Lydon, Michael. Ray Charles: Man and Music. New York: Riverhead, Ritz, David. Ray Charles: Voice of Soul. New York: Chelsea House, Turk, Ruth. Ray Charles: Soul Man. Minneapolis: Lerner, Winski, Norman. Los Angeles: Melrose Square, Toggle navigation. Early career After graduation from the Saint Augustine School, Charles traveled across Florida and performed with country and western bands.
Invented soul music In a recording session with Atlantic Records combined gospel with rhythm-and-blues and established Charles's "sweet new style" in American music. Views on Elvis In Charles appeared on the NBC news show Now, admitting that "I'm probably going to lose at least a third of my fans," when he told interviewer Bob Costas — that Elvis Presley — had just copied what African American artists were already doing.
Later years Charles is married to the former Della Altwine, herself a gospel singer, with whom he has three children. For More Information Charles, Ray. Also read article about Charles, Ray from Wikipedia. User Contributions: 1. Elvis is the king of rock Mj is the king of pop but, Ray is the ruler of soul and jazz. Later, I learned that this was their way of expressing wonderment for his ability to play the piano!
Even reading this article brought me to tears! He needs no title except genius anyway. He did have at least one child to another woman, whom he supported. Above all his many talents, singing great Ray Charles had the ability to interpret and sing songs in such a way as to fill the words from the depths of his own heart, carrying this emotion to the listener.
However, his highly regarded singing long tended to obscure his other considerable accomplishments as a blues pianist, band leader, composer, and arranger. The cry of blues permeates every Charles performance," wrote Goldberg. Despite being born into extreme poverty, Ray Charles created a prolific body of work spanning five decades. Proficient in numerous styles, Ray's recordings are rich in blues, jazz, and country, and he was often spoken of as the nation's best rock n' roll singer, best jazz singer, and best pop singer, his preeminence challenged only by Frank Sinatra.
Frequently imitated, and honored with countless awards during his career, Charles is best known as the "Father of Soul Music. When told that he had successfully avoided all attempts to be categorized, he replied in Goldberg's book: "I consider that a compliment. I don't want to be branded. I don't want the rhythm-and-blues brand, or the pop brand, or any other. That's why I try all these different things. Some like one thing, and some another.
But I try to please everybody, while doing what I want. I'm an entertainer. Charles's absent father, Bailey Robinson, was a migrant railroad worker who never knew his son. Charles and his beloved mother Aretha moved to Greenville, Florida, when Charles was six months old.
Times were tough for the young family. In his autobiography, Brother Ray , Charles recalled that "Even compared to the other blacks in Greenville, we were at the bottom of the ladder.
Thereafter, Charles's eyesight worsened considerably from glaucoma, leaving him completely blind by the age of seven. Charles then attended a state school in St. Augustine for the deaf and blind. While in St. Augustine, Charles learned to read, compose, and write music in braille, as well as to play the clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, and keyboards.
Though Charles became familiar with classical music there, it was at the upright piano of Wylie Pittman, a local grocer, where Charles first experienced playing the piano. Robert Palmer writes that Charles fondly recalls visiting Wylie's after school, where "… he'd let me sit on the piano stool or in the chair next to him and bang on the piano with him.
Ray's excellence as a blues pianist is evident on his instrumental albums, including The Great Ray Charles. Arranger Quincy Jones credits Chalres's piano abilities as a major factor in the success of his recordings.
Young Charles possessed a natural talent for music and, by age twelve, was reportedly able to arrange and score all parts of big band or orchestral music. As a child, Charles listened to a wide variety of blues and swing along with the weekly Grand Ole Opry and gospel music of his Baptist church. Augustine at age 15, Charles learned of his mother's death. Ray's father had also died several years earlier. With no immediate family left, Charles moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in search of work.
Charles recalled those days as being rough times, however, he felt that his youth provided him with a certain resilience. Soon, Charles was playing in numerous small bands across the state of Florida. By , now 18 years old, Charles was a seasoned road musician. By this time, however, Charles had become acquainted with heroin, which he continued using for many years to come. However, the ambitious Charles was determined to make his way in music and he purchased an early wire recorder, recording some demo tapes in Tampa, Florida.
Charles also successfully assembled a trio of guitar, bass, and piano, dropping his last name Robinson so as not to be confused with then popular boxer, Sugar Ray Robinson.
Charles's trio came to the attention of Jack Lauderdale of Downbeat and later Swing-time records. By , Charles had moved to Los Angeles and was cutting records for Swingtime. Ray Charles truly popularized the song over decades, following its debut on his groundbreaking album, A Message from the People. That's the only explanation I know. The Mission: Throughout his career, Charles was active in a range of political and humanitarian causes. The vision of The Ray Charles Foundation is to instill in the youth of America that There is no challenge too great one cannot overcome.
The Ray Charles Foundation. It exceeds all others in its ability to lift our collective spirits.
0コメント