Ray Charles

Ray Charles
Ray Charles in 1990
Background information
Birth name	Ray Charles Robinson
Born	(1930-09-23)September 23, 1930 Albany, Georgia, U.S.
Origin	Greenville, Florida, U.S.
Died	June 10, 2004(2004-06-10) (aged 73) Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Genres	R&B soul blues gospel country jazz pop rock and roll
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer, songwriter, composer
Instruments	Vocals, piano, keyboards
Years active	1947–2004
Labels	Atlantic, ABC, Warner Bros., Swing Time, Concord, Columbia, Flashback
Associated acts	The Raelettes, USA for Africa, Billy Joel, Gladys Knight
Website	www.raycharles.com

Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004), known professionally as Ray Charles, 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 was blind from the age of seven.

He pioneered the genre of soul music during the 1950s by combining blues, rhythm and blues, and gospel styles into the music he recorded for Atlantic Records. He also contributed to the integration of country and rhythm and blues and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, most notably with his two Modern Sounds albums. While he was with ABC, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company.

Charles cited Nat King Cole as a primary influence, but his music was also influenced by country, jazz, blues, and rhythm and blues artists of the day, including Louis Jordan and Charles Brown. In the late forties, he became friends with Quincy Jones, to whom he learned the ropes of arranging jazz music. Their friendship would last till the end of Charles' life.

Frank Sinatra called him "the only true genius in show business," although Charles downplayed this notion.

In 2002, Rolling Stone ranked Charles at number ten on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time," and number two on their November 2008 list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time."Billy Joel observed: "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley".