Ray Charles Robinson Essays -- Soul Music Biography Musician Essays

shot Charles Robinson Ray Charles Robinson, more than commonly known as Ray Charles (to avoid confusion with bagger Sugar Ray Robinson), was born in the southern city of Albany, GA on September 23, 1930. He was a prolific, multi-talented singer, pianist, bandleader, and composer who, when on stage delighted his audience not only by his musical ability, but excessively because he was a blind, African American man. He was given the nickname the Genius for his capability of combining the music of gospel, jazz, pop, country and rhythm and vapours (R&B), known as soul music. Charles began going blind at roughly age five, and had exclusively lost all eye sight by age seven. The cause of his blindness was never confirmed, but most take it was due to glaucoma. By then, his family had moved to Greenville, FL, and Charles had already begun playing the piano. Charles m new(prenominal) never took pity on him, she began teaching him things even before he becam e completely blind. He never saw his being blind as a weakness, and that helped him out tremendously as a child and into adulthood. He short began attending the St. Augustine School for the Deaf and Blind, as a charity student, where he perfected his piano skills while learning how to play various other instruments. He also learned how to read and write music, type, and compose win in Braille. Both of Charles parents were dead by the time he was fourteen, and at age fifteen he was orphaned and left St. Augustine to begin his lord music career. For almost two years, he played for local bands in Florida, but then he headed to Seattle, WA which has been said to be the bit point in Charles personal and professional career. During the ear... ...lobe Award nominations. Works CitedCharles, Ray. encyclopedia Britannica. 2005. encyclopaedia Britannica Online. 22Jan. 2005 < http//search.eb.com/eb/article?tocId=9022591&query=RAY%20CHARLES&ct= . Charles, Ray. Encyc lopedia Britannica. 2005. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 22Jan. 2005 < http//search.eb.com/ebi/article?tocId=9310645&query=RAY%20CHARLES&ct= . Ray Charles The Official Site. Comp. Chad Hanson, Ira Merrill, and RaeneeRobinson. Mar. 2001. RCR Production, Inc. 22 Jan. 2005 < http//www.raycharles.com/ . Ray Charles. Ed. Larry Sanger, and Jimmy Wales. Wikipedia The FreeEncyclopedia. 15 Jan. 2001. Wikipedia Online. 22 Jan. 2005 < http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Charles . The History of Rock n Roll. Comp. D K. Peneny. Mar. 1998. 22 Jan. 2005 < http//www.history-of-rock.com/ray_charles.htm .