Country Singer — Ray Charles

Ray Charles Robinson (* September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was a singer and pianist soul, R & B and jazz born in Albany, Georgia (United States) and blind since childhood.

History

Born in Albany, Georgia. Lost view during his childhood, at age 7, glaucoma. Self-taught piano, but also received music lessons at the “St Augustine School”, a Centre for the blind braille. In parallel, had to make a living as a musician, when his parents died. The late 1940s, Ray Charles Robinson manages to put a disc in his country lists, and in 1951 gets his first Top Ten, thanks to “baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand”. Songs was criticized by singing gospel with popular letters although there is a great tradition to bring religious lyrics to songs and vice versa. Thomas a. Dorsey, one of the founders of the gospel music which also had a significant career in popular music. Solomon Burke and Little Richard even moved between the two styles.

After an appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival managed a major success with “(The_Night_Time_is) The Right Time”, and his most popular song of 1959, “What d I Say”. The essence of this phase of his career can be heard on his album recorded before a large audience Ray Charles in person, live African-American in Atlanta in 1959.

Ray began to go beyond the limits of its blues-gospel synthesis while still with Atlantic, which now called him The genius. The recorded with many orchestras and artists jazz as Milt Jackson and even made his first country music with the “I’m Movin ‘On” Hank Snow cover.

Then switched to ABC Records. In ABC, Charles had much control over your music and extended its approach not in experimental side projects but with pop music, resulting the “Unchain My Heart” song and number 1 on the Billboard charts “hit the Road, Jack”. In 1962, Charles surprised its new external audience with its important album Modern Sounds in country and Western Music, which includes the topics “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and “You Don’t Know Me”. This was followed by a series of hits, including “You Are My Sunshine”, “Crying Time”, “Busted” and “Unchain My Heart”.

In 1961, Ray canceled a concert scheduled at Bell Auditorium in Augusta (Georgia) to protest segregated locations. Contrary to what Ray’s autobiographical film says, Ray never vetoed in Georgia, although it had to pay compensation for the developer. That same year the made a duet album with vocalist jazz Betty Carter.

In 1965, Ray was arrested for possession of heroin, which was addicted for 17 years. It was his third arrest for crime, but could prevent go to prison after cessation clinic in San Francisco. He spent a year on probation and made the “let’s Go Get Stoned” Ashford and Simpson (1966)

After 1970, Ray made what would be a success or its loss, some popular successes and acclaimed by critics and any music that was discarded as copy and permanent jobs. Focused on shows live, although his version of “Georgia on My Mind”, a song originally written for a girl named Georgia, was a success and soon he was proclaimed as the song by Georgia excellence on 24 April, 1979, with the emergence of Charles on the floor of the legislature of the State. Even had success with his unique version of “America the Beautiful”. In 1980, Charles made a brief appearance in The Blues Brothers.

Finishing 1980, increased recognition of Ray among its audience. In 1985, “The Night Time is the Right Time” was used in the episode “Happy Anniversary” The Cosby Show. Actors used the song to show a popular chant that has increased the rating of the show. In 1986, he collaborated with Billy Joel in “Baby Grand” for the album by Joel The Bridge, participated in u. S. a. for Africa. In 1987, Charles appeared in the episode “hit the Road, Chad” of who’s the Boss. Ray sing the song, “Always a Friend”. Also appeared many times on the show The Nanny, playing with Yetta (Ann Guilbert). The new collection of Charles with the audience helped a Diet Pepsi campaign. In his most successful advertising campaign, Charles popularized the phrase “You’ve got the right one, baby!” The height of this fame reunited at the beginning of the 1990s, Charles invited vocalists for some projects. This included the INXS song “Please (You’ve Got That…)”, the Full Moon, Dirty Hearts, as well as the song Designing Women at its sixth session. The also appeared (with Chaka Khan) with an old friend Quincy Jones’ in the hit 1990s I ll Be Good To You. In 2004, Charles released an album of duets, Genius Loves Company, which was nominated for the Grammy Award for best pop vocal album, album of the year and song of the year. Won album of the year and song of the year. A Duet with Norah Jones, “Here We Go Again”, was nominated for best song.

In 1996, Ray Charles made a cameo in the movie spy as you can.

Died at the age of 73, 10 June 2004 at his home in California. He is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

Ray, movie that tells his life was released in 2004. Won two Oscars, including best actor and best soundtrack, and also nominated for best film. Since then they have continued to publish compilations on CD and even recorded some previously unreleased songs by artist in the disk of the movie. He has also published his autobiography, Brother Ray, who tells his life the closest possible realistic way.

Rolling Stone magazine named him # 10 in their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time. 2009 Publishes the list of the 100 best singers in history, which have been chosen for all singers and people related to music. Including all Ray has been named as best male singer and second best singer of all time, only surpassed by Aretha Franklin.

Comments are closed.

Scroll to Top