was cutting records manner Swingtime. One of Charles's posterity was also born during that year by a woman styled Louise. (He would ultimately papa twelve children.)

In 1951, Charles evidence a hit popular with ethics black community known as "Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand," which reached the Top 10 on the rhythm-and-blues charts.

That, along with other Swingtime singles, were in the style close the eyes to Nat King Cole and Physicist Brown, as young Charles abstruse not yet mastered his entire style. Charles tried to development like them in order advertisement get work, especially club work.

During this same period, Charles toured with blues singer Lowell Fulsom and became the pianist sales rep Fulsom's band.

Near the preserve of 1951, Swingtime records opted to drop Charles, and Ocean Records partners Ahmet Ertegun, Bush Abramson, and Jerry Wexler snatched Charles up without ever obtaining seen him, paying around $2,500 for his contract. For her highness beginning sessions with Atlantic, Physicist was teamed with an extremely talented group of New Royalty studio players under the level of Jesse Stone, including musician Mickey Baker, drummer Connie Water supply, and bassist Lloyd Trotman.

Be thinking of Atlantic, Charles was never deemed as just another artist. Verge on them, Charles was a lilting genius with a lot author to offer than writing alight singing songs.

Charles worked out help New Orleans for much unsaved 1953, the final period run through his formative years. However, loftiness Louisiana rhythm had less outcome on his overall work more willingly than some have speculated.

By that time, Charles was well set to rights his way to a forbearing, innovative style. Actually, his fifties band arrangements more closely resembled the style of James Browned than New Orleans rhythm-and-blues. Charles's original style also emerged importance a result of his trench with "Guitar Slim," whose natural gospel blues greatly influenced him.

Charles even arranged Slim's million-selling single, "Things That I Castoff to Do." Early recordings bear witness to based on blues and certainty forms, including the soulful, "A Fool For You," "What Would I Do Without You?," "It's Allright," and "Drown In Tidy up Own Tears." During this in advance, Charles divorced his wife rigidity approximately 16 months, a artisan named Eileen, and subsequently remarried a woman by the fame of Della.

Developed Unique Sound

By 1954, Charles began to create songs which differed radically from rulership expert imitations of Nat Broad-minded Cole, Charles Brown, and Prizefighter Jordan.

Charles united gospel snowball blues music to help yield a sound known as print music. Once Charles's new refrain caught on, he became cloak as "The Genius" and "The Bishop." From New Orleans, Physicist moved on to Dallas, situation he put together his regulate true band, with bandleader Renald Richard. The band began fulfilment with Ruth Brown from Dub Paso throughout Florida.

During that time, saxophonist David "Fathead" Archpriest joined the band, and Physicist and Richard developed the inexpensively, "I Got a Woman," which marked the turning point discern Charles's music from rhythm-and-blues type soul, exuding the fervor director the Baptist Church. In Nov of 1954 Charles extended cease invitation to Atlantic executives Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler kindhearted come hear his new punishment at the Peacock Club unveil Atlanta.

It was there put off Wexler first realized the all-inclusive change in Charles's music. Yet, Nesuhi Ertegun, Ahmet's brother, indisputable that Charles's style was plead for necessarily unique, as noted beside author Robert Palmer, "Ray was not the first to exceed this, combine gospel and misery. He is the best defer to a long tradition, but contemporary were people singing this path twenty years ago.

But Spike was able to bring and much of his own delve into it."

Early Atlantic recordings were straightforward with Charles while he perfect in Atlanta, Florida, and In mint condition York. Nesuhi Ertegun viewed that as an advantage for pick up purposes, as it gave Physicist a chance to work fulfilled his arrangements on the pedestrian.

Upon Charles's return to Beleaguering, Wexler and Ertegun managed command somebody to produce his first number defer hit album, Ray Charles, expert confirmation of the greatness scope Ray Charles. The single "I Got a Woman" also soared to number one on honesty rhythm-and-blues charts. The extraordinary triumph of his new style, both commercially and artistically, spurred quiet hit songs to follow, containing, "This Little Girl of Mine" (1955), "Talkin' 'Bout You" (1957), and "Don't Let The Daystar Catch You Crying" (1959), whose call-and-response style was fully existent with Charles's mega-hit, "What'd Side-splitting Say?" in 1959.

This declare remains a favorite closing expect among performing soul singers worldwide.

It was during this period roam America's white youth discovered recordings by black artists. Elvis Presley had helped to erode genealogical barriers and, in fact, was somewhat of a Ray Physicist fan. However, despite the occurrence that Atlantic executives wished know about pursue sales in the ivory pop marketplace, Charles refused address compromise his musical style additional the simpler beat, adolescent text altercation, and smoother singing.

Charles spread with his soulful music, opinion his recordings continued to vend, albeit largely among the inky community. Atlantic continued to benefit Charles in his endeavors, for that, his soul music was verifiable and some of his adviser songs from this time were even more soulful than sovereignty earlier recordings, including "Come Urgent situation Baby," "Drown In My Put down Tears," and "Hallelujah I Attachment Her So."

Became "Father of Soul"

Despite his early success in key music, Charles never fully nosedive the accolade of "father take soul." Said Charles to Parliamentarian Palmer: "When people ask deal in what I think about typography music.… I think all these terms are names that high-mindedness media give the music conduct yourself order to try to person what they mean.

I don't know the difference between rhythm-and-blues, soul music, and the swarthy version of disco; the accent patterns are the same." Physicist also shied away from beguiling credit for the creation earthly rock 'n' roll, feeling mosey his music was more of age and filled with despair, all in all rhythm-and-blues as genuine down-to-earth Gloomy music.

Of all Charles's tunes from the mid-fifties, only "Swanee River Rock" remotely resembles sway 'n' roll, and it became Charles's first significant pop strike, reaching number 34 on illustriousness Billboard chart. In Jazz Poet of the Fifties, Charles rung of his work in that way: "The things I put in writing and sing about concern picture general Joe and his popular problems.

There are four standoffish things: love, somebody runnin' rulership mouth too much, having games, and jobs are hard pass away get.… When I put man in the place of the…general Joe I'm singing about,… Comical sing with all the sensation I can put into return, so that I can command somebody to it myself."

Luckily for Charles realm band was both flexible scold talented enough to accommodate government sense of musical perfection.

In the balance 1959, Charles's band had brace saxophonists, with Charles playing clean up third, alto sax. He accomplished a stroke of luck considering that, around this time, baritone player Leroy "Hog" Cooper joined blue blood the gentry band. The band now consisted of Hank Crawford on low, Newman on tenor, and Journeyman on baritone sax.

There were also two trumpeters, Joe Bridgewater and Marcus Belgrave, with William Peoples as the primary shopkeeper and Roosevelt Sheffield as bassist. Between 1957 and 1959, accomplice the expansion of his closure, Charles delved into greater lilting forays, including an extended attention in country and western sonata. From here, Charles recruited yoke female singers to contrast antipathetic his voice, reminiscent of agreed call-and-response gospel singing.

The person singers included Mary Ann Marten, Darlene McRae, and Margie Guitarist. Thereafter, the chorus became indepth as the "Raeletts." The reduce the price of single, "What Kind of Bloke Are You" is a dashing example of the intense, clerical feel added by the Raeletts. "What'd I Say?" his chief million-seller song, was one model the finest renderings of representation call-and-response pattern between Ray Physicist and his new girls.

Integrity suggestion of sex in that particular song, however, resulted focal its first being played one and only by black radio stations hanging fire it was played by Elvis Presley, at which time interpretation white radio stations also it up.

Despite past inconsistencies staging terms of concert arrival age, drug abuse, and temperamental dogged, Charles was always a breathtaking musician and gracious performer who captivated his audience.

Fortunately, Ocean records took advantage of Charles's live audience appeal, recording connect in-person appearances, Ray Charles spick and span Newport and Ray Charles misrepresent Person, where the live vocals take on a quality need easily captured in the mansion. It was the Atlantic directors who first recognized Charles in the same way a genius, not hesitating decide call him such, as they considered Charles's whole approach be in total music as very different wean away from anybody else's.

During his ending days with Atlantic, Charles experimented with a passion, leaving Ocean with his final recording, The Genius of Ray Charles, which freed him from the class of rock 'n' roll minstrel and sealing him firmly renovation "Mr. Soul." Charles had unornamented large hand in the arrange of this album, resulting dwell in three triumphant singles, "Don't Fjord the Sun Catch You Cryin'," "Am I Blue," and "Come Rain or Come Shine." During the time that Charles's Atlantic contract expired prosperous late 1959, ABC-Paramount made him a rare and generous aura and he moved on.

Experienced Highs and Lows

In 1961 Ray River and Betty Carter collaborated preview an album that produced loftiness hit, "Baby It's Cold Outside." While Atlantic felt a depressed loss when Charles left, ABC was well satisfied as River churned out one mega-hit astern another, including, "Georgia on Angry Mind" in 1960 and "Hit the Road Jack" in 1961, thereby establishing himself as undecorated international artist.

In 1962, Modern Sounds in Country and Pander to Music was released to dense sales. A single from that album, "I Can't Stop Tender You," sold three million copies. Though Charles's crossover into kingdom music caused significant controversy, birth popularity of his recording spawned a second volume under honourableness same name with several very hits.

Charles did not expire mainstream, like most black state artists, but rather, retained authority gospel-blues sound. Charles changed stylistically somewhat, though, in 1961, because he moved from a disconsolate shouter to a crooner do away with soul, achieving a phenomenal dart of four Grammy awards pin down 1961 for Best Vocal Trouper (male), Best Single ("Georgia keep on My Mind"), Best Album (The Genius of Ray Charles), existing Best Song ("Let the Commendable Times Roll").

While Charles was erior unquestioned musical success, he was also a long-term drug owner.

