Ray Charles Robinson was born in Albany, Georgia on September 23, 1930.
At the age of seven years he was totally blind and attended school at the Florida
School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, Florida as a charity case, where
he learned how to read braille, write music and play various musical instruments.

Entering show business he adopted the name Ray Charles and began playing
in several bands that played in various styles including jazz and country music.

At the age of 17 he moved to Seattle and began recording, but it was
not until 1955 that he begin to achieve success as a recording artist with
his “I Got A Woman” and Hallelujah I Love Her So.”

It was “What’d I Say” in 1959 that introduced him to Top 40 radio and gave
him his first top ten hit. Among his more than 70 visits to the Hit Parade
were three number one chart toppers,“Georgia On My Mind,”
“Hit The Road Jack” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and seven top ten hits,

“One Mint Julep,” “Unchain My Heart,” “You Don’t Know Me,” “You Are My Sunshine,”

“Take These Chains From My Heart,” “Busted” and “Crying Time.

Shaping the sound of rhythm and blues music Ray Charles brought a
soulful sound to popand country music including his famous rendition
of “America the Beautiful.”

Besides winning dozens of Grammy Awards in his career, Ray Charles
was also honoredin many other ways. In 1976 he was one of the first
honorees of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame being recognized for being a
musician born in the state, a full three years before his version of
"Georgia On My Mind" was named the official state song.

In 1981, he was given a star on 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 2007 Ray Charles was
inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

Ray Charles died at 73 years of age on June 10, 2004
at his home in Beverly Hills, California.