Ray Charles - American musician and author of more than 70 studio albums, one of the most famous artists in the world of music in the styles of soul, jazz and rhythm-end - blues. He was awarded 12 prizes «Grammy», hit the halls of fame of rock 'n' roll, jazz, country and blues, in the Hall of Fame of Georgia, his recordings have been included in the Library of Congress.
Frank Sinatra called Ray «the only real genius in the show-business». And in 2004, the magazine Rolling Stone put Ray Charles at number 10 of the «List of Immortals»: 100 greatest artists of all time.
Ray Charles was born in the small town of Albany, in Georgia, father - Bailey Robinson, mother - Areta Robinson. Ray family was very poor - as he said, «Even among the other blacks ... we were on the bottom step ladder, looking up at the others. Nothing below us - only the land ». Ray family moved to the small village of Greenville, in South Florida when he was only a few months. My father did not play a significant role in the life of Ray, and some time after his birth, he and the cast does their family, leaving Ray and his younger brother George in the care of Areta and her mother - Mary Jane Robinson (Mary Jay Robinson). When Reyu was five years old, his brother George, who was a year younger, started to sink in Lohani, parked on the street. Ray, who was a witness in this case, tried to help him, but he could not do anything because the brother was too heavy for him. George drowned, and Ray, presumably from the forward shock, and gradually began to go blind at the age of seven years, completely blinded.
As Ray himself, the cause of his blindness and has remained unknown, but there is evidence that this is a consequence of glaucoma. For the first time, his musical talent began to emerge at the age of 3 years - this helped the owner of the nearest pharmacy, playing the piano. He entered the School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Ogustine, Florida. There, Ray learned Braille and play a few musical instruments - piano, organ, saxophone, trombone and clarinet. At school, showed musical talent Ray - he sang in the Baptist choir. In 1945 his mother died and a further two years - his father.