Ray Charles

Ray Charles
Ray Charles at his last concert
Background information
Birth name	Ray Charles Robinson
Born	(1930-09-23)September 23, 1930 Albany, Georgia, United States
Origin	Greenville, Florida, United States
Died	June 10, 2004(2004-06-10) (aged 73) Beverly Hills, California, United States
Genres	R&B, soul, blues, jazz, gospel
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, musician
Instruments	Singing, piano, alto saxophone
Years active	1947–2004
Labels	Atlantic, ABC, Warner Bros. Records
Website	www.raycharles.com

Ray Charles (born Ray Charles Robinson) (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American musician.

Charles was born in Albany, Georgia and was raised in Greenville, Florida. When he was six he started going blind and was completely blind by age seven.^[1] He played jazz, soul, and R&B music. Charles never knew exactly why he lost his sight, though there are sources which suggest his blindness was due to glaucoma.^[2] He attended school at the St. Augustine School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, Florida.^[1] He also learned how to write music and play various musical instruments. While he was there, his father died, and his mother died five years later. Charles died in 2004 from liver failure.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "Biography". The Ray Charles Memorial Library. 2004-06-10. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
2. ↑ "Ray Charles - About the Library (Library of Congress)". Loc.gov. Retrieved 2011-10-29.