Ray Charles History and Biography (Lire version française)

Ray Charles was the stage name of Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004). He was a pioneering American pianist and soul musician who helped shape the sound of rhythm and blues and brought a soulful sound to everything from country music to pop standards to a now-iconic rendition of "America the Beautiful." Frank Sinatra called him "the only genius in the business." Biography Early years Ray Charles Robinson was born in Albany, Georgia to poor sharecroppers parents, Bailey and Aretha Robinson. The family moved to Greenville, Florida when he was still an infant. His father wasn't around much as he worked and had 2 other families, leaving his mother to raise the family with the aid of his father's wife Mary Jane, who helped raise Ray. When Ray was 5 his younger brother, George, who was around 4, drowned in an outside tub. Ray witnessed him fall and tried to pull him out, but he was too heavy for Ray. Ray began going blind soon after and was totally blind by the age of seven. He said that the causes were undiagnosed. (* Note - there are sources which attribute Ray's blindness to glaucoma.) He attended school at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, Florida, as a charity case; he learned how to read Braille, as well as to write music and play various musical instruments. While he was there, his mother Aretha died. His father died twenty years later. Ray was born with a love for music. One of his early childhood influences was a man named Wylie Pitman. Wylie Pitman was the owner of Red Wing Cafe. It was located across the road in Ray's home. Having no children, Mr. Pit, as Ray called him, treated him like his own son and taught him how to play the piano. Ray was allowed to come in the cafe and play the piano at his own free will. Ray also had a "reserved" spot next to the jukebox. With Mr. Pit's help, Ray developed a strong passion for music. After he left school, Charles began working as a musician in Florida in several bands that played in various styles including jazz and country music, eventually moving to Seattle in 1947 at the age of sixteen. He soon started recording, first for the label, Swingtime Records, achieving his first hit song with "Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand" (1951). When he entered show business, his name was shortened to Ray Charles to avoid confusion with boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. Chris Kaman. Middle years Charles had also another hit with the version of "It Should Have Been Me," but went into high gear with the gospel drive of "I Got a Woman" (1955). This was followed by "This Little Girl of Mine," "Drown in My Own Tears," "Hallelujah I Love Her So.," and "Lonely Avenue." Half of them were gospel songs converted with secular lyrics, and the others blues ballads. Later years In 1965, Charles was then arrested for possession of heroin, a drug to which he had been addicted for 17 years. It was his third arrest for the offense, but he avoided prison time after kicking the habit in a clinic in Los Angeles. He spent a year on parole in 1966. After the 1960s, Charles' releases were hit-or-miss, with some massive hits and critically acclaimed work, and some music that was dismissed as unoriginal and staid. He concentrated largely on live performances, although his version of "Georgia On My Mind," a Hoagy Carmichael song originally written for a girl named Georgia, was a hit and soon was proclaimed the state song of Georgia on April 24, 1979, with Charles performing it on the floor of the state legislature. He also had success with his unique version of "America the Beautiful." Film audiences enthusiastic for a soul music and R&B resurgence, fueled in part by the music performances of comic frontmen John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in the April 22, 1978, episode of Saturday Night Live, snapped up albums, heavily requested Top 40 releases and swelled the box office take of summer 1980's The Blues Brothers. In one of the film's notable cameos, Ray Charles plays a blind music store owner and offers a lively "Shake Your Tailfeather." Then in the late 1980s, a number of events increased Charles' recognition among young audiences. In 1985, "Night Time is the Right Time" was featured in the episode "Happy Anniversary" of The Cosby Show. The cast members used the song to perform a wildly popular lip-synch that helped the show secure its wide viewership. In 1986, he performed his rendition of "America the Beautiful" at WrestleMania 2. Charles' new connection with audiences helped secure a spokesmanship for Diet Pepsi. In this highly successful advertising campaign, Charles popularized the catchphrase "You've got the right one, baby!" At the height of his newfound fame in the early nineties, Charles did guest vocals for quite a few projects. He also appeared (with Chaka Khan) on long time friend Quincy Jones' hit "I'll Be Good To You" in 1990, from Jones' album Back on the Block. Final performances Charles performed his classic "Georgia On My Mind" during the Opening Ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2002 Charles headlined during the Cognac festival in southern France. At one point in the performance a young fan rose to his feet and began to sing an a cappella version of Charles' early song, Mess Around . Charles adored this show of respect and bravery and decided to show this fan his admiration by playing the song. One of Charles' last public performances was in 2003 at a televised annual electronic media journalist banquet held in Washington, D.C. He performed "Georgia On My Mind" and "America the Beautiful." Ray Charles' final public appearance came on April 30, 2004, at the dedication of his music studio as a historic landmark in the city of Los Angeles. He died at age 73 on June 11, 2004 (11:35 a.m.) of liver disease at his home in Beverly Hills, California, surrounded by family and friends. He was interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. His final album, Genius Loves Company, released two months after his death, consists of duets with various admirers and contemporaries: B.B. King, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, James Taylor, Gladys Knight, Michael McDonald, Natalie Cole, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, Diana Krall, Norah Jones, Idina Menzel, and Johnny Mathis. The album won 8 Grammy Awards, including 5 for Ray Charles for Best Pop Vocal Album, Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Here