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Birth Date
Born: September 23, 1930 -
Childhood
They moved the family to Greenville, Florida when he was an infant. One of the most traumatic events of his childhood was witnessing the drowning death of his younger brother. -
Early life
In his early years, Charles showed an interest in mechanical objects and would often watch his neighbors working on their cars and farm machinery. His mother was a teenage orphan making a living as a sharecropper. Charles started to lose his sight at the age of five.Charles further developed his musical talent at school and was taught to play the classical piano music. -
Education and Jobs
Ray Education; Florida School For The Deaf And Blind and his job was actor, songwriter, composer, singer-songwriter, gospel singer, music arranger, jazz pianist. -
Obstacles Ray overcame
Ray Charles proved doubters wrong. He overcame his father walking out on him, death of his younger brother, blindness, poverty, death of his mother, segregation, and discrimination. He endured all of these obstacles, and yet went on to be one of the greatest musicians of our time, while he was battling a powerful drug addiction. -
Their contributions to the black community
Ray Charles Robinson, a talented musician, singer and composer, was one of the first African American artists to merge the blues with gospel to pave the way for rhythm and blues R&B music. -
FUN FACTS !!!!!!!!
- Charles suffered from glaucoma as a child, which made him completely blind by the time he turned seven.
- After moving to Orlando, Charles lived in utter poverty and went without food for days, since that was an extremely difficult time for musicians to find work.
- Ray Charles Robinson dropped his last name to avoid confusion with the boxer, Sugar Ray Robinson.
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Marriage/Children/Parents
Ray was married 2 times and had 12 children with 9 different women. When he sang I Got a Woman, he wasn't kidding. His first marriage was to Eileen Williams, and it was very brief 1951-1952. His second marriage was to Della Beatrice Howard Robinson 1955-1977 and they had 3 children. His parents was Aretha Robinson and Bailey Robinson. -
Accomplishments
Ray Charles was a pioneer of soul music, integrating R&B, gospel, pop and country to create hits like "Unchain My Heart," "Hit the Road Jack" and "Georgia on My Mind." A blind genius, he is considered one of the greatest artists of all time. -
How he change society
He was the first black man to write and record a country song.
Charles is not only known for his music, but he was also known for standing up for what he believed. Standing up for what you believe in is a big part of being a hero in my opinion. -
Death Date
June 10, 2004 -
How does Ray contributions influence on my life today
Because Ray persevered through multiple hardships, utilized his influence to create a better future for others, and excelled in his area of work, becoming one of the best.
