Ray Charles
The Genius who helped invent soul music
Facts
- Born: 1930
- Country: United States
- Field: Music
- Era: Television Age
Overview
Albany, Georgia born pianist and singer who lost his sight by age seven and studied music at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. I Got a Woman 1954 and What I Say 1959 fused gospel with rhythm and blues into soul. Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music 1962 crossed genre lines, Georgia on My Mind became the state song of Georgia, and Jamie Foxx won an Oscar playing him in Ray 2004.