We Go Again" with Norah Jones, and Best Gospel Performance for "Heaven Help Us All" with Gladys Knight; he also received nods for his duets with Elton John and B.B. King. Ray biopic and legacy Charles was significantly involved in the biopic Ray, an October 2004 film which portrays his life and career between 1930 and 1966 and stars Jamie Foxx as Charles. Foxx won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Actor for the role. Before shooting could begin, however, director Taylor Hackford brought Foxx to meet Charles, who insisted that they sit down at two pianos and play together. For two hours, Charles challenged Foxx, who revealed the depth of his talent, and finally, Charles stood up, hugged Foxx, and gave his blessing, proclaiming, "He's the one... he can do it." Charles was able to attend a showing of the completed film, but he died before it opened in theaters. The film's credits note that he is survived by 12 children, 21 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren. Many of today's artists continue to honor the legacy of Charles. The 2005 Grammy Awards were dedicated to him. In August 2005, the United States Congress honored Charles by renaming the former West Adams Station post office in Los Angeles the "Ray Charles Station". Recognition in Halls of Fame Besides winning dozens of Grammy Awards in his career, Charles was honored in one way or another. In 1976, he was one of the first recipients of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame being recognized for being a musician born in the state, a good three years before his version of "Georgia On My Mind" was made into the official state song. In 1981, he was given a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was one of the first inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural ceremony in 1986. In 1991, he was given an induction to the Rhythm & Blues Foundation and in 1994 he was inducted to the Jazz Hall of Fame. Controversies and criticisms Despite his support of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s and his support for the American Civil Rights Movement, Charles courted controversy when he toured South Africa in 1981 despite an international boycott of the country because of its apartheid policy. He faced pickets in South Africa and in 15 North American cities he toured subsequently, including Albany, New York; Los Angeles; New York City; and Toronto. The United Nations agency supporting the boycott asked him to apologize and promise not to visit South Africa until the abolition of apartheid, to which he did not respond well. Despite having described himself as a "Hubert Humphrey Democrat," Charles accepted $100,000 to perform "America the Beautiful" at former U.S. President Ronald Reagan's second inaugural ball. In response to criticism, his manager Joe Adams commented: "For that kind of money he would have sung 'America the Beautiful' at a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) rally." A notorious ladies' man, Charles was married twice and fathered twelve children by seven different women. His first marriage, to Eileen Williams on July 31, 1951, resulted in one child and ended in divorce in 1952. Three additional children are from his second marriage, on April 5, 1955, to Della Beatrice Howard Robinson. She was not one of his original Raelettes. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1977. In a 60 Minutes profile, he admitted to Ed Bradley that he "auditioned" his female back-up singers. The saying was, "To be a Raelette, you've got to let Ray." From the time of his switch from straight rhythm and blues with a combo, Charles was often accused of selling out. He left behind his classic formulation of rhythm and blues to sing country music, pop songs, and soft-drink commercials. In the process, he went from a niche audience to worldwide fame. Album Discography 1957 Ray Charles (or, Hallelujah I Love Her So) Atlantic 1957 The Great Ray Charles Atlantic 1958 Ray Charles At Newport Atlantic 1958 Yes Indeed! Atlantic 1958 Soul Brothers Atlantic 1959 What'd I Say Atlantic 1959 The Genius of Ray Charles Atlantic 1959 Fathead / Ray Charles Presents David Newman Atlantic 1960 Ray Charles In Person Atlantic 1960 Genius+Soul=Jazz Impulse! 1960 The Genius Hits The Road ABC/Paramount 1961 The Genius After Hours Atlantic 1961 The Genius Sings The Blues Atlantic 1961 Dedicated To You ABC/Paramount 1961 Ray Charles & Betty Carter ABC/Paramount 1962 Soul Meeting (with Milt Jackson) Atlantic 1962 Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music ABC/Paramount 1962 Ray Charles' Greatest Hits ABC/Paramount 1962 Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music, Volume Two ABC/Paramount 1963 Ingredients In A Recipe For Soul ABC/Paramount 1964 Sweet And Sour Tears ABC/Paramount 1964 Have A Smile With Me ABC/Paramount 1964 The Great Hits Of Ray Charles Recorded On 8-Track Stereo Atlantic 1965 Live In Concert ABC/Paramount 1965 Country And Western Meets Rhythm And Blues ABC/Paramount 1965 The Cincinnati Kid (Soundtrack) MGM 1966 Crying Time ABC/Paramount 1966 Ray's Moods (Featuring The Raelettes) ABC/Paramount 1967 A Man And His Soul ABC/Paramount 1967 Ray Charles Invites You To Listen ABC/Paramount 1968 A Portrait Of Ray ABC/Paramount 1969 I'm All Yours, Baby! ABC/Paramount 1969 Doing His Thing ABC/Paramount 1970 My Kind Of Jazz Tangerine 1970 Love Country Style ABC/Paramount 1971 Volcanic Action Of My Soul ABC/Paramount 1972 A Message From The People ABC/Paramount 1972 Through The Eyes Of Love ABC/Paramount 1972 Presents The Raelettes Tangerine 1973 Genius In Concert L.A. BluesWay 1973 My Kind Of Jazz, Number 2 Tangerine 1974 Come Live With Me Crossover 1975 Renaissance Crossover 1975 My Kind Of Jazz, Pt. 3 Crossover 1975 Live In Japan Crossover 1975 World Of Ray Charles, Vol. 2 Decca 1976 Porgy & Bess RCA Victor 1977 True To Life Atlantic 1978 Love & Peace Atco 1979 Ain't It So Atlantic 1980 Brother Ray Is At It Again Atlantic 1983 Wish You Were Here Tonight Columbia 1984 Do I Ever Cross Your Mind? Columbia 1984 Friendship Columbia 1985 The Spirit Of Christmas Columbia 1986 From The Pages Of My Mind Columbia 1988 Just Between Us Columbia 1990 Would You Believe? Warner Bros. 1993 My World Warner Bros. 1996 Strong Love Affair Warner Bros. 2002 Thanks for Bringing Love Around Again Crossover 2002 Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival Pioneer 2004 Genius Loves Company Concord/Hear Music 2005 Genius & Friends Rhino Source : Wikipedia.org

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