Ray Charles Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Ray Charles
Ray Charles at his last concert
Background information
Birth name	Ray Charles Robinson
Born	(1930-09-23)September 23, 1930 Albany, Georgia, United States
Origin	Greenville, Florida, United States
Died	June 10, 2004(2004-06-10) (aged 73) Beverly Hills, California, United States
Genres	R&B, soul, blues, jazz, gospel
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, musician
Instruments	Singing, piano, alto saxophone
Years active	1947–2004
Labels	Atlantic, ABC, Warner Bros. Records

Ray Charles Robinson (born September 23, 1930 – died June 10, 2004) was an amazing American singer, songwriter, and piano player. Many people think he was one of the most important and famous singers ever. His friends and other musicians often called him "The Genius" or "Brother Ray." Ray Charles lost his eyesight when he was a child, probably because of a condition called glaucoma.

Ray Charles helped create a new type of music called soul music in the 1950s. He mixed different styles like blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel into his songs. He recorded many of these songs for Atlantic Records. Later, when he worked with ABC Records, he was one of the first black musicians to have full control over his music. This was a big deal at the time.

His song "Georgia On My Mind" was a huge hit in 1960. It was one of three songs that reached number one on the Billboard music charts.

Ray Charles said that Nat King Cole was a big influence on his music. Other musicians like Louis Jordan and Charles Brown also inspired him. Famous singer Frank Sinatra once called Ray Charles "the only true genius in show business." Even Billy Joel said that Ray Charles was perhaps more important than Elvis Presley.

Ray Charles received many important awards for his music. These include the Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, and the Polar Music Prize. He was one of the very first people to be put into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. He won 18 Grammy Awards, which are very important music awards. Ten of his songs are even in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone magazine put him at number 10 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. They also said he was the number 2 greatest singer of all time. In 2022, he was added to the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.

Early Life and Learning

Ray Charles Robinson was born on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia. His father was Bailey Robinson, who worked hard, and his mother was Aretha Robinson, who was a laundress. They lived in Greenville, Florida.

Ray loved his mother very much. He often said that her strength, independence, and pride helped guide him throughout his life.

When he was very young, Ray was interested in how things worked. He liked to watch his neighbors fix their cars and farm machines. His love for music started when he was three years old. He heard Wylie Pitman playing boogie woogie music on an old piano at the Red Wing Cafe. Pitman then taught Ray how to play the piano. Ray and his mother were always welcome at the cafe. They even lived there when they had money problems. Pitman also helped care for Ray's younger brother, George. Sadly, George drowned when he was four years old.

Ray started to lose his sight when he was about four or five years old. By the time he was seven, he was completely blind. This was likely due to glaucoma. His mother found a special school that would accept a blind African-American student. Even though he didn't want to go at first, Ray went to the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine. He attended from 1937 to 1945.

At school, Ray became even better at music. He learned to play classical piano pieces by famous composers like Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. His teacher, Mrs. Lawrence, taught him how to read braille music. This was a tricky process where he learned the left-hand parts by reading braille with his right hand, and the right-hand parts by reading braille with his left hand. Then he put both parts together.

Ray's mother passed away in the spring of 1945. He was 14 years old. Her death was a big shock to him. He later said that losing his brother and his mother were the "two great tragedies" of his life. After the funeral, Ray decided not to go back to school.

Family Life

Ray Charles was married twice in his life. He also had many children. He cared deeply for all of them.

In 2002, he gathered his children for a special lunch. He wanted to make sure they would be taken care of.

Chess Fun

Ray Charles really enjoyed playing chess. Even though he was blind, he was good at it. Someone once asked him if people tried to cheat him because he couldn't see. He joked, "You can't cheat in Chess... I'm gonna see that!" In 2002, he even played a game against a famous chess player named Larry Evans. Ray lost that game, but he still loved playing.

His Final Years

Ray Charles passed away at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on June 10, 2004. He was 73 years old. He died from problems with his liver. His funeral was held on June 18, 2004, at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles. Many famous musicians came to say goodbye. B.B. King, Glen Campbell, Stevie Wonder, and Wynton Marsalis all played music to honor him. He was buried in the Inglewood Park Cemetery.