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The Story of Ray Charles

As a talented singer, songwriter and composer, Ray Charles captivated the eyes and ears of people around the world. Dubbed the “Father of Soul”, he brought soul music into the mainstream by using a unique blend of R&B, gospel and blues in hits such as “Georgia on My Mind” and “Hit the Road Jack”. In honor of what would have been his 84th birthday, we’re taking a look back at Ray Charles’ story, and how it’s impacted us here at Industries for the Blind – Milwaukee.

Ray Charles Robinson was born September 23, 1930 in Albany, Georgia. His mother Aretha was a sharecropper, and his father Bailey worked as a railroad repair man and handyman. At an early age, his vision began to deteriorate, and by age seven, Ray was completely blind. The cause of his blindness was believed to be glaucoma.

Shortly after losing his vision in 1937, Ray Charles was sent to St. Augustine, Florida to attend a special school for the deaf and visually impaired. At that time, the school – which was founded by a deaf man – was called The Institute for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb. The

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Ray Charles

As a performer and recording artist in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Ray Charles pioneered a new style of music that became known as “soul,” a blend of gospel music, blues, and jazz that brought him worldwide fame. Over the next four decades his unique voice, passionate style of playing the piano, and tireless showmanship made him a legendary figure in the world of entertainment.

In the popular imagination Ray Charles will probably always be linked with his rendition of “Georgia on My Mind,” his number-one pop hit of 1960. Over the next forty years, this “old sweet song” remained his signature piece, becoming Georgia’s official state song in 1979.

Early Years

Ray Charles Robinson was born in Albany on September 23, 1930, the same year that Hoagy Carmichael composed “Georgia on My Mind.” A few months after his birth his mother, Aretha Williams, moved with RC (as everybody called the young Charles) to Greenville, a small town in north Florida.

At the age of five Charles slowly began to lose his sight, most li

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About

America the Beautiful:

Of All the hundreds of songs he recorded, Ray Charles’ rendition of “America the Beautiful” remains to this day the definitive version of that song.

It exceeds all others in its ability to lift our collective spirits.

Ray Charles recorded the song in 1972. In live performances he followed a consistent pattern, of improvisations we associate with gospel and soul music. He added, “I’m talkin’ about America” and “I love America, and you should too,” and “Sweet America,” all passionate accents that indelibly marked the song as a personal tribute to the country he loved so much.

Ray Charles performed “America the Beautiful” on national and international world stages, all by popular demand, from the Major League Baseball World Series to NFL Superbowls, and both summer and winter Olympics. Ray’s “America the Beautiful” hits the right tone of brotherhood and patriotism unlike any other song. It remains one of Ray Charles’ most requested songs, first introduced at his stage show at Carnegie Hall with the unfurling of a giant American flag.

In Ray Charl