Ray Charles Robinson

By: John Kilbourne

Ray Charles

• Ray Charles was born September 23rd 1930 in Albany Georgia.

• He moved to Greenville, Florida when he was very young.

Early Life

• Saw his younger brother drown when he was only 5 years old.

• By age 7 he was blind.

• He learned to read, write, and compose music in Braille at a deaf and blind school and St. Augustine Florida.

Teen Years

• At the age of 15 his mother died.

• Age 17 did his first recording with the songs Guitar Blues, Walkin’ and talkin’ and Wonderin’ and Wonderin’

Accomplishes

• In 1954 wrote and recorded “I got a women” and it became a #1 R&B song on the charts.

• Created his own genre called “Soul”

• “Hit The Road Jack” was one of his most famous songs and it won a Grammy in 1961 for Rhythm and Blues recording.

Influences

• His inspiration was Nat King Cole.

• When Ray started singing he tried to sound like Nat Cole and sang a couple of his songs.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrd14PxaUco

Cited page

• http://www.swingmusic.net/Ray_Charles_Biography.html