Blondie
~*~*~*~<br><font color=blue>This TF always enjoys
- Joined
- Aug 18, 1999
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Due to all the media coverage of Ronald Reagan's passing, poor ol' Ray Charles was basically just shoved aside.
Ray Charles passed away Thursday (June 10) at his Beverly Hills home at the age of 73. He was born in 1930 in Albany, Georgia. As a child, he learned boogie-woogie piano from a neighbor, who owned the local bar. Ray's father wasn't around much and, in fact, died when Ray was just ten. By then, though, Ray had been blind for three years. Doctors now believe he suffered from glaucoma. After studying braille and self-sufficiency at a Florida school for the blind, Ray decided to travel as far from Florida as he could. That turned out to be Seattle, where he got work as a jazz pianist and formed a trio along the lines of Nat "King" Cole. Ray was recording for a small label that was acquired by Atlantic Records, who encouraged him to move in a rhythm-and-blues direction. 1959 was his breakthrough year as he recorded his legendary "Genius Of Ray Charles" album and the top ten hit, "What'd I Say". Moving to ABC Records, he consistently scored hits like "Georgia On My Mind"- his first #1 record, "Ruby", "One Mint Julep", "Hit The Road Jack" and "Unchain My Heart". In 1962, Ray released an album of country tunes sung his way called "Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music". The album went to #1 for 14 weeks and the first single from it, "I Can't Stop Loving You", spent five weeks at #1, becoming the biggest hit of 1962. Other hits followed, including "You Don't Know Me", "Busted" and "Crying Time". In 45 years, Ray appeared 77 times on the pop charts, with 33 of those songs making the top 40. His last appearance was six weeks ago as the recording studio he built in Los Angeles was designated a landmark.
Ray Charles passed away Thursday (June 10) at his Beverly Hills home at the age of 73. He was born in 1930 in Albany, Georgia. As a child, he learned boogie-woogie piano from a neighbor, who owned the local bar. Ray's father wasn't around much and, in fact, died when Ray was just ten. By then, though, Ray had been blind for three years. Doctors now believe he suffered from glaucoma. After studying braille and self-sufficiency at a Florida school for the blind, Ray decided to travel as far from Florida as he could. That turned out to be Seattle, where he got work as a jazz pianist and formed a trio along the lines of Nat "King" Cole. Ray was recording for a small label that was acquired by Atlantic Records, who encouraged him to move in a rhythm-and-blues direction. 1959 was his breakthrough year as he recorded his legendary "Genius Of Ray Charles" album and the top ten hit, "What'd I Say". Moving to ABC Records, he consistently scored hits like "Georgia On My Mind"- his first #1 record, "Ruby", "One Mint Julep", "Hit The Road Jack" and "Unchain My Heart". In 1962, Ray released an album of country tunes sung his way called "Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music". The album went to #1 for 14 weeks and the first single from it, "I Can't Stop Loving You", spent five weeks at #1, becoming the biggest hit of 1962. Other hits followed, including "You Don't Know Me", "Busted" and "Crying Time". In 45 years, Ray appeared 77 times on the pop charts, with 33 of those songs making the top 40. His last appearance was six weeks ago as the recording studio he built in Los Angeles was designated a landmark.