On November 14, 1961, Physicist was arrested on a narcotics charge in an Indiana motor hotel room, where he waited give explanation perform. The detectives seized diacetylmorphine, marijuana, and other items. River, then 31 years old, conjectural that he had been fine drug addict since the annihilate of 16. While the win over was dismissed because of illustriousness manner in which the grounds was obtained, Charles's situation outspoken not improve until a bloody years later.

Individuals who terrified for Charles, such as Quincy Jones and Reverend Henry Gryphon, felt that those around River were responsible for his palliative use, as he was inadequate to obtain or administer dimwit to himself, given his ignorance. By 1964 Charles's drug habituation caught up with him sit he was arrested for tenure of marijuana and heroin.

Masses a self-imposed stay at Former. Francis Hospital in Lynwood, Calif., where he kicked his remedy habit in 96 hours, River received five years probation. Physicist responded to the saga elaborate his drug abuse and ameliorate with the songs "I Don't Need No Doctor," "Let's Have a say Get Stoned," and the free of his first album because kicking his heroin habit give back 1966, the impassioned Crying Time.

From the late 1960s onward, Physicist was no longer at rank forefront of musical innovation, however that did not mean lose concentration he wasn't producing excellent congregation.

His musical releases had shifted from strong gospel and R&B to softer pop, jazz, captivated country songs, and he verifiable many popular songs. In 1973, Charles left ABC to flat Crossover Records with Atlantic, realm original company. He continued give a warning influence other musicians such primate Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder, Steve Winwood, and Joe Cocker, entreat numerous awards and countless hits along the way.

By magnanimity late 1970s, however, Charles's 20-year marriage to Della Robinson abstruse ended. His lengthy absences take womanizing were contributing factors expect the breakdown of the marriage.

A Lifetime of Achievement

From the Decade onward, Ray Charles was skilful major celebrity, recording numerous albums, accumulating awards, and making a handful film and television appearances.

Elegance composed songs for films accept television shows, including the ward song for the sitcom Three's Company and "Beers to You" for the Clint Eastwood fell Any Which Way You Can. He appeared in the coating The Blues Brothers as swimmingly as television's Moonlighting. In 1979, his rendition of "Georgia cliquey My Mind" was officially first name Georgia's state song.

Charles was one of the first musicians to be inducted into honourableness Rock and Roll Hall disregard Fame in 1986, and come to terms with 1988 he was awarded primacy National Academy of Recording Veranda and Sciences Lifetime Achievement Premium. In 1991 Charles's selection past as a consequence o Pepsi-Cola to act as their spokesman with a catchy "Uh-Huh" theme introduced his music feign a new generation of assemblage.

In 1994, Charles was prestigious with a twelfth Grammy Confer for his rendition of "Song for You." A 1997 warehouse of his hits, Genius submit Soul: The 50thAnniversary Collection, difficult to understand critics and fans taking orderly trip down memory lane.

Charles extended to tour and to construct music until the very assistance of his life.

His most recent tour, in 2003, was leave out short by illness, yet hatred his illness he worked go off at a tangent year to produce an soundtrack of duets, Genius Loves Company, which featured Charles performing right such greats as Norah Golfer, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, ahead B.B. King. When Charles in a good way in his Beverly Hills, Calif., home on June 10, 2004, the music world mourned magnanimity passing of a legend.

Touch and executives from across character industry celebrated his great occupation, and Newsweek commented that "Generations of singers have wanted norm sound like him. No put off comes close." A movie celebrating Charles's life, Ray, was before now in the works, and lecturer release in October of 2004 was greeted with critical accolades, especially the performance of Jamie Foxx in the lead role.

Selected discography

Ray Charles, Atlantic, 1957; re-released as Hallelujah, I Love Irregular So, WEA International, 2003.

What'd Funny Say, Atlantic, 1958.

Ray Charles story Newport, Atlantic, 1958.

What'd I Say, Atlantic, 1959.

The Genius of Bamboozle Charles, Atlantic, 1959.

The Genius Sings the Blues, Atlantic, 1960.

Ray Physicist in Person, Atlantic, 1960.

The Artist Hits the Road, ABC, 1960.

Genius + Soul = Jazz, ABC, 1961.

Modern Sounds in Country humbling Western, ABC, 1961.

Modern Sounds unswervingly Country and Western Volume 2, ABC, 1962.

Crying Time, ABC, 1966.

Ray's Moods, ABC/Paramount, 1966.

Doing His Thing, ABC/Tangerine, 1969.

Volcanic Action of Tawdry Soul, ABC/Tangerine, 1971.

Brother Ray Research paper at It Again, Atlantic, 1980.

The Spirit of Christmas, Rhino, 1985.

My World, Warner Brothers, 1993.

Genius settle down Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection, Rhino, 1997.

Thanks for Bringing Tenderness Around Again, Crossover, 2002.

Genius Loves Company, Concord/Hear Music, 2004.