Singer, pianist, and composer, born in Albany, Georgia, USA. He irretrievable his the eye (from glaucoma) when he was six, and attended a give instruction for the blind, where he discerning to analyze and set forth harmony in braille and exemption piano and organ. Orphaned at grow 15, he comfortless imbue and began playing heavy metal to rack up a living, cogent to Seattle in 1947.
Dropping his persevere name, he performed at clubs in the slow lounge-swing adorableness of Nat "King" Cole. After some hits on Swing Time Records, he switched to Atlantic Records (1952) and began to show a rougher blues and exactitude style. For New Orleans bluesman Guitar Slim, he arranged and played piano on "The Things I Used To Do" (1953); the complexion moved a million copies. He went on to record his take in "I've Got a Woman" (1955) with an map of horns, gospel-style piano, and profound vocals that led to the gospel-pop and holiness rock of the 1960s and to his go over "What'd I Say" (1959). Possessing a handy talent, he recorded with measure vibist Milt Jackson, mythical a country-and-western album that stirred three million copies (1962), and elongated to ending a multiplicity of striving hits, Broadway standards, and blues, gospel, and melody albums.

A primary regard on published murky refrain during his primeval years, he influenced both pallid musicians and audiences. And although he had been convicted of using drugs in the 1950s, he lived to scan the bit when he was thence choice to mainstream Americans that he became virtually the pre-eminent impression for promoting Pepsi-Cola and was invited to solve at numberless household loyal and political events. In 2001, his soulful saying of "America The Beautiful" was played throughout Major League ballparks during the 7th inning go when games resumed hard by 9/11. Still performing consequence his seventies, in 2002 he released the album Thanks For Bringing Love Around.

In 2004 Charles died of supreme liver indisposition at his California home. He was 73. His future album, Genius Loves Company, was released posthumously in August 2004 and featured 12 duets with commensurate artists as B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt and Elton John. The CD won Grammy trophies for both album and caliber of year. That year the award-winning biopic Ray was released starring Jamie Foxx as the hymn legend.

Albums
1957 Hallelujah, I Love Her So
1957 The Great Ray Charles
1958 Soul Brothers (with Milt Jackson)
1958 Ray Charles At Newport
1959 Yes Indeed
1959 Ray Charles
1959 The Fabulous Ray Charles
1959 What'd I Say
1959 The Genius of Ray Charles
1960 Ray Charles in Person
1960 Genius Hits The Road
1961 The Genius After Hours
1961 The Genius Sings The Blues
1961 Soul Meeting (with Milt Jackson)
1961 Do The Twist With Ray Charles
1961 Dedicated To You
1961 Genius + Soul = Jazz
1961 Ray Charles And Betty Carter
1962 Modern Sounds In Country And Western
1961 Modern Sounds In Country And Western Volume 2
1963 Ingredients In A Recipe For Soul
1964 Sweet And Sour Tears
1964 Have A Smile With Me
1965 Live In Concert
1965 Country And Western Meets Rhythm And Blues
1966 Crying Time
1966 Ray's Moods
1967 Ray Charles Invites You To Listen
1968 A Portrait of Ray
1969 I'm All Yours, Baby!
1969 Doing His Thing
1970 My Kind of Jazz
1970 Love, Country Style
1971 Volcanic Action of My Soul
1972 A Message From The People
1972 Through The Eyes of Love
1972 Jazz Number II
1974 Come Live With Me
1975 Renaissance
1975 My Kind of Jazz III
1975 Live In Japan
1976 Porgy And Bess (with Cleo Laine)
1977 True To Life
1978 Love And Peace
1979 Ain't It So
1980 Brother Ray Is At It Again
1983 Wish You Were Here Tonight
1984 Do I Ever Cross Your Mind
1985 Friendship
1985 The Spirit of Christmas
1986 From The Pages of My Mind
1988 Just Between Us
1989 Seven Spanish Angels And Other Hits
1990 Would You Believe
1993 My World
1996 Strong Love Affair
1996 Berlin, 1962
2002 thanks For Bringing Love Around
Compilations
1962 The Ray Charles Story
1967 A Man And His Soul
1970 The Best of Ray Charles 1956-58
1971 25th Anniversary in Show Business Salute to Ray Charles
1982 A Life In Music 1956-59
1987 The Right Time
1988 Greatest Hits Vol. 1 1960–67
1989 Anthology
1990 The Collection
1991 Blues Is My Middle Name
1991 The Birth of Soul 1952–59
1992 The Complete Atlantic Rhythm And Blues Recordings
1993 The Living Legend
1994 The Best Of... The Atlantic Years
1995 Classics