Ray Charles

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 ev

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."

Ray Charles Robinson was born in Albany, Georgia. He began going blind at around age five and was totally blind by age seven. He said that the causes were undiagnosed, but many believe it was as a result of glaucoma. Just before his eyes began to fail, he witnessed his younger brother George drown in a washtub. 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, who had raised him, died. His father, Bailey, died two years later.