- Ray Charles was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and composer
- Among friends and fellow musicians he preferred being called "Brother Ray"
Born: | 23 September 1930 Comment | When did Ray Charles die? / Died | 10 June 2004 | How many years did Ray Charles live? / Lived | 73 years | Where was Ray Charles born? | Albany, Georgia, US | Where did Ray Charles die? / Deathplace | Beverly Hills, California, US | Zodiac sign: | Libra |
Ray Charles Net worth 2024 (estimated)
| How much is Ray Charles worth? | Under review
| Nationality: | American |
Who was Ray Charles? / Facts
- 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"
Bio / wiki sources: Wikipedia, accounts on social media, content from our users.
Related celebs
Sheila Raye Charles, Ray Charles Robinson Jr., Della Beatrice Howard Robinson, Eileen Williams
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