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Top 10 Interesting Facts about Ray Charles

Ray Charles was a famous singer, pianist, bandleader and composer. He was exceptional at his job and was even nicknamed a Genius in the entertainment industry. The singer grew up in Florida after his family moved to the city when he was a toddler. He started his career at a young age as he was playing the piano when he was five years old at a neighbourhood café. When he was six years old, he began going blind probably from glaucoma and by the time he was seven years he had lost his sight. Ray proceeded to the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind where he concentrated on musical studies.

Ray Charles had a successful career as he was in touch with his emotions in his performances and thus attracted the crowds. Therefore, this article will explore some interesting facts about Ray Charles and the impact he had on the music industry as a Jazz pianist.

1 He did not see his blindness as a hindrance

After Ray Charles lost his blindness when he was seven years old, he did not let the blindness deter him from achieving his dreams. Ray once commented that he was playing since he was three years old when he still had his sight and therefore blindness had nothing to it as he still played music when he had lost his sight.

Furthermore, he had his keyboards marked with braille stickers which portray the determination he had in ensuring that his disability did not limit him from achieving his dreams. He even received a Helen Keller Award from the American Foundation for the Blind recognizing his determination to ensure that he lived out his dream of being a successful artist.

2 He loved playing chess

Ray Charles learnt how to play chess in 1965 while he was engaged in a rehabilitation programme at St. Francis hospital, close to Los Angeles. Charles, who struggled with insomnia, was instructed by his doctor at the clinic to play and he did so with other patients all night. Charles cherished the fact that playing chess required skill rather than luck to win. The artist liked that the players began in the same positions and they had to outsmart the other player so that they can win.

Ray Charles continued to play the game and he even had his own chessboards custom-made. The black and white squares on Ray’s board are of varying heights; the black squares are elevated while the white ones are dropped. The tops of the black pieces are sharper than the tops of the white pieces, assisting him in differentiating them by touch. The chess boards are now housed in the American History Museum.

3 He advocated strongly against racial segregation

Ray Charles was against people being divided based on their skin colour. In 1961, Ray cancelled a performance at Bell Auditorium in Augusta, Georgia, after discovering that the space is segregated, with an upper balcony designated for blacks and a dance floor for whites only. The performance space sued Ray for breach of contract and assessed a fine, which Ray ultimately paid. Until the venue was integrated, he resisted performing there again.

4 He had many accomplishments

Throughout his career, Ray Charles had many accomplishments as he was getting recognised for the work and impact he was making in the music industry. His most significant achievement was when his pop music topped the R&B chart and it came up to number 6 on the pop chart. Some of the awards won by the artist include the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1976, and the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance which he won three times in 1963, 1964 and 1967. He also won the World Music Legend Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Music Industry in 1994, and the NAACP Image Award in 2004.

5 His music bordered on secularism and religion

Charles was the first to promote the practice of fusing the blues and spirituals, which was frowned upon by many Americans. He transformed both of their inherent sorrow into palpable, approachable musical forms. He’d been exposed to both spirituals and the blues growing up in the South, so he saw the two as a natural pairing. He defined the soul as a combination of gospel and blues where emotions cannot be manufactured and as “simply the way black folk sing when they leave themselves alone.”

6 Ray Charles wore glasses every day

The celebrated artist never acted like he was blind and if one met him on the street, they would not know that he was blind. His mother also never treated him like he was a normal kid and he also acted very normally. The musician did not want pity from anyone because of his blindness. In fact, he had three rules on ‘no’ where he had said no to a dog, a cane and a guitar. This means that he was just an open-minded person and hoped that he interacted with trustworthy people as he had no way of knowing if people were being truthful.

7 His married life

Ray Charles was married twice. His first marriage was to Eileen Williams who they divorced and he proceeded to marry Della Beatrice Howard Robinson. Both marriages did not last long as they both ended in divorce after a few years. Ray Charles has 12 children but they are from 10 different women.

8 He is considered a pioneer

Ray Charles was dubbed the father of soul and thus considered to be the pioneer of that genre and many other artists try to emulate him. He is also considered to be the pioneer of rhythm and blues as he was one of the first black musicians who was well-marketed and received by white audiences. This shows that the musician had exceptional talent and knew what he was doing.

9 He was inducted into the Hall of Fame

Having produced exceptional songs like Georgia on My Mind, What’d I Say and Hit the Road Jack the artist received some recognition for the work he was doing. In 1986, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This is an indication that Ray Charles was a talented musician and he did not let his disability deter him from achieving his dreams.

10 His death

The legendary musician died at 73 years old. He had just undergone a major hip surgery some months before which had put a halt in his music plans when he was diagnosed with terminal liver disease. After the diagnosis, he did not last long as he died months later. His death came as a shock and it was hugely felt by the people in the music industry, his fans and his friends. Many mourned him with his friend Quincy Jones commenting that there has never been someone in the music industry who broke as many perceived barriers as Ray Charles.