What is Ray Charles best known for?

What is Ray Charles best known for?

Ray Charles, original name Ray Charles Robinson, (born September 23, 1930, Albany, Georgia, U.S.—died June 10, 2004, Beverly Hills, California), American pianist, singer, composer, and bandleader, a leading entertainer billed as “the Genius.” Charles was credited with the early development of soul music, a style based …

How did Ray Robinson go blind?

Ray Charles Robinson was born September 23, 1930 in Albany, Georgia. 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.

What happened to Ray Charles eyes?

Ray Charles did not lose his sight until he was about seven years old. Years later, doctors suggested that juvenile glaucoma had caused his blindness. I lost my sight when I was seven. So blindness didn’t have anything to do with it.

Was Ray Charles banned from Georgia?

In 1961, Charles canceled a concert scheduled to take place in the Bell Auditorium in Augusta, Georgia to protest against segregated seating. He wasn’t banned from the state of Georgia as inaccurately claimed in the popular film Ray, though Charles did have to pay $800 compensation to the promoter.

What year did Ray Charles refuse to play in Georgia?

1961
Ray Charles was one of the first to reject Jim Crow laws in the south. On one notable occasion in Augusta, Georgia, in March 1961, he learned the theater seating was to be segregated. Ray Charles refused to perform. Charles stood his ground, and was sued and fined for breach of contract.

Does Jamie Foxx actually sing in Annie?

The rest of the cast doesn’t fare much better. Foxx — who can sing — is saddled with some new songs that should never, ever be released on a soundtrack. Diaz slaughters her solos like Mario Batali in a butcher shop.

What kind of music does Ray Charles play?

But Ray’s catalog also includes a huge collection of other “classically Ray” recordings that may not be as well known such as “Come Live With Me,” “A Song For You” and many others.

How old was Ray Charles when he died?

Ray Charles, who died at age 73 on June 10, 2004, lives on in America’s collective inner ear. So much so that it’s a challenge to think of anyone else who ever performed such songs as “Georgia On My Mind,” “What’d I Say” and “You Don’t Know Me.”

What kind of keyboard did Ray Charles use?

While on tour in the 1980s and 1990s, Ray Charles played this Yamaha KX88 electronic keyboard MIDI controller, customized with Braille. (NMAH/SI) Ray Charles enjoyed reading the articles in Braille editions of Reader’s Digest.

What kind of sunglasses did Ray Charles wear?

And when we watched him sway to the rhythm of his songs like some living metronome, we focused on his jubilant smile and ever-present sunglasses. Those lenses were both fact and metaphor, reflecting his audiences as his songs reflected the emotions of fans who spanned generations.