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File:Ray_Charles_classic_piano_pose.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Ray Charles

Also known as Ray Charles Robinson/Raymond Charles Robinson Peter

American singer, pianist and songwriter (1930–2004)

AI overview

Ray Charles was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter who lived from 1930 to 2004 and became one of the most influential musicians in popular music history. He is widely regarded as a pioneering figure who blended elements of blues, jazz, country, and gospel music in innovative ways that shaped modern music.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Film & TV

Albany, Georgia, USA

Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004), better known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records. He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover…

Known for

Merci Dorothée ! — Self (archive footage)2025
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music — Self (archive footage)2025
Quincy Jones, Music Man — Self (archive footage)2025
The Greatest Night in Pop — Self (archive footage)2024
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)2023
They All Came Out to Montreux — Self (archive footage)2023
Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan — Self (archive footage)2023
Piano Greats at the BBC — Self (archive footage)2022
Rat Pack — Self (archive footage)2022
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony — Self (archive footage)2022

via TMDB

Music · MusicBrainz

Type: Person
Gender: Male
Origin: United States
Active from: 1930
Active to: 2004

2008 universal fire victimaln-shbluesjazzjazz bluesr&b

Discography

Member of

Official site Discogs Stream

via MusicBrainz · CC0

Listeners · Last.fm

Listeners: 2,870,490
Total plays: 45,173,822

Official website

raycharles.com →

Link to the official site · not written by Vinony

Wikidata facts

Instance of: human
Given name: Charles
Family name: Robinson
Gender: male
Citizenship: United States
Place of birth: Albany
Place of death: Beverly Hills
Occupation: music arranger
Political party: Republican Party (United States)
Languages spoken: English language
Native language: English language
Genre: gospel music
Instrument: voice
Record label: Philips Records
Discography: Ray Charles discography
Official website: raycharles.com
Image: Ray Charles classic piano pose.jpg
Residence: Los Angeles
Voice type: baritone

Show 22 more facts

place of burial: Inglewood Park Cemetery
Commons category: Ray Charles
date of birth: 1930-09-23
date of death: 2004-06-10
cause of death: liver failure
topic's main category: Category:Ray Charles
Commons gallery: Ray Charles
medical condition: blindness
birth name: Ray Charles Robinson
manner of death: natural causes
location of formation: Florida
ethnic group: African Americans
name in native language: Ray Charles
start of work period: 1947-00-00
on focus list of Wikimedia project: Wikipedia:Vital articles/Level/4
pseudonym: Ray Charles
copyright representative: Broadcast Music, Inc.
related category: Category:Songs written by Ray Charles
nickname: The Genius
topic has template: Template:Ray Charles
advertises: Peugeot 306
writing language: English language

Sources (14)

via Wikidata · CC0

~40 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians of the 20th century and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Genius". Among friends and fellow musicians, Charles preferred being called "Brother Ray". He lost his vision as a child, possibly due to glaucoma, and consequently wore dark glasses.

Charles pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s by combining elements of blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel into his music during his time with Atlantic Records. He contributed to the integration of country music, rhythm and blues, and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, notably with his two Modern Sounds albums. With ABC, Charles became one of the first black musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Ray Charles” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.