Creativity and biography of Ray Charles

Ray Charles, a musician who performed compositions in the style of jazz, rhythm and blues and soul, became one of the most famous American musicians. The result of his creative activity was the release of more than seventy albums, multiple awarding of Grammy Awards (13 times), as well as belonging to the members of the Hall of Fame of certain musical genres (rock and roll, jazz, country, blues). The Library of Congress of the United States contains the hits of Ray Charles, and the famous words spoken by Frank Sinatra call him the only genius in show business.

Childhood of Rhea

The naughty Ray Charles Robinson saw the world in Albany , Georgia in the 1930s. The town was small, and the financial and social position of the Ray family was unfavorable. A few months after his birth, the whole family had to change their place of residence: now they called their home a small graying of Greenville (South Florida).

The role of the father in the life of the musician was short and insignificant, since he left when the boy and his brother George were very small. Parenting mother Areta and grandmother Mary Jane Robinson.

Tragic case

The biography of Ray Charles contains one notorious fact related to the death of his brother. This happened when the future musician was only five years old, and George - four. Plunged headlong into the deep tub with the water that stood on the street, George could not get out and began to choke. Seeing his sinking brother, Ray tried to save him, but he did not have the strength to pull the child out.

The resulting shock had a strong impact on Ray. He himself assumed that it was for this reason that his vision began to deteriorate until completely lost. Complete blindness came when he was seven years old. Later, the probable cause of blindness was called glaucoma and its consequences.

There are rumors claiming that the musician, having achieved fame, tried to find a donor for transplanting one eye. However, the operation was never carried out because of the opinion of doctors who considered this step senseless and risky.

Ray Charles: learning music

The formation of the future career of the musician was directly influenced by the pharmacist, who played the piano and lived near the house of Ray. The first manifestations of the musical talent of the boy were noticeable already when he was three years old.

Therefore, after complete loss of vision, the mother took care of Rae enrolling in a specialized boarding school. She was in the city of St. Augustine, and here Ray Charles studied the Braille alphabet, as well as playing organ, piano, trombone, saxophone and clarinet. Thanks to his success in music, the boy was enrolled in the Baptist choir.

1945 was for Ray the year of his mother's death, his father died in two years.

Musical career: first steps

Further biography of Ray Charles (the period after the completion of training in the boarding school) is full of names of numerous musical projects in which he took part. Often they performed country or jazz. The greatest influence on the formation of style and manner of performing Ray had such famous jazzmen as Count Basie, Art Tatum, as well as Artie Shaw. The first group, a full member of which became a musician, was called The Florida Playboys.

The trip to Seattle in 1947 was a very significant event for seventeen-year-old Ray. With an accumulated amount of $ 600 and with the support of guitarist Gossadie McGee, he is engaged in the foundation and development of the MacSon Trio group. To record the first tracks, Ray resorts to collaboration with a group of famous artist Lowell Fulson. Ray's task was to accompany the musicians to the piano. Two years later the first Ray Charles song in rhythm and blues style was seen. Then came a few more songs, which later became hits.

The activity of a musician in the 50s

A new decade was celebrated for Ray Charles Robinson by changing the label and shortening the name. This measure was necessary, since at that time was a popular boxer with a similar name.

Ray's first marriage lasted only a year. Beginning in July 1951, the joint life of the musician and Eileen Williams did not stand the test of time. The next time, Ray joined the bark in three years, taking Della Beatrice Robinson (nee Howard) as his wife. They lived together until 1977.

The biography of Ray Charles in the mid-fifties is full of successful songs written independently or in collaboration with other musicians. It is during this period that a recognizable and original unique sound is formed.

The songs of Ray Charles were sold in million copies, bringing popularity to the musician and the styles in which he worked. The composition of Rey's repertoire included gospel music on secular subjects and blues ballads. The popularity of gospel and R & B is largely due to the creativity of this musician, whose activities attracted a large number of new fans. There were representatives of both black and white audiences. The merit of Ray Chalz, as one of the first performers in the style of rhythm and blues, is the impressive spread of "black" music.

The end of the fifties brought Ray general popularity, participation in the Newport Festival, recording a large number of hits, as well as the first Grammy Award.

Biography of Ray Charles: 60th years

After receiving world recognition, Ray moved to a huge mansion in Beverly Hills. Being one of several performers receiving the highest fees, he began to enjoy his creative freedom to expand his approach to music. As a result, his works became closer to the style of pop and mainstream. Despite the fact that the new compositions were strikingly different from what he had done before, Rhea's music invariably enjoyed success. The breadth and variety of the musician's repertoire has reached tremendous volumes.

The song "Georgia On My Mind", which became the anthem of Ray Charles's native state, was published in the early 60's. Then followed a significant event: the release of the album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. Included in its composition of hits belong to the genre of country, which in combination with the racial identity of Ray has become a kind of revolution.

Anti-racist mood musician

A native of the lowest social class, Ray Charles throughout his life was an active fighter for racial equality. An excellent example of his attitude to this issue can be considered the cancellation of a concert in Augusta in 1961 due to the fact that black and white spectators planned to separate separately. In addition, Ray helped (including financially) the activities of Martin Luther King and openly expressed disapproval of the policy of JF Kennedy.

Some sources mention a 20-year ban for Ray to enter Georgia, but in fact he simply did not plan to go there.

Ray Charles and his "monkey on his back"

So allegorically, the musician called his dependence on heroin. Learning what it is at 16, for the next two decades, he was in a state of addiction to the drug.

In 1961, while searching the hotel room Ray was found illegal drugs, but the court did not follow, because the procedure was violated (there was no warrant). In subsequent years, the musician was repeatedly seen for using drugs, and in 1965 in Boston he was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana and heroin.

Life with a clean slate

The decisive step, after which Ray Charles said a decisive "no" to drugs, was a lengthy treatment at a clinic in Los Angeles. This measure saved him from being in prison, the court limited himself to assigning a rather mild sentence: one year suspended. After a course of rehabilitation, Ray Charles did not return to use, finding inspiration and solace only in music and performances.

"Ray", a film about Ray Charles, very extensively covers the topic of drug dependence of the musician.

Mainstream and later years of Ray

Having freed himself from drugs, the musician acquires a new style, approaching the mainstream. The peculiarity of this period is the lack of own compositions in favor of fantastic performance of the songs of other musicians.

With the advent of the 80-ies Ray Charles expands its activities: participation in the shooting of the movie "The Blues Brothers", in a popular television show, as well as in advertising Pepsi.

The musician accepts the invitations of the organizers of charitable actions, works together with popular young performers and speaks at the inauguration of Bill Clinton. Rich Ray's social activities ended in 2004 in Los Angeles, when his last performance took place.

In the last years of his life, the musician suffered from liver cancer and the severe consequences of surgery performed on the hip. Despite this, he appeared daily at his RPM studio to perform his work. In one of the interviews he noticed that it does not matter how long life has, it's important how beautiful she is.

After the death of Ray Charles in 2004, his memory was honored with the release of a posthumous album. He received eight Grammy Awards. Later, another collection, including joint compositions by Ray Charles and other performers, would be released.

In the framework of the memorial ceremony with Ray, many musicians and thousands of faithful fans said goodbye.