Ray Charles: The Sight Sense of Music

Blindness was not a limit for a man whose passion for music took him to the highest position as a musician and as a legend; of course, I want to present Mr. Ray Charles Robinson, who was born in 1930, in Albany, Georgia. Due to glaucoma, Ray Charles chronically started to lose his sight when he was only six years old. In 1937, he was first taken to St. Augustine School for the Deaf and Blind; he attended this school until 1945 and he studied piano, clarinet and saxophone. He got stylish techniques to compose for big bands and learned to write and read music in Braile.

Unfortunately, he lost his parents when was still a teenager; now, being on his own, Charles had to begin his professional career in different bands in Florida. He was very interested in forming a trio, which he called Maxim; they were influenced by proficient artists such as Charles Brown and Nat “King” Cole. Some years later, Atlantic Records bought his recorded production “Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand” and “Kiss Me Baby”. Likewise, Charles adapted his composition techniques and turned gospel into blues. He became very popular among jazz devotees because of his performance at Newport Jazz Festival.

He also got involved in several businesses related to music and acting; Ray appeared in several movies, such as Swinging Around, Ballad in Blue and the Cincinnati Kid. Words become short when writing about Ray Charles; his complete professional career is so prolific that it would take lots of pages to know all about his production. In 1982, he actually was inducted into the Blues Foundation’s Hall of Fame and in 1986, into the Rock and Roll’s Hall of Fame. On the other hand, he was Grammy awarded as many times as it was possible to honor his jazz and blues productions.

Ray Charles passed away June 11, 2004 in Beverly Hills, California.

The most recent film Ray, starred by Jamie Foxx, depicts Ray Charles’ life and musical career. We invite you to see this movie and listen to his refined and honored production